“Or… maybe he can go?”

“That doesn’t sound like something you need to think too hard about…”

Yonir hadn’t expected the professor to mull over it so seriously and felt a bit taken aback.

With a resigned sigh, he tried to help his friend up.

“I-han, come on. I know you’re upset, but you can’t stay like this forever.”

“...Spirits are all ungrateful creatures.”

The basilisk, perched on his wrist, hissed as if to agree.

“Maybe… But come on, get up. Look, even the squirrel spirit is here with you.”

The frost and ice-covered squirrel spirit gave I-han’s cheek a playful tug to show its presence.

This small gesture managed to lift I-han’s spirits a little.

At least he had one spirit left with him.

*Tap-tap.*

“You want to make a contract?”

The squirrel spirit nodded eagerly.

“Are you sure? There are probably other fine mages around.”

“Don’t say that, I-han,” Siana Priest interjected.

“Yes, Wardanas. Don’t go saying things like that,” added Yonir, jumping in as well, worried the spirit might run off.

Thankfully, the squirrel spirit didn’t seem to mind. It flicked its tail and nuzzled I-han’s hand, signaling its loyalty.

“See, I-han? Spirits don’t forget the kindness you show them.”

“...Maybe.”

Just then, Illendil finished his work and joined them, smiling as he saw the friendly bond between I-han and the squirrel spirit.

For a spirit to show such fondness was rare. It usually required significant effort and genuine care.

“Here.”

Illendil pulled a handful of ice pine nuts from his pouch and offered them to the squirrel spirit, who dashed over and eagerly nibbled the treats, rubbing its head against Illendil’s hand.

I-han, who had been about to start the contract ritual, fixed his gaze on Illendil.

“It sure likes you, doesn’t it?”

“Why are you still here, Senior? Don’t you have other responsibilities?”

“Huh… are you mad at me…? Why?”

---

By the time they emerged from the forest, night had fully settled in, and the only lights were the stars and moon guiding their way.

“???”

As I-han petted the squirrel spirit he had just contracted with, he noticed flickering torches in the distance and frowned.

According to academy rules, students weren’t supposed to be wandering around outside at this hour unless they were on duty or carrying out a professor’s orders.

While some students might break curfew, they wouldn’t normally carry torches, as that was practically inviting the Death Knights who patrolled Ainlogard to catch them.

‘What’s going on?’

“Wardanas!! You jerk, I thought you were dead!”

“???”

Covered in dirt and bruises, Angrago ran up and hugged I-han.

I-han gripped Angrago by the face, pushing him away as he asked, “What happened? Is it… the principal?”

“Corrupted entities sent by the principal have escaped the forest and are attacking the dorms!”

“Oh.”

“Uh…”

“Hmm.”

I-han, Yonir, and Siana exchanged awkward glances. They knew that the principal had nothing to do with this incident.

“Everyone’s outside tracking them down. There’s no way anyone could sleep through this!”

“I see.”

I-han now understood why everyone was out here. Most students couldn’t sleep with corrupted creatures swarming the dorms.

And if the principal were involved, then finding the cause would be critical.

“Wardanas, thank goodness you’re here. We need you to take charge and lead the others to find the source!”

“But Wardanas isn’t even in the White Tiger Tower…” Siana murmured, puzzled by Angrago’s insistence.

Angrago ignored her; it didn’t matter in the moment!

Yawning, I-han asked, “Is Moradi or Salco already in the forest?”

“Yes!”

“Good. Tell them to wrap it up and come back. We already dealt with the cause. Now let’s go get some sleep.”

Yonir and Siana nodded in agreement with I-han’s words, exhaustion evident in their faces. After wandering the forest all day, they felt like they could fall asleep on the spot.

“Wait! Wardanas! Wardanas! Don’t turn your back on your duty as a knight!”

*What a lunatic…*

They were too tired to even argue back.

With a wave, I-han and his friends strolled leisurely back to the dorms.

---

Friday.

For the first time in a while, I-han had some downtime and settled into his hideout to focus on his studies.

The lounges and library were decent study spots, but he found it hard to concentrate with other people around.

*Wardanas, do you know anything about that miraculous event that took place in the southern Empire? And do you know which order is responsible? Hint: it’s not the Afha Order or the Aglataqua Order.*

*Wardanas, why do you think people should study magic? I’m not asking because I don’t want to study… it’s just a sudden thought.*

Though I-han was someone who often told himself that he could push through any challenging environment, he couldn’t deny the efficiency of studying in a quiet space.

He needed to fill in his notes on *The Principles of Wardanas’ Waterbomb* and *The Limitations and Future Development of Waterbomb Magic*, draft the design proposal for the pocket-knife fortress that Professor Alphen had suggested, and organize all the spells he’d learned that week…

‘Hmm.’

He also wondered if he should document the lightning spear technique he’d used in his fight with the corrupted entities yesterday.

He had, after all, managed to solidify the form of the lightning element. The only problem was…

‘I can’t remember how I did it.’

Going to Professor Voladi and saying, *“Professor, I cast a lightning spear, but I don’t remember how I did it,”* was out of the question.

If he did that, the professor would respond with, *“Yes, danger accelerates growth! I’ll help by putting your life at risk,”* and probably try to kill him.

Remembering how he’d achieved it himself and replicating it was the safest option.

He’d considered hiding it from Professor Voladi altogether, but…

‘Professor Voladi seems to have a strangely fast grasp of information.’

He didn’t seem like someone with great connections among the other professors, like Professor Garcia, yet he often knew whenever I-han learned a new spell from another department.

Almost like he was sharing information in the professors’ lounge.

*Junior. Junior.*

Startled, I-han saw new writing appearing in his communication notebook with Dirett and picked up his quill.

*What’s up, Senior?*

I heard a strange rumor, and I wanted to ask you about it.

*Sure, what would you like to know?*

They say you’re adored by the spirits of the forest. Is it true that the spirits are so fond of you that they all returned to their dimension just for you?

*??????*

I-han nearly dropped his quill.

*What… what are you talking about?*

I heard your name come up, saying you’re popular with spirits. It struck me as odd.

As a dark mage, I-han wasn’t exactly known for his affinity with spirits.

Dark mages usually struggled to bond with spirits because their association with the undead left a lingering scent on their souls.

Dark mages generally don’t get along well with spirits, right?

*Ah, true. Now that you mention it, that could be why they avoid me.*

Actually, in your case, it’s probably due to your high mana levels. Spirits are sensitive.

“......”

I-han frowned at his senior’s words.

*Couldn’t it be because I’m a dark mage…*

That’s less likely, don’t you think?

Feeling that pursuing this topic would only lead to further disappointment, I-han decided to change the subject.

*It’s probably because of Senior Illendil. There was an outbreak of corrupted entities in the forest, and I helped him with that.*

I-han briefly summarized the events.

Dirett hesitated, unsure where to start with his follow-up questions.

Trying to create an artificial dark spirit? That’s no small feat. Dark spirits are incredibly volatile and difficult to handle.

*It was certainly tricky. I’m not sure why he didn’t ask for assistance from one of the senior dark mages.*

Dirett went silent.

Satisfied that his flattery had worked, I-han smirked.

That’s not really the case.

*I still think so.*

Yeah, well… Considering it’s Illendil, not seeking help is understandable. He doesn’t get along well with our department.

“?”

I-han paused, confused.

Illendil didn’t strike him as malevolent or violent.

*What happened between them?*

Illendil’s a dryad hybrid, right? Loves the forest and everything in it. Some of our department members were attacked by him while collecting samples in the forest…

*Ah.*

I-han felt he understood.

Though Illendil appeared mild and easygoing, he’d cursed vehemently when anything threatened the forest.

*That’s a shame. Still, I’m glad that Senior has spoken highly of me.*

Despite the feud between Illendil and the senior dark mages, I-han felt a sense of gratitude.

Illendil had evidently spread the word about his good deeds among the other seniors.

Otherwise, Dirett wouldn’t have heard anything.

Proud?

*Yes. Isn’t it good to have

 a positive reputation with the seniors…*

You may not realize it, but Illendil has a… unique reputation.

*How unique?*

Let’s say… he’s more eccentric than the dark mages.

*......*

I-han’s face went pale.

So Illendil’s praise isn’t necessarily a good thing… The friend who told me about it seemed a bit… uneasy.

Dirett added a note of worry to his words.

The friend who had relayed the rumor also seemed highly suspicious of I-han.

*Dirett, please help me… convince them I’m not weird…*

I’m sorry.

Dirett genuinely apologized.

I’ll try my best to say something nice, but since I’m a dark mage too, it might not be very effective…

“......”

Too heartbroken to argue, I-han sighed deeply.

*It’s fine, Senior. Just your support is enough.*

Yeah. Anyway, be careful, especially when going into the forest. Illendil’s not a bad guy, but he can get a little violent if something threatens his domain.

‘From now on, I’m casting an invisibility spell every time I enter the forest.’

Resolving to avoid entanglements with Illendil, I-han realized he’d had a gut feeling about it from the start—maybe he’d subconsciously sensed something.

Just as he finished the conversation and was about to move on, his communication mirror started vibrating.

He moved to ignore it, but the vibrations persisted.

*The information you gave me last time was valuable. I’ll pay for more details on the first-year Wardanas student.*

“......”

I-han hesitated to respond.

*I also heard he’s best friends with the eccentric Illendil in Alchemy. Is that true?*

*Absolutely not.*

I-han found himself responding instinctively.