"No, he’s never thrown me into a pit," I-han replied.

“Oh, that’s a relief,” Professor Garcia sighed in relief but paused, considering I-han’s choice of words.

‘Did he just say *into a pit* specifically?’

Could that mean he’d been thrown somewhere else instead?

“I-han, are you saying…”

“Then, what exactly is this pit for?” I-han interrupted, eyeing the pit with obvious caution. His distrust hurt Garcia’s heart, making him determined to dispel the student’s concerns immediately.

“It’s your final exam.”

“Understood.”

“?”

Professor Garcia was puzzled; I-han’s response was calm, almost indifferent.

The young man from the Wardanas family wasn’t known for being overly emotional, but this response was unexpected.

“So… are there monsters hiding down there?”

“There are no monsters!” Professor Garcia’s voice rose in exasperation. 

“Do you think I’m the Principal?” Garcia asked, a hint of hurt in his tone.

“Of course not. But since it’s a final exam, I figured monsters would be part of it…”

Professor Garcia sighed deeply. “I’m only testing you on the practical magic we’ve covered this semester. No monsters.”

In the first semester, Professor Garcia had introduced various schools of magic and taught the basics. This semester, his course on *Practical Magic Essentials* covered useful spells, like *Underwater Breathing*, *Undead Detection*, *Undead Banishment*, and *Minor Antidote*. 

Though the focus leaned heavily on anti-undead spells, Garcia’s was easily the most practical class that semester, emphasizing magic students could immediately apply in real-life situations. And his genuine care for the students made it unique among Einroguard’s courses.

“Wait… you taught us undead-related spells, but there’s no undead?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. When did I teach undead spells?”

“You covered *Undead Banishment*, *Undead Detection*, and *Minor Undead Banishment*…”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you’re confused from taking too many courses, Wardanas.”

“……”

Though surprised, I-han realized Garcia intended to keep the spells secret, likely to prevent the Skull Principal from complicating matters if he found out.

‘He could’ve just told me,’ I-han thought, feeling slightly hurt by the implication of taking *too many courses*.

“Got it. So… *Underwater Breathing*, *Minor Antidote*, *Waterproofing Charm*, *Vision Enhancement*, and *Minor Lockpick*, right?”

“Exactly.”

Carefully approaching the pit, I-han activated *Dark Sight* to amplify his vision and peered into the depths. 

‘So, the idea is to flood the pit with water, then have us swim down, navigate a hidden tunnel, and face traps like poisons and locked doors along the way.’

As he assessed the setup, a question suddenly came to mind.

“Professor, after the pit fills with water, we dive down and look for the hidden passage, where we’ll encounter traps?”

“Precisely, Wardanas. Very perceptive.”

Garcia looked pleased, but he grew concerned when he noticed I-han’s posture.

“Why are you standing like that?”

“I’m bracing myself in case someone tries to push me in.”

“Wardanas… I’m not going to push you…”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that, Professor,” I-han replied, still crouched and ready to balance himself if necessary.

“Well, anyway. You have the right idea about the setup…” Garcia began, only for I-han’s sentence to trail off.

“...Is it okay for me to know this much in advance?”

Even as he asked, I-han felt a twinge of anxiety. Garcia might realize his slip and say, *Oh, Wardanas, my mistake! I’ll prepare a harder test for you now*.

While Garcia was far kinder than most professors, he was still a professor.

“Oh, it’s fine.”

“…It is?”

“Wardanas, you always score full marks. That’s why I called you.”

“......”

For a moment, I-han was speechless.

No…

Wait, really?

“Shouldn’t I at least take the test to know for sure?”

“I’ve watched you cast spells many times; I know you’ll pass. Don’t some other professors share similar thoughts?”

Garcia waved his wand to create a seating area nearby for students to rest after their exams, and he even warmed the air around it for extra comfort.

“Well… yes, a few do.”

“Right? Didn’t those professors say they’d rather you spend your time on more meaningful tasks?”

‘They gave me harder tests instead.’

I-han recalled Professor Alfen’s words during the midterms: *It seemed too easy, so I prepared something harder*. He decided not to mention this, fearing it might give Garcia ideas.

“It was something like that,” he replied.

Garcia nodded, as though expecting this answer. He and his colleagues had all faced unique challenges while planning the finals this semester.

- *Maybe a shapeshifting potion is too advanced. But I used firecracker potions last year… Hmm, should I just call Wardanas in and let him make his own test?*

- *Professor!*

- *It’s just a joke! So, what’s Verdus preparing?*

- *Me? I’ll have them make artifacts out of scrap.*

- *Not a bad idea, actually. Looks like you’re well prepared.*

- *Thanks, but it was the Principal’s suggestion.*

- *…*

- *…*

- *Right, I need to remember to have Wardanas help me prepare my test.*

- *Professor Verdus, could you step over to the back room for a moment?*

Though there were a few less-than-ethical professors, the general consensus was, *If Wardanas will pass anyway, why make him waste time?*

Garcia, too, remembered his own understanding professor from his school days.

- *Garcia, you don’t need to take this exam. Focus on your other tests instead. And when you fight your friends, use an open hand, not a fist, will you?*

“Wardanas, you’ll score full marks anyway, so focus on your other exams. Not every professor will be so lenient.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

I-han felt genuinely grateful for Garcia’s consideration. While his skills were a major reason for this exception, Garcia’s main motivation was likely to give I-han a break from his intense course load.

‘I’ll definitely keep Alfen’s methods a secret.’

“Now, since you’re not taking the test, I’d like you to check the setup’s difficulty for your classmates. You’ll see things from a student’s perspective better than I would.”

“Professor, you’re truly an exceptional teacher. I’m fortunate to have met you,” I-han said, his voice thick with emotion.

“W-why so serious all of a sudden?”

Flustered by the unexpected compliment, Garcia fumbled with the spell, filling the pit with water.

---

Splash!

After just a short dive, I-han emerged from the pit.

With a flick of his waterproof cloak, he reported, “It could be darker down there, Professor.”

“Really?” Garcia took notes.

He had assumed the water would naturally darken the pit, but it seemed it was still too bright.

‘Is there too much ambient light?’

“Shall I call on a dark element?”

“No, no need! This is my task to handle,” Garcia replied, dismissing the offer.

He’d only wanted some feedback, but his diligent student was already planning more.

“Understood. Then I’ll—”

“Oh, no need to dive back in—”

Splash!

A moment later, I-han surfaced again.

“Professor, the entrance is a bit narrow, but since there’s no other nearby passage, they’ll find it quickly if they stay calm. Perhaps you could add some decoy passages?”

“Hmm… Alright.” Garcia jotted down the suggestion.

Without giving Garcia a chance to protest, I-han kept diving back in and emerging with new feedback.

- *The poison obscures vision, but wouldn’t a poison that restricts breathing be better?*

- *The lock was easy enough that a skilled student could pick it without magic. Could we make it tougher?*

- *There’s nothing to challenge us on the way back up. Adding an undead creature would keep students alert.*

“……”

Garcia closed his notebook and looked at I-han.

“Wardanas… have any of your friends upset you recently?”

“Huh? No, not really.”

---

Leaving Garcia’s classroom, I-han felt slightly uneasy, wondering if he’d met the professor’s expectations.

‘Was my feedback not good enough?’

Garcia had exempted him from the test and asked for his feedback as a favor. Yet I-han worried that his suggestions might not have been helpful.

‘Maybe I should revise and bring some better ideas next time.’

“Wardanas, don’t bring more suggestions next time!” Garcia called out from his classroom doorway.

Startled, I-han looked back. “Was that a divination spell?”

“No, it’s a professor’s intuition. Seriously, your input was invaluable. No more adjustments needed!”

“Yes, sir!”

Though still uncertain if his feedback was really that helpful, Garcia’s sincerity reached him. Feeling a warmth in his chest, I-han walked down the hallway, content.

“Wardanas! Over here!” a voice called out.

It was Professor Verdus, cheerfully floating toward him.

Suppressing a sigh, I-han tried to walk past him, but Verdus landed squarely in his path.

“Did you not

 hear me?”

“Oh! Professor Verdus, when did you arrive? You startled me!”