Chapter 1339

“Professor Wardanaz.”

Jandanni said it with a note of pride in their voice. Among the students at Valdrogard who knew anything about magic, all of them took pride in this new professor.

But the reaction of the adorable penguin beastkin mage was completely outside Jandanni’s expectations.

“What kind of ridiculous lie is that?!”

Alshicle immediately grabbed Jandanni by the collar. Jandanni choked in confusion.

“Wh-Why are you...”

“Do you even know who I am, spreading nonsense like that in front of me?! Wardanaz is my junior!”

“He really... really is our professor...”

“You’re still saying that?!”

The commotion startled Alhild, who hurried over.

“What are you doing?! Calm down!”

“This bastard is telling ridiculous lies!”

“I don’t know what you heard, but let’s settle this by talking first!”

“They’re saying Wardanaz joined their academy as a new professor! What kind of absurd nonsense is that?!”

“...You bastard!”

Alhild, who had come over to stop him, also became furious and grabbed Jandanni by the collar. Karre was left speechless at the sight.

‘Did I choose the wrong people to come with?’

Seeing even Alhild, who was always calm and rational, act like this made it even more absurd. Anyone watching might have mistaken Alhild for Eandurde.

Alnoev, who had been mesmerized by how cute the two penguin beastkin mages were, finally came to their senses and hurriedly intervened.

“Please stop! Senior isn’t lying! Can’t we just go and confirm it ourselves?!”

“Fine! Let’s go confirm it!”

“Can’t we just ask an Oculoguard mage?”

Karre asked, unable to understand.

Going deep into the academy just to say something like, ‘Excuse me, is Professor Wardanaz really here? It’s nothing important, we just wanted to check,’ sounded incredibly embarrassing.

“Oculoguard mages won’t answer useless questions like that. They don’t answer questions that violate the rules. Think of a priest who has taken a vow of silence...”

“Excuse me. Is the person who came with you this time Senior Wardanaz? Tall, with a look in his eyes like he’s constantly exhausted.”

Despite Alshicle trying to stop Karre, Karre called out to an Oculoguard mage passing outside the dining hall and asked.

The Oculoguard mage had been about to keep walking, but apparently could not stand it any longer. They hurried back and whispered,

“That’s right! I even heard he was newly appointed as a Valdrogard professor, and I simply cannot understand it. Do any of you happen to know why?”

“......”

“......”

Alshicle had never seen such a talkative Oculoguard mage before.

That was how shocking the news was even to them.

***

Paridim, a student of Oculoguard, kept glancing at Lee Han.

There were far too many things Paridim wanted to ask.

‘How in the world did he become a Valdrogard professor??’

Back when Paridim heard about the evil-god subjugation, they had thought it would be difficult to hear anything more shocking than that.

Apparently, there really was no such thing as ‘never’ in this world.

Paridim shook their head hard.

‘No. I am a foresight mage of Oculoguard. I must not let my emotions sway me into asking useless questions.’

The mages of Oculoguard were obsessed with rules and respected them deeply.

They were supposed to act only for the sake of magic, not throw out questions because of personal curiosity.

“This way, Lord Wardanaz. Please wash your hands and face in this Well of Revelation.”

“This is...”

“It is a place for increasing the accuracy of foresight magic. It reduces unnecessary errors and variables and helps sharpen the mind.”

Lee Han could sense magic connected to Oculoguard within the cold water.

The reason foresight magic was so obscure and difficult was the countless factors present in reality.

Predicting the result of a coin tossed into the air was relatively easy, but predicting exactly where a feather thrown into the air would land was extremely difficult.

That was why foresight mages used various magical methods to improve the accuracy of their predictions.

This well was one of those methods.

‘I see. As expected of Oculoguard. They really are serious about foresight magic.’

“Next is the Dice Gate. Please wait a moment.”

Paridim stopped in front of a huge stone gate connected to the corridor and began rolling the installed dice.

All three dice had to show the correct faces before the gate would open. Only then could they borrow the power of luck.

“......”

Lee Han was slightly taken aback, but waited quietly.

He already knew foresight magic was dangerous, and since he had come to Oculoguard, he intended to respect their methods.

Only after about thirty minutes did the gate finally open. Paridim wiped the sweat from their forehead.

“We had a little bad luck today.”

“Paridim. You are speaking unnecessarily.”

“!”

When Professor Marhajin appeared ahead of them, Paridim immediately bent at the waist and apologized respectfully.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I wasted time.”

“I will overlook it this time because of the contributions you have made. You must be careful.”

Like all accomplished foresight mages, Professor Marhajin carried madness and exhaustion around like shadows.

In truth, Lee Han himself was rather like that too, though he did not realize it.

Marhajin greeted Lee Han.

“Professor Wardanaz. Good to see you. I will speak casually.”

Unlike last time, Professor Marhajin treated Lee Han with noticeably more courtesy.

It was not because there was a favor to ask, but because Lee Han now held the position of professor.

‘This is actually more uncomfortable.’

From Lee Han’s perspective, being treated like this by professors from other magic academies when he had not even graduated from Einroguard yet was only uncomfortable.

What difference did it make if he acted like a professor when he still lacked the ability?

‘Though being able to speak casually to Professor Verdus might be kind of nice.’

For a moment, a scene flashed through his mind.

‘Hey! Verdus! Been doing well? Why have you been doing well?!’

Lee Han shook off the stray thought.

Now was the time to focus on magic.

“I still have a long way to go. More importantly, what do you need me to help with?”

“I cannot say it here. Professor, you follow me.”

After saying that, Marhajin scattered dark blue powder around Lee Han.

“Is this also to assist foresight magic?”

“No. This prevents Oculoguard’s foresight from being destroyed.”

“......”

It was obvious who was supposed to be destroying Oculoguard’s foresight.

Lee Han deliberately did not ask.

Asking would only make him sad.

“Paridim. You will not ask unnecessary questions.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“You can ask if you want.”

Lee Han had half given up by now.

Everywhere he went on the way here, people had already reacted with things like, ‘Valdrogard professor!? Why?!’

At this point, he had no intention of hiding it.

But Professor Marhajin would not permit such a useless question to be directed at someone who had come here at the academy’s request.

“No. Rules must be obeyed.”

At that answer, Lee Han’s opinion of Professor Marhajin rose slightly.

This person was a hundred times more polite than the pirates.

Professor Marhajin was about to lead Lee Han onward when he suddenly paused.

“I will be away for a moment. Paridim. You will not ask unnecessary questions.”

“I will absolutely keep that promise.”

“Since I will be away, I will not know even if you do.”

“Do not worry.”

“I will say it again. Paridim. You will...”

“......”

Lee Han stared at Professor Marhajin in disbelief.

What the hell is this person doing right now??

***

Professor Marhajin’s shallow scheme ended in failure.

Paridim was much more conscientious than expected.

In the end, the professor led Lee Han farther inside.

“Are the other professors not here?”

“Um... Lord Wardanaz. I told you before, didn’t I? Foresight magic is... somewhat vulnerable and can be affected.”

“What does that have to do with the other professors not being here... Ah.”

Lee Han realized the truth.

Could the Oculoguard professors actually be avoiding contact with him??

‘...Isn’t that a little too much?!’

Of course, as a mage, he understood that magic came first and that one sometimes had to use any means necessary.

But still!

Lee Han looked at Professor Marhajin, who was so thin that they gave off the impression of a scarecrow.

At first, Lee Han had assumed the gloomy atmosphere was simply because Marhajin was a mage, but now he started to think there might be another reason.

...Could it be because Marhajin had been assigned the role of dealing with him and explaining everything on behalf of the other professors?

“I understand. If the foresight magic gets disrupted, the losses would be considerable.”

“I’m sorry, Lord Wardanaz.”

“It does not get disrupted. It gets destroyed.”

Professor Marhajin kindly corrected him, but it was not particularly comforting.

Lee Han gave up and said,

“Just tell me what I need to do. Is it something involving mana? If it has to do with making artifacts or magical structures, I’ll do my best.”

The professor shook their head.

Lee Han was slightly surprised by the reaction.

‘No?’

Lee Han had a great reputation among younger mages and received generous evaluations, but that was because he had accomplished many unusual things.

Aside from mana, there was no reason for professor-level mages to borrow Lee Han’s strength.

They were more than capable of preparing magic with their own abilities.

“This is magic currently in progress. There is interference partway through.”

Oculoguard was conducting several grand spells on an academy-wide scale.

They carried out more of them than other magic academies and invested more resources into them, because of the nature of foresight magic.

Unless they made a major collective investment, the margin of error became too severe for the result to have any meaning.

One of the grand spells Oculoguard was currently carrying out was a prediction concerning changes in the Mulma Mountain Range.

Rich in mana since ancient times and subject to all manner of violent changes, this mountain range was a dangerous region that various groups throughout the Empire always kept under watch.

“I see. There is something in the Mulma Mountain Range interfering with the foresight, and my role is to find and eliminate it?”

As Professor Voladi’s disciple, Lee Han knew very well when combat mages were called in.

Going out to use force in the field like this was exactly the kind of work combat mages did.

‘Wait. There’s no particular reason this has to be me either, is there?’

As expected, Professor Marhajin denied it.

“No. You will not take on that role.”

“Then what is it? Ah. Is there perhaps someone among the beings I have contracted with whose power you need to borrow?”

That sounded much more plausible.

The eccentric beings Lee Han had contracted with were rare lunat—no, rare beings even across dimensions.

Not only Perkuntra, but also the Yaksha King and the Devil Hag were not beings one could simply contract with just because one wanted to.

Of course, there was still the question of whether anyone really needed to contract with them...

‘From Oculoguard’s perspective, they might need them. That I can understand.’

A mage was someone who acted when something was necessary right now, even if they might regret it later.

Lee Han was not surprised.

Still, if they came complaining later about the Yaksha King’s personality, he could probably at least say, ‘I knew that would happen,’ right?

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“The ones interfering are evil-god worshipers. The Ksaksarigol Order. Professor Wardanaz will write a threatening letter. The order will flee.”

“......”

The reason was far stranger than anything he had imagined.