Oh no. Right after I made that resolution, too.

Lee Han quickly reflected on his behavior.

He had resolved himself after witnessing the young Skeleton Principal’s good deeds, and yet here he was, getting irritated immediately.

“Um. I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, so I got angry for no reason. Here. I’ll put some grapes in for you.”

-Get lost!

“...”

At the furious hamster’s profanity, Lee Han threw several grapes into the cage in succession. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The hamster shrieked and fled into a corner.

Oh no. I did it again!

Lee Han reflected once more. At the same time, he felt a faint sense of self-loathing.

To act like this right after making that resolution.

Tsk. Is it really impossible for me to act like the young Principal...?

“Student Lee Han. Are you all right?”

Professor Garcia, who had gathered the scepter’s light and carefully returned it to its storage container, looked at his disciple with concern.

The experience of using the scepter was like having compressed information crammed into one’s head in a short time.

No matter how exceptional a mage was, it was bound to leave one confused and disoriented.

“I’m fine, Professor. And I learned a lot.”

“Really? What did you learn?”

“After seeing the real Principal’s... no, the young Principal’s behavior...”

“Did you just say the real Principal?”

“...I thought I should do more good deeds.”

Why does he need to?

Professor Garcia tilted inwardly.

From the professor’s perspective, his disciple was already doing plenty of good deeds.

By Einroguard student standards, that was quite admirable...

No. There’s no need to discourage such thoughts.

Professor Garcia, who had been momentarily puzzled, gathered his thoughts again.

There was nothing wrong with doing more good deeds. If his disciple had gained that sort of realization, then as a teacher, he only needed to support it.

“Student Lee Han. I’m proud that you had such a thought.”

“Sigh. But the moment I came back, I took my anger out on this hamster...”

“...Th-that much is fine. I’m sure that hamster understands too.”

Throwing a few grapes at an evil magical criminal was something even the young Skeleton Principal would surely respond to with, Well, that much is...

There was no need to feel dejected over something like that.

“What about Yeongrak?”

Professor Voladi, who had been listening quietly from the side, asked in a low voice.

In truth, Yeongrak had also been the most important objective of this journey.

If they could not change the insane duplicate’s mind, they would have to devise a solution from scratch.

In that case, the situation might truly escalate beyond Einroguard.

“I found a clue.”

After thinking it over carefully, Lee Han answered cautiously.

He was not completely certain yet. But thanks to what he had heard from the young Skeleton Principal, some things had started to click.

-Just as you came here because you genuinely worried for me, sincerely care for other people as well. Then you will soon understand.

And the insane duplicate had said something similar too.

-Get used to this magic. You bastard, you have to realize it yourself.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, those weren’t similar at all.

One had been kind.

The other had simply been incomprehensible rambling.

Lee Han newly realized just how twisted an archmage the Skeleton Principal had become with age.

How was anyone supposed to understand the latter?

In the end, to surpass a certain level in magic, one has to understand the meaning contained within it.

Low-circle magic rarely had such problems. As long as one grasped the movement of mana and the spell incantation, there was no need to think about what meaning the mage had placed into the magic when creating it.

But high-circle magic could not be perfectly reproduced simply by following the procedure.

Lesser World magic was a good example. Even with the same spell, one could not cast it without fully understanding the meaning the mage had placed into that magic.

Lee Han speculated that high-level magic, though different in composition, contained something like a Lesser World within it.

It had a structure where one could not fully draw out its power without grasping and understanding the will contained inside.

...In truth, this was something completely unnecessary for Lee Han to learn at his current year level, but Lee Han had essentially taught himself and reached that realization on his own.

Yeongrak is the same. I should have cast it with sincerity.

Deeply moved by the young Skeleton Principal’s words and actions, Lee Han planned to try casting Yeongrak again with that resolve.

He was not certain, but for now, no other method came to mind.

“There’s no guarantee it will succeed, but I’d like to try...”

“Then that settles it!”

“Indeed.”

“...”

When the two professors spoke as if success had already been guaranteed, Lee Han was left speechless.

What was wrong with these people?

“Professors. You didn’t mishear me, did you? I clearly said there’s no guarantee of success...”

“Yes, yes. We heard you. Student Lee Han, rest for now. Once you recover your strength, we’ll set out immediately. His Majesty the Yachaowang must be pushing himself quite hard as well.”

“...”

Lee Han suddenly missed the young Skeleton Principal.

If the young Skeleton Principal were here, he would have scolded them, saying, Listen to your disciple properly!

What are they planning to do if I fail?

Whether their disciple worried or not, the two professors, already confident that the matter would be resolved, began speaking among themselves.

“Oh, right. During this visit, I wrote down some of the young Principal’s magic. The notes were hurried, but I plan to organize them properly once we return.”

Professor Garcia took out a crumpled bundle of papers.

Some were spells the young Skeleton Principal had taught directly. Others were spells Professor Garcia had observed and reverse-analyzed the structure of.

Though the journey had not been very long, it had been more than enough to offer profound inspiration to a mage.

“Didn’t Professor Voladi take notes?”

“I did.”

“I thought you would.”

Professor Voladi took out a neatly bound black leather notebook. The two professors began comparing notes on which spells had impressed them the most.

Professors really are... They’re relentless.

Lee Han shook his head in disbelief.

He had been thinking about how harsh the ancient era was and whether there was some way to invite the young Skeleton Principal to Einroguard...

And yet here the professors were, discussing magic immediately after returning. Perhaps one really did have to be like this to become an Einroguard professor.

“Hmm. Then we can start by teaching Student Lee Han the time magic here.”

“Understood. The young Principal’s Hwidore seems too difficult to teach right now.”

“...”

Lee Han’s eyes widened as he saw the two professors trying to forcibly pass on the magic they had learned from the young Skeleton Principal to him.

What kind of malice was this?

If the young Principal were here, he never would have allowed this!

***

The Yachaowang was greatly surprised by Lee Han’s group’s arrival.

“Hmm. Osu’s disciple. My prediction was wrong. I never expected failure.”

Seeing Lee Han’s gloomy complexion, the preparation had clearly failed.

It was shocking, but it could not be helped. The Yachaowang immediately offered his next piece of advice.

“In that case, we have no choice but to annihilate it together with me. Evacuate the students and summon the mages. I will interfere as much as possible, but you must never lower your guard...”

“Wait, we didn’t fail! Your Majesty.”

Professor Garcia shouted as he stopped the Yachaowang, who had already begun walking ahead.

The Yachaowang asked in bewilderment.

“You didn’t fail?”

“Yes!”

“Then why does Osu’s disciple look so gloomy?”

“My face is naturally like this.”

Lee Han answered with an indifferent expression.

Of course, he understood Professor Garcia and Professor Voladi’s feelings.

Since Lee Han was also the Skeleton Principal’s disciple—and his direct disciple, at that—it would have been rude and cowardly for only the two professors to monopolize the magic.

Considering the generous heart of the young Skeleton Principal, who had given without holding anything back, they had to pass the magic on to Lee Han as quickly as possible.

...Of course, Lee Han’s own opinion had not been included in that decision.

Why does the amount of magic I have to learn increase just because the professors forced themselves to learn more magic?

No matter how much he thought about it, it was an incomprehensible mystery.

“Hmm. I was mistaken. Then, Osu’s disciple. Show me what you prepared!”

At the Yachaowang’s shout, Lee Han shook off his useless thoughts and stepped forward.

The people around him cheered him on as well.

“Student Lee Han, you can do it!”

-You must succeed!

“...”

Lee Han kicked the hamster cage # Nоvеlight # once with his foot. The hamster squeaked and hurled curses.

-Why are you only doing this to me?

“How can I kick a professor with my foot?”

-...

The hamster had no choice but to accept the strangely logical answer.

“Well, that is true!”

Focus. Forget the hatred, and hold on to the realization I felt back then.

Lee Han cast aside his irritation toward the hamster and his resentment toward the professors, then sank deep into concentration.

【Gonadaltes’s Yeongrak】 was ultimately magic born from the young Skeleton Principal’s resolve to bear the suffering of others himself.

Lee Han had to understand that resolve and prepare himself to help, even if only a little.

I don’t know how much I can help... but still, as much as I can...

While concentrating, Lee Han suddenly wondered whether it was really all right to make such a compromising resolution.

At the very least, when casting magic, shouldn’t he have a resolve like, I will dedicate all my remaining wealth and life?

But it could not be helped. He could not tell such a lie before the magic he was about to cast.

A little more than he had done so far.

Doing his best within the limits of what he could do.

At that moment, Lee Han felt his vision expand in a vast, spiritual sense.

A tremendous sensation of expansion shook his soul, like when he understood unknown worlds and laws.

This is...!

***

The first thing the insane duplicate saw upon regaining consciousness was the Yachaowang choking his neck with one arm.

“...What are you doing?”

“You’ve regained consciousness, my friend.”

“Regained consciousness? What are you...”

The insane duplicate immediately grasped the situation with a single glance around the workshop, an understanding of the mana flow outside, and a light detection of the spells installed along the perimeter.

“Did you turn the tables?”

“That’s right.”

“How did you stop it?”

“These excellent mages and your disciple stopped it.”

Professor Garcia waved a hand with a very awkward expression.

Unlike his disciple, Professor Garcia still found it difficult to deal with this cold insane duplicate.

“Show respect as royalty.”

“Ah, no. I only did what I had to do.”

“Mage. Accept the praise of royalty with your chest out. Not just anyone can receive it.”

Is there no way to drive him mad with the young Principal’s personality instead...?

Professor Garcia became slightly dejected as he remembered the young Skeleton Principal’s kindness.

Who would have thought he would miss him already, when they had not even been apart for long?

“Release me.”

“I shall.”

The Yachaowang quickly withdrew his arm. The insane duplicate rapidly reverse-summoned the foundations of the demigod army he had cast outside.

Professor Garcia, who had been watching carefully, asked cautiously.

“You’ve... given up on conquering the continent, haven’t you?”

“Did royalty say something like that? Indeed, that must have been the case. You need not worry.”

The insane duplicate spoke with a sneer.

By the insane duplicate’s standards, continental conquest had been close to a mistake born from failing to overcome impatience.

Putting aside what would happen after the conquest, how many resources would be wasted in the process?

To the insane duplicate, who sought to achieve his aspirations through magic, such a method felt far too crude and brutish.

Phew.

Professor Garcia let out a sigh of relief. From the way he spoke, it truly seemed he would not try to conquer the continent.

“Royalty will ask one question as well.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Why is royalty’s disciple not showing himself?”

“...Well...”

When Professor Garcia hesitated, the insane duplicate grew slightly tense.

Could something have gone wrong while casting Yeongrak?

“...He went to take his remaining exams.”