The alchemy lecture ended just like that.

As Lee Han walked out of the classroom, he briefly considered burning the recipe for 【Thunderstep’s Drowning Scent】, but stopped himself.

Let’s hold back. I might need it someday.

Knowledge was always power.

That recipe could prove useful someday.

Still, Lee Han firmly resolved not to learn it right now. It was a matter of pride.

He refused to dance in Professor Thunderstep’s palm.

“Master. Were you alright?”

Lee Han looked back at the Insane Doppelganger following behind him and asked.

“It wasn’t bad, but there’s a problem with the mage pretending to be a professor.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han nodded at his master’s words.

Professor Thunderstep definitely had problems.

Ignoring his disciple’s questions would have been one thing, but mocking him while piling on extra assignments was another matter entirely.

What a spiteful personality.

“Professor Thunderstep’s personality is a little...”

“Weak.”

“...Pardon?”

“I said weak. A master must possess not only generosity, but strictness as well.”

Professor Thunderstep had tried to act kindly because of Professor Verdus’s precedent, but that forced kindness had only backfired.

The Insane Doppelganger had concluded that he was a weak mage.

Oh no.

Lee Han felt genuinely sorry about this ridiculous misunderstanding.

Professor Thunderstep was normally the kind of person who would rank near the top among spiteful mages anywhere, yet somehow he had ended up being misunderstood like this...

“He’s usually stricter than this.”

“Then that means he was watching the royalty’s mood while acting. That too is unbecoming of an outstanding mage.”

That part is true, though.

Even from Lee Han’s perspective, Professor Thunderstep had been bowing and scraping far too much.

No matter how much Professor Verdus had suffered, it still made an Einroguard professor look rather pathetic.

-Wardanaz. Are you okay?

His other friends exiting the classroom signaled him from a distance.

-I’m fine.

-Really?

-Of course. But stay a little farther away.

“...”

You are absolutely not fine!

Nilia and Yonair were dumbfounded.

What kind of person who was “fine” told others to stay away from him?

“Is it really okay for the mage who originally kidnapped Wardanaz to walk around openly like this?”

“The Principal isn’t here...”

“Isn’t this exactly when we should file a complaint?”

The friends grumbled while cursing the Skull Principal for being absent at a time like this.

Wasn’t this entire mess happening because the person who normally led the Death Knights around executing outsiders and maintaining Einroguard’s discipline was gone?

Usually he was excellent at catching escaping students, yet at times like this he was nowhere to be seen.

“Everyone, think carefully.”

“Indeed. If we send a complaint, there’s a chance the Principal retaliates later. We could end up locked in the punishment cells until graduation...”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about the contents of the complaint. We need to write it accurately and specifically enough that the Principal takes damage too.”

“As expected of Meikin.”

The second-year students admired their friend’s experienced advice.

Strictly speaking, the Skull Principal had more authority to deploy against Imperial Officials than the students gathered here.

And he hadn’t ruled Einroguard for merely a year or two.

Making half-hearted accusations like ‘The Principal doesn’t feed us properly, boo hoo’ would obviously accomplish nothing. He probably already had countermeasures prepared.

The students were no longer freshmen. Their perspectives had broadened considerably.

“Let’s each record that doppelganger doing dangerous things.”

“Excellent! Since Wardanaz attends almost every lecture, dividing the work will be easy. We’re lucky.”

“...Let’s not say that in front of Wardanaz...”

The friends made a solemn resolution.

For Wardanaz’s sake, they would carefully monitor the evil mage’s even more evil doppelganger.

“But isn’t Wardanaz acting too calmly about all this?”

“To be honest, when I first heard about Professor Verdus’s lecture, I wondered whether Wardanaz brought him on purpose. But that can’t be true, right?”

“...No. I asked him myself. Lee Han said he absolutely didn’t bring him intentionally.”

At Yonair’s words, the others let out small sighs of relief.

Even if nobody admitted it openly, everyone had secretly wondered at least once:

Wardanaz didn’t actually bring him on purpose... right?

***

Unbreakable One: Using this mage seems like a very bad idea. Not using uncontrollable magic is extremely basic advice.

Iactus: I heard Professor Verdus got beaten up? Could we maybe use him against Professor Bendozol too?

Unbreakable One: Is anyone listening to me? He’s a dangerous mage. Don’t try to use him. Leave dealing with him to the professors. The Principal will return soon anyway.

Baquantalana: Privately punishing professors is the most trivial and worthless use possible. If anything, we should extract magic from him.

Unbreakable One: Can none of you see what I’m writing?

Ipadur: I can see it!

Unbreakable One: Thank you so much... Iactus. Even if you ignore me, I’ll keep writing! Go ahead and try ignoring me.

Iactus: Okay, okay, Unbreakable One. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. You just have a talent for ruining fun things.

Unbreakable One: Wh-what kind of absurd insult is that...?! I absolutely refuse to accept it! Apologize!

There is some truth to it...

For once, the members of <Einroguard’s Watchers> were having a heated debate.

Naturally, the topic was:

‘How can we use the infamous Insane Archmage?’

Iactus wanted to use him to subjugate professors.

Baquantalana wanted to extract magical secrets from him.

Unbreakable One insisted they should stay as far away from him as possible because he was dangerous, whether they were talking about professors or magical secrets.

Unfortunately, it was also the least popular opinion.

Iactus: Besides, the junior from House Wardanaz already walks around with the Principal’s doppelganger anyway. That alone makes him seem less dangerous.

Unbreakable One: That’s completely different! The junior from House Wardanaz was kidnapped!

Ipadur: K-kidnapped? Students get kidnapped at Einroguard? And Wardanaz of all people?!

Unbreakable One: ...It’s extremely rare. It doesn’t usually happen.

When the recently joined Valdrogard student poked his head into the conversation, the others immediately realized their mistake.

They had been chatting as if only Einroguard students were present, completely forgetting how this conversation might sound to an outsider.

Lee Han quickly moved his quill.

No matter what, they couldn’t expose all of Einroguard’s dirty laundry in front of a Valdrogard student.

Gonadaltes: Right. They call it kidnapping, but there were probably exaggerated parts. It was likely just somewhat aggressive magical instruction. That Wardanaz guy tends to exaggerate a little...

Ipadur: H-how can you dismiss kidnapping like it’s nothing? Gonadaltes, you’re incredibly rude. Just like last time!

“...”

First impressions mattered more than people thought.

Ever since Lee Han harshly criticized him for trying to use the alias ‘Wardanaz’ in the Watchers club, the Valdrogard student had remained fully on guard around him.

Disregarding a fellow Einroguard student and treating his kidnapping like a joke—how rude could someone be?

At this point, he genuinely wanted to see everyone’s faces.

Gonadaltes: ...Iactus. You explain.

Iactus: Well, kidnapping definitely isn’t common, but isn’t that how geniuses usually are? Crazy mages gather around to pass down their magic. That’s what it means to be a real genius. There’ll probably be more incidents like this later, so don’t be too shocked already.

Gonadaltes: What nonsense are you saying? Where does that happen these days? Don’t talk like we’re living in ancient times.

Iactus: What? Why are you getting angry?

Gonadaltes: I’m not angry.

Lee Han quickly calmed himself.

If he reacted too emotionally, he might expose himself.

Iactus: Anyway, it’s already over and he’s fine now. Though that projection is still wandering around the Main Building lecture halls.

Unbreakable One: Right. He’s fine. You don’t need to worry too much.

Ipadur: Yes...

Unbreakable One: You’re not misunderstanding Einroguard because of this, are you? If you are, ask now.

Ipadur: Ah, no. I’m not misunderstanding anything.

These people are terrible at comforting others.

Lee Han clicked his tongue.

Judging by the atmosphere, they seemed to be frightening the Valdrogard student even more instead of reassuring him.

Then again, now wasn’t the time to criticize others.

Wasn’t Lee Han himself the person Ipadur was most wary of?

As the only outsider freely moving among them, it would be better to ease that suspicion if possible.

But how?

If I say I’m Wardanaz, he’ll think I’m insane...

Revealing the truth was risky and could easily backfire.

Lee Han fell into thought.

Surprisingly, the Insane Doppelganger’s presence itself had not caused many problems.

Judging from the Watchers’ conversation, all he really did was encourage attacks on professors and express his desire to learn magic. Unlike Jowrin before him, nobody was coveting Lee Han’s body.

Then again, even Einroguard students would hesitate before attacking the Skull Principal’s projection...

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Everyone’s having a hard time with lectures lately. Hang in there.

“!”

***

Ilendil had casually left a message in the Watchers club.

Everyone keeps forgetting what really matters.

Einroguard students were obsessed with magic and grades to the point that they often forgot what was truly important.

But Ilendil was different.

She understood perfectly what mattered most.

The Forest.

A magical place where countless spirits and plants lived and breathed.

Compared to caring for and nurturing this place, Einroguard lectures were trivial matters.

In fact, Ilendil skipped most lectures entirely. It was a boldness rarely seen even among fourth-year students.

But the dryad hybrid student had absolutely no regrets.

Just look at those students obsessed with lectures and teachings.

Because of that obsession, they kept getting dragged into all sorts of outside incidents and suffering for it.

Meanwhile, Ilendil could quietly focus on her own work in peace inside the Forest—

-Senior! Are you there?

“...”

Hearing the familiar voice echoing from afar, Ilendil froze in horror.

Why?!

Why had that junior come to the Forest?!

Wait. Right!

Only after spotting the artifact set up in the middle of the Forest, 【Echo of the Demigod】, did her memory return.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t received that artifact for free.

She had accepted it in exchange for allowing that junior to tame an artificial demigod in the Forest and practice horrifying ancient magic.

I completely forgot about that...!

Ilendil blamed herself and hurriedly responded.

-Don’t shout so crudely. Send a paper bird instead.

-Yes. Understood.

“...!”

The moment she realized there was another person present, Ilendil instantly moved like a proper Einroguard upperclassman.

She burrowed deep underground and hid herself beneath the earth.

The sheer speed with which she persuaded the soil and stone to let her pass underground was worthy of a true Einroguard upperclassman.

This... this is impossible. Why is this happening to me...?!

Was this divine punishment for mocking students who actually attended lectures?

Ilendil reflected deeply.

If she were spared just this once, she swore she would never mock other students again.

“Senior! Senior! ...Where did you go?”

“Below.”

“...Excuse me?”

“She’s below.”

When the Insane Doppelganger casually gestured with his chin, Lee Han laughed in disbelief.

“Why would Senior be underground in the Forest? She’s not some mining dwarf student.”

CRACK!

The Insane Doppelganger ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) waved his hand.

The ground split apart, exposing Ilendil, who had been hiding deep underground.

The dryad hybrid senior awkwardly rose to her feet from her crouched position.

“H-hello...”

“...”

“Um... won’t you say something...?”