Chapter 226
Chapter 226
Professor Boladi continued speaking to Yi-Han, who felt wronged, in a consoling manner.
"Rock Drake is not a monster that should be brought down at this moment."
'Then, is Colossal Hungry Ghost supposed to be captured now?'
Yi-Han swallowed his words internally.
He felt doubly aggrieved by the person who had forced him to defeat Colossal Hungry Ghost.
"As I said before, impatience can ruin a mage."
"Yes, I understand."
"Your goal should not be pursued with impatience. Remember that."
"Yes, I underst... My goal?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
His goal?
'Have I ever told Professor Boladi that I wanted to become an imperial bureaucrat? Or that I wanted to be the richest in the empire?'
No matter how much he thought about it, there had been no such conversation.
If it was another goal...
'I did want to hit the skull principal once.'
"Excuse me, but what do you mean by my goal?"
"Weren't you trying to complete the perfect form of combat magic through multi-magic training?"
"!"
When one hears something too absurd, even a simple 'yes?' becomes difficult to utter.
That was exactly what Yi-Han was experiencing.
Magic as a field was inherently dangerous, but those who used magic in combat, like battle mages, faced risks that were rare even among mages.
Their dilemma was always the same.
-How can magic be refined to fit better in combat?-
Ironically, magic seemed the least suited for combat.
To kill someone up close, you swing a sword; from afar, you shoot an arrow. Spending years training to create blade-like hands or wind arrows seemed highly inefficient.
Of course, the destructive power of high-circle magic was undeniable.
...But using such magic on the battlefield came with significant constraints.
The preparation, the reagents, the concentration...
And if one tried to cast such magic, the enemy wouldn't just stand there. They had eyes too and would try to kill the mage first.
As if focusing on casting high-circle magic wasn't enough (failing such magic could kill the caster), one also had to be wary of enemy attacks.
Battle magic was difficult for a reason. Even skilled mages could be useless on the battlefield without specialized training.
Thus, combat mages always consciously worked on their weaknesses and thought of ways to compensate.
-I have trained in fire elemental magic all my life. But in the last battle, I was hit by an arrow from behind and started to worry. What should I do?-
-Cast a wide-range fire spell to prevent others from approaching.-
-That's not feasible. I move with companions.-
-Then learn to create a firewall or shield.-
-I tried, but it consumed too much mana, and arrows with special treatment couldn't be blocked.-
-Well, then. Take this robe.-
-Is it a robe with protective magic?-
-No. It's a robe typically worn by earth elemental mages. Wearing it, archers will target others first. Earth elemental mages are mostly known for their strong defenses.-
-...-
However, as anyone who has studied magic would know, resolving one's weaknesses with just a single school of magic was not easy.
Enchantment magic had its unique capabilities, as did summoning magic.
Once a mage reaches a certain level of expertise, they could potentially resolve issues using magic from a single school through application, but such proficiency was usually only within the realm of a great mage...
The simplest solution was to learn magic from other schools of magic.
Of course, there was a reason why other combat mages did not opt for this seemingly easiest method.
-To block surprise attacks on the battlefield, I could learn foresight magic, summoning magic to call forth a protective shield, enhancement magic to reduce damage if I'm hit, and lastly, healing magic in case of injury. What do you think about trying to learn all these?-
-Don't you feel something off about this, even upon reflection?-
...Mastering a single school of magic was challenging enough, let alone learning from multiple schools.
Even the students of Einroguard, who were the cream of the crop in the empire, did not train in more than two or three schools of magic.
Though learning them together might synergize well, the human body and mind had their limits.
Wait. I understand your explanation, but why are we discussing this?
Yi-Han, who was listening, asked in confusion as the conversation seemed to veer off course.
Weren't you trying to become a battle mage who masters all schools of magic?
At Professor Boladi's question, Yi-Han firmly replied, his expression serious.
Ah.
Realizing the reason, Yi-Han paused.
What's wrong?
"Professor. Unlike last week, the academy currently lacks the King of Frost Giants, making it an unsuitable environment for cold magic."
I see. Ill ensure the classroom is imbued with coldness next time.
...
Yi-Han was at a loss for words at Professor Boladi's nonchalant admission of forgetting.
'...A born teacher indeed. Truly.'
"Yi-Han. I think there was something in the snack..."
His friends worried about Yi-Han's somber expression.
He had eaten the snacks from the skull principal, but wasn't there actually a trap?
"It's just that the class was hard."
"Oh, if thats the case."
Gainando, relieved, overheard other friends whispering.
-Is it really okay?-
-The additional class Wardanaz is currently taking is tough-
But what could they do?
Their friend was already on that path.
The students of the Blue Dragon forced smiles.
"Still, today's summoning magic class should be okay!"
"Right. Wardanaz, youre especially good at summoning magic. It shouldnt be too hard..."
However, as soon as the students settled in their seats, Professor Millei adjusted her monocle and spoke firmly.
"Since everyone has brought books from the library, today's class will cover some difficult content."
...
...
Yi-Han shook his head with a bitter expression, making his friends feel heartbroken.
"Wardanaz...!"
"Hang in there! You cant fall now!"
To the other tower students, this scene was incomprehensible.
"What are those from the Blue Dragon doing?"
"Why are they worried about Wardanaz? Unless Wardanaz worries about them?"
"Quiet."
Professor Millei silenced the students. Without the need for forceful magic like the skull principal, this veteran professor knew how to quieten her students.
"Until now, you have all been casting summoning magic using magic circles. This is because summoning magic is difficult."
Professor Millei swung her staff as she spoke.
With that motion, stone fragments rose from the ground, collided, and transformed into metal, then finally into a sword.
The professor's movement didnt end there. She swung her staff once more, casting an enchantment.
Then, the sword began to dance as if it were alive.
"Do you all see this dancing sword?"
"Yes!"
"To complete this dancing sword, I cast several spells."
Yi-Han, who had done something similar in the morning, nodded in agreement.
Professor Millei threw a dodecahedron-shaped potion bottle from her pocket and swung her staff.
Then, another identical dancing sword was summoned.
"There are dozens, even hundreds of ways to replicate the same phenomenon. Among these, summoning magic is a sort of shortcut."
Summoning a dancing sword in one step was much more convenient than creating a sword from nothing, and then enchanting it to complete the dancing sword.
"However, summoning magic is complex, requires extensive preparation, and is difficult, whether summoning a living being or an inanimate object."
The students, who had heard this several times, nodded in understanding.
"Just like the dancing sword I just demonstrated, it's impossible to replicate with your current skills using dozens or hundreds of methods. This means it's also impossible to replicate using summoning magic."
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head slightly in confusion.
'Hmm. I guess I should just stay put.'
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