"Why? Do you have a message for Wardanaz?"

"No... It's not that."

Salko shook his head.

He had heard the name Ogonin before, but it seemed likely to be a case of two people sharing the same name.

That Ogonin should be teaching his disciples in the magic tower by now.

Surely, such a person wouldn't waste time teaching a first-year student.

"Speaking of which, this person called Baldoorn..."

"Oh. Ms. Baldoorn. I met her when I went out last time, she's truly wise."

A student from the Black Tortoise who had met Baldoorn with Yi-Han during a previous outing casually responded as they passed by.

"Indeed. Impressive."

Seeing his friends react this way, Salko couldn't help but believe them.

She must be an extraordinary mage!

The barrier created by illusion magic was akin to a lock.

Just as there are weak and loose locks, there are also strong and sturdy ones, some simple in structure and others complex.

A barrier set by a skilled illusion mage was similar to several complex, strong locks overlaid upon each other.

An intruder needed to understand and unlock each lock to breach this barrier.

Naturally, the attacking side had to be more skilled than the defending side for such a task.

Of course, Yi-Han wasn't more skilled than the eminent mage of the magic academy, but...

Bang!

'Fortune favors me.'

Yi-Han had a method taught by Baldoorn.

Using a massive amount of mana to smash the lock itself!

Of course, some barriers were designed to resist such brute force, but many were vulnerable in this regard.

To mage, breaking a barrier in such a crude manner was an unthinkable approach.

Why would a great mage with such power use such a brutish method to unlock a barrier?

They could simply discern the structure and unlock it!

It was natural that they didn't prepare for such crude unlocking. In a way, it was a waste.

With the sound of a curtain tearing, the barrier opened.

Yi-Han was lucky to encounter a barrier he could break.

He was once again thankful to Baldoorn.

...Of course, Baldoorn hadn't taught him to unlock barriers in such a brute manner!

'But this staircase is quite long.'

The spiral staircase that appeared after breaking the barrier.

It seemed long, yet the end was nowhere in sight.

So far, there were no blockages or obstacles, so it seemed fine...

Creak, creak!

At the end of the spiral staircase, a door leading to a corridor came into view.

Loud noises leaked from the open door, indicating something was happening in the corridor.

'A magic experiment?'

Yi-Han approached the door and surveyed the corridor.

Incomplete magic circles were etched everywhere, and materials were scattered haphazardly. It was a familiar sight.

Whether a mage or not, students struggling with numerous assignments looked similar everywhere.

"Is anyone there?"

Yi-Han called out cautiously.

It seemed better to speak first, rather than stepping in without announcing, regardless of which grade the students belonged to.

Besides, the seniors might not even notice Yi-Han...

Crash! Bang!

Before Yi-Han could finish speaking, containers and wooden boxes tumbled and rolled everywhere.

Then, a piece of paper floated into the air.

-How did you get here, junior?-

Fundamentally, there was little difference between a first-year and a fourth-year student in the magic academy.

Of course, fourth-year students were more adept at taking care of their meals than first-year students, knew more about the magic academy, and were more skilled in using magic, but...

Fundamentally, when assignments were given, they had to do them, and when exams were approaching, they had to prepare, which wasn't much different from the first-year students.

Even Direth and Coholti, who were among the rare few specializing in dark magic among the fourth-year students, were no exception.

"There's nothing good about wandering around during the reconfiguration period, right?"

"That's true. It would have been just that, if some damned souls hadn't released the King of Frost Giants in the corridor, wasting a whole week."

"..."

Coholti found himself speechless, even if he had ten mouths.

The accident that overlapped another realm in the upper corridor was due to a failed magic experiment he and his friends were conducting.

While the first-year students might have been happy and experienced miraculous times with the arrival of spring snow, Coholti and his friends were busy trying to handle the aftermath.

Even after the King of Frost Giants left, the effects of the overlapped realm didn't disappear immediately. They had to set up various magic circles around, periodically check the situation, and write reports...

And they had to do all this while preparing for their assignments and final exams.

The professors were kind and gentle to the first-year students but were like blades to the fourth-year students.

If they failed to submit their assignments or flunked their exams due to their own experimental mistakes, there would be no forgiveness.

"Yeah, whoever it was, it was really bad."

"Yeah. Hope they're gone. Right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Shut up and just finish the magic circle. Considering the time we have left, we would have to work even if it were the week of the Great Demon, not just the reconfiguration period."

The task Direth and Coholti were currently working on was a magic circle for controlling powerful entities from other realms.

Beings summoned from other realms always look for opportunities to stab their masters in the back and break free from control.

Lower rank beings could be controlled with relatively simple methods, but as the summoned beings became more powerful, their intelligence and will also strengthened.

Controlling such beings wasn't simple. High-level magic was required.

The magic circle they were attempting was one of those methods.

If completed properly, it would weaken the summoned being's power and break its will...

"Did you finish drawing on the wall?"

"Done."

"Check it."

Coholti rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a round bell. It was a bell contracted with a lower rank demon.

Naturally, it was not possible to summon a powerful summoned creature into an untested magic circle. They had to first summon a weak monster to test it.

Boom!

With a puff of smoke, a demon sprang forth.

The demon, initially appearing to be in pain, soon began to look around and slowly tried to run off to a corner.

"The east side is the life gate. We need to block it."

"I'll block it now!"

Coholti hurriedly ran to block it, hoping his friend would forget about the King of Frost Giants.

"Blocked it?"

"Blocked."

"Check again."

Coholti summoned the demon again. Like before, the demon initially appeared pained, but quickly adapted and attempted to escape.

"Now the north side is open."

"..."

Coholti sighed deeply.

This was the nature of high-level magic circles.

When one part was completed, another part caused trouble, and when that part was fixed, a previously fine part started having issues...

"Let's revise it again."

"Yeah... Ah."

"?!"

Coholti flinched, causing Direth to frown.

It was a reaction that anyone could see meant something was up.

"...What's up? What's going on?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing? You clearly just said 'Ah' a moment ago."

"It's really nothing..."

"Suit yourself. But if you get caught hiding something, I'll curse you with the black plague."

"...Actually, the barrier I set up below to prevent intruders has been broken..."

"Are you kidding me?!"

'Ugh, I should've kept it hidden.'

Coholti regretted inwardly.

He should've resisted Direth's persuasions and kept quiet until the end...

"And you call that an explanation? Why did it break? Didn't I tell you to set it up properly?"

"No... I really... set it up properly..."

"Then why did it break?"

"...I must have made a mistake..."

Coholti shrank back as he spoke.

During the main building reconfiguration period, which even created non-existent shortcuts, the upperclassmen had to be more vigilant.

What if a freshman wandered into their experiments in the upper floors and got hurt?

-You've been at this magic academy for how many years, and what have you learned? Leaving a junior injured in this honorable academy? Can you even fathom having an injured person in this academy?-

-That makes no sen... No, I apologize.-

Naturally, Direth and Coholti had taken measures to prevent lowerclassmen from stepping into the newly connected shortcuts.

They had set up barrier magic and even written warnings like, This path is protected by a barrier. Those without skill, turn back!

But Coholti might have made a mistake in setting up the barrier, as it suddenly broke.

"Quick, go back and reset it!"

"Alright, alright!"

Coholti hurriedly made his way down.

However, a guest arrived even faster than that.

A familiar-looking first-year student, whom they had seen before, climbed the shortcut stairs and emerged through the door, leaving Direth and Coholti in shock.

"It's labeled as the upper floor shortcut, isn't it?"

-That's true.-

Yi-Han conversed comfortably with the unseen Direth.

It was a scene not too surprising for a freshman at the magic academy.

-Wardanaz. I really appreciated your help last time.-

When another style of handwriting appeared, Yi-Han was puzzled, then realized.

"Ah. Were you there during the King of Frost Giants incident?"

-Yes. Really, thank you-

Unable to contain herself, Direth elbowed Coholti in the back.

"Look at you. Solved it with the help of a junior and now you're bragging about it?"

"Cough. Cough! Direth, the junior is watching, violence is..."

"He can't see us anyway!"

Direth resorted to invisible blows.

Yi-Han tilted his head as the seniors abruptly stopped their conversation and disappeared.

"Are you there?"

-I just dropped my quill.-

'Something's fishy.'

Yi-Han thought so but didn't probe further. The seniors must have their reasons.

-How did you get up here? Wasn't there a barrier?-

"Ah. I tried to unlock it... and got lucky."

...

...

Direth looked at Coholti in disbelief, while Coholti's face turned beet red and he lowered his head.

'Unlocked by a first-year...?'

If this got out among the other students, Coholti's nickname would surely become 'The One Defeated by Ironhead' or 'Below Ironhead'.

'But that's not the important thing now.'

Deciding to ask how it was unlocked later, Direth focused on the more pressing issue.

-Why are you up here?-

"I'm looking for the spire stable you mentioned last time."

Direth was at a loss for words.

Of course, it was Direth who had mentioned the spire stable, but she never expected a first-year student to seriously attempt to pave a way to the upper floor spire.

...Was he really a first-year?

-...Since I told you, I can't say anything now. The spire stable is close from here. Follow this corridor, then turn and go up the stairs, and you'll be right there.-

"Really?!"

Yi-Han was overjoyed, almost jumping with excitement.

He couldn't have imagined that such luck would come his way during the reconfiguration week.

'Yeah. I've had enough bad luck so far, it's about time for some good luck!'

Considering what had happened during the weekdays and weekends so far, it wouldn't have been surprising if a shower of gold coins had fallen as he walked.

He had experienced too much misfortune.

-Wait. But you can't pass through here right now. There's an experiment going on.-

Direth drew an arrow on the paper.

At the end of the corridor, covered with complex magic circles, there was a crystal prison.

And inside, unmistakably angry and massive in size, a demon was trapped.

-We can't remove it until the experiment is over.-

Direth briefly explained what the experiment was about. Yi-Han listened and nodded.

"Do I just need to subdue that demon?"

-That's right.-

"Does magic pass through this crystal cage from the outside in?"

-It does, but why?-

"Flash forth!"

Yi-Han unleashed a bolt of lightning at the nameless demon trapped inside the crystal.

The demon let out a scream mixed with pain.

-Junior. It's nice that you want to help, but demons don't submit just because they're hit.-

"Is that so... I'm sorry."

'Huh?'

While Direth was talking to Yi-Han, Coholti, who was standing by, had a clear view of the demon inside the crystal prison.

Didn't the demon just avoid his gaze?