It was strange. Gainando, sacrificing himself?

No matter how much adversity could change a person, could it change someone to this extent?

Yonaire tilted her head in confusion. Yi-Han didn't give his friend time to ponder.

"We need to move quickly, Yonaire! There's no time!"

"Ah... right. Got it!"

Gainando's charge was far more effective than expected.

Whether it was because the curse magic was particularly effective, or because the arrogant gallop irritated it, the sand octopus began to raise its body, which had been firmly guarding the turning point, and started chasing after Gainando.

At first, even Professor Bungaegor, who had said, "Don't attack the Sand Octopus!" couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Somehow, they had managed to lure out that sand octopus!

"Provocation is also a skill. Well done!"

Gainando's horse ran like it was possessed, dodging the limbs of the pursuing sand octopus.

"Save me!!"

"What is Gainando saying?"

"I can't hear! Ask later and run!"

"Now's our chance, friends!!"

Not only Yi-Han's group but also students from other towers who had been waiting for an opportunity spurred their horses with all their might.

In preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, Yi-Han cast magic on his friends' horses.

"Be fulfilled!"

The horses, under the influence of <Ogonin's Abundant Satisfaction>, maintained their composure even as sand-mixed winds blew in from all directions.

Puhuhng!

Niffirg grumbled as if asking why Yi-Han didn't do the same for it.

"Run! It's dangerous if that thing comes back!"

Clatter, clatter!

Dead heats were unfolding from all directions.

Since the student who reached the turning point first would receive a higher score, the competition was fiercely cutthroat.

Thud!

Yi-Han collided with a student from the Black Tortoise Tower who was running beside him. Niffirg let out an angry growl.

"Endure it, Niffirg."

"Wardanaz. I won't say it's cowardly. It's a competition, so I won't back down!"

"I understand."

Yi-Han immediately swung his staff and launched a water bead.

The Black Tortoise Tower student, who never expected Yi-Han to be able to cast magic while sprinting at full speed, was eliminated on the spot.

Puhihing...?!

Niffirg was dumbfounded even while running at full speed.

Was it okay for the owner to attack while it couldn't?

When Gainando returned late, he shook off his sand-covered clothes and shouted.

"You cowardly bast..."

"I was impressed. To lure the monster alone for the sake of your friends."

Professor Bungaegor spoke in an admiring tone. Gainando immediately replied.

"...It was difficult, but I thought it was a noble duty I had to fulfill as a member of the royal family."

'That definitely seems like something he learned from Yi-Han.'

Yonaire thought to herself as he looked at Gainando.

He wasn't known for his quick wit.

When she thought about who Gainando could have observed and learned from, there was only one person.

"Thank you, Gainando."

"Thanks to you, we passed!"

"I didn't know you would sacrifice yourself like that!"

Other tower students also flocked around and expressed their gratitude.

They couldn't help but be grateful since he had single-handedly lured out the sand octopus. Even students who usually disliked him for being annoying came to express their thanks.

Gainando looked around at his friends with an overwhelmed expression, nodded his head, and replied.

"It wasn't an easy choice."

"But what were you saying earlier?"

"I said I'll leave the rest to you."

"Was it such a long sentence...?"

While Gainando was chattering behind, Yi-Han checked his score with Professor Bungaegor.

"It's a perfect score."

"Thank you, Professor."

"There's no need to explain in detail, everyone did well... but there's one thing I'm curious about. Why did you mistake the sand octopus for a hydra earlier?"

Yi-Han flinched.

After pondering for a moment, he said.

"I heard that Professor Uregor brought a hydra."

"What? Really?"

Professor Bungaegor seemed genuinely surprised.

Yi-Han's mind became complicated by the fact that even the professor was unaware of it.

'What's going on?'

"If that's true, he managed to bring it skillfully. It must be even harder to obtain these days than before. Should I ask him to show it to me?"

"You didn't know either, Professor?"

"I didn't hear about it. He probably didn't tell me because he found it bothersome to listen to my advice."

As a renowned explorer in the empire, Professor Bungaegor was skilled at handling all kinds of monsters and animals.

Naturally, if Professor Uregor had brought a hydra, she would have offered all sorts of advice on how to raise it.

"Do you have any idea why Professor Uregor brought it, Professor?"

"Who knows? I don't need to know everything about him. Maybe he needed it for his potion research?"

Mages basically had little interest in anything other than their own research.

Even if Professor Uregor had secretly brought a hydra, that was Professor Uregor's business, not Professor Bungaegor's.

Of course, she was concerned about whether the hydra was being raised well or not, but...

"Could there be a question related to the hydra on the final exam?"

As he asked, Yi-Han hoped that Professor Bungaegor would answer, "How could that be possible?" or "That doesn't make sense."

"Oh! I hadn't thought of that."

However, Professor Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han as if he had a good idea.

"That could be possible."

"..."

Yi-Han sighed inwardly.

'I should have waited for the day he brought the hydra and launched a surprise attack.'

He never thought he would pay the price for his carelessness like this!

Professor Uregor waited for the students with his arms crossed and a triumphant look on his face.

"You're here?"

"Hello, Professor."

"The test you'll take today might destroy your soul."

"..."

"Good luck!"

The student who entered glared at him, but Professor Uregor paid no attention.

That's how intoxicated he was with the test he had created.

It was a painstakingly prepared final exam question, delicately adjusted to the level just before the skull principal would say, "Isn't this a bit too much?"

With this, he could shatter the souls of the cheeky freshmen who, after completing the midterm exam or the pre-final assignment, thought, "I think I know what alchemy is now."

"Hello, Professor."

Yi-Han entered with a stiff face. Professor Uregor also nodded.

His disciple, who had raised the difficulty of the test by getting a perfect score on an assignment designed to prevent him from getting a perfect score, was entering.

Perhaps sensing his own fate, the disciple's face was also stiff.

"The test will be quite a bit harder than last time."

"I'm aware of that."

Yi-Han said, holding back a sigh.

He couldn't understand why the professors were doing this.

Isn't it a good thing if students do well on the test?

'The students did well because the professor taught well, so why do they feel like their pride is hurt?'

"Yes. That's right. Hehehe..."

"..."

Professor Uregor laughed, too delighted to remember the possibility that his disciple might come to assassinate him after graduation.

Yi-Han stared intently at Professor Uregor and vowed to surprise him next time by wearing a mask at night.

'How does he intend to use the hydra?'

Even before coming, he had discussed it with his friends, and even while coming, he had discussed it, but he really had no idea.

-Maybe we have to hunt the hydra and use its venom as an ingredient for potions?-

-Are you crazy?! There's no way. Even so, at the very least, you'll have to subdue or persuade the hydra to lend you its venom.-

-That's crazy enough.-

-M-maybe the test has nothing to do with the hydra? That could be the case.-

-Are you really a mage at Einroguard? How can you have such a complacent thought?-

-I'm sure we'll have to get ingredients from the hydra.-

-Maybe the hydra is guarding the ingredients-

"I'm prepared, so please let me know."

"Alright. Shall we begin?"

Professor Uregor walked forward.

The students waited with tense gazes for the professor's next move.

What kind of test would it be?

Giyolla's Cinnabar Potion

Irjunden's Night Mist Potion

Aurum's Soul Amplification Potion

Dobruk's Sulfur Mercury Potion

...

The names of potions filled the blackboard.

Among them, there were many potions they had heard for the first time.

Professor Uregor enjoyed the overwhelmed reactions of the students and said,

"You're not choosing one of these. By the end of today's lecture, submit as many of these potions as possible."

Each and every one of them was a potion that required a lot of effort and was tricky to make.

Among them, there were even potions that couldn't be made without combining other potions.

In short, it was a list of potions laid out with the thought that it would be absolutely impossible to make them all!

It was a test that he had really put his heart into.

Professor Uregor turned his gaze to Yi-Han with a grin. As expected, his excellent disciple was also hesitating, seemingly flustered.

"Professor?"

"What is it? If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"The hydra won't appear?"

"Hydra? What... No, wait! How do you know about that?!"

Professor Uregor was startled.

He had secretly brought it at night so that other professors, especially Professor Bungaegor, wouldn't see it, so how did he know?

"I witnessed it by chance."

"You precious fool... Alright. Since you saw it, it can't be helped. I bought it with great determination. I might need your help taking care of it later."

Professor Uregor wanted to continuously extract the hydra's venom, but a fully grown hydra was too expensive and difficult to manage.

So, he had no choice but to buy a baby hydra.

If he raised it properly, it would roughly have a similar effect.

"Is that all?"

"What? Are you suspecting that I deceived others and secretly brought it in? Absolutely not! I got permission for everything I did."

Professor Uregor spoke firmly, worried that Yi-Han might have a strange misunderstanding.

He couldn't hide it from the skull principal when bringing the hydra from outside.

"That's not what I meant..."

"?"

"Wasn't the hydra supposed to appear in the test?"

"Why would a hydra appear in the test?"

Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was talking about.

Why would a hydra appear in a first-year alchemy test? That didn't make any sense.

"...I suppose you're right."

"Right?"

Yi-Han returned to his seat with a look of understanding.

Professor Uregor realized that he hadn't heard his thoughts on the test because he was talking about the hydra.

'Oh well. It's a pity.'

He really wanted to see them kneeling before the profundity and greatness of alchemy, feeling their own inadequacy...

Tak tak tak-

Yi-Han quickly took out potions from his backpack and laid them out.

Each and every one of them was a potion that was difficult to make.

Moreover, the quality was not inferior. It was as if they had been made with great care in an alchemist's workshop.

'No way...?!'

Professor Uregor was shocked.

He had guessed that Yi-Han had used some means to obtain potions from outside, but he thought he would have at most two or three bottles left.

How could a student with no easy way to bring them in and no coins do this?

While Professor Uregor was too shocked to speak, Yi-Han proceeded with the work step by step.

Lighting a fire under the cauldron, making potions that could be made with the ingredients he had on hand first...

'I'm lucky.'

He had been worried about how the hydra would appear and wreak havoc, but it turned out to be unrelated.

Thanks to that, the test wasn't very difficult.

Wasn't this why he had swept up and brought various potions in the first place?

After combining three completed potions and waving his staff, Irjunden's Night Mist Potion was finished.

"It's quite fortunate, isn't it? That the hydra won't appear. I was very worried, but I'm relieved now."

"Yi-Han. The professor is glaring at you."

Yonaire whispered, sensing Professor Uregor's gaze.

The professor was so shocked that even the tip of his beard was trembling.