"Then let's... try handling mercury."

Professor Reuji said, suppressing his reluctance.

"Wow... Thank you."

Disciple Yi-Han also said, suppressing his reluctance.

A hut where no one was happy. Only Professor Boladi was satisfied alone.

Professor Boladi was not originally a talkative person.

But standards are relative.

When he was with Yi-Han, Professor Reuji, and the egg-state Basilisk in a remote hut, Professor Boladi became the most talkative person.

"Transformation magic is important for combat mages."

"Yes."

"As I said before..."

Professor Boladi explained how useful transformation magic was in combat.

Fast casting and low mana consumption.

It was much more convenient to transform the bushes on the roadside into iron blades and stab the opponent than to individually enhance defense and attack power with enchantment magic. The core of magic combat was in its efficiency.

That wasn't all.

Some transformation mages who had reached a certain level used to transform surrounding objects into living beings or transform themselves into monsters without even using summoning magic.

Professor Boladi poured out a long speech, telling them to imagine all these levels.

Of course, he spoke calmly, but it sounded like that to Yi-Han's gloomy ears.

'If I can transform into a Basilisk, will it be considered extenuating circumstances if I accidentally swallow a professor?'

"But Professor. Doesn't mercury have toxicity?"

"That's right."

Transformation mages didn't recklessly create all substances in the world.

Rather, the more one was a transformation mage, the more careful one had to be to know the types of substances that could be poisonous.

If one accidentally transformed a substance incorrectly without knowing and poisoned oneself...

"You need to learn how to handle it... but you should definitely learn poison resistance first."

Professor Reuji, who was answering Yi-Han's words, suddenly had a good idea.

It was the law to handle mercury, but it was safer to learn poison resistance before learning that.

And the best way to learn poison resistance?

"Poison resistance is more related to dark magic than transformation magic..."

"He learned poison resistance in the 1st semester, Professor. Wardanaz is also taking dark magic."

"..."

"..."

At Professor Boladi's answer, Professor Reuji and Yi-Han became gloomy again.

The atmosphere inside the hut became awkward. Even the Basilisk's egg seemed to feel awkward.

"Then... let's just... learn how to handle mercury first."

Professor Reuji said, holding back a sigh.

"Then he'll be in your care."

"?"

When Professor Boladi said that while getting up from his seat, Yi-Han was surprised and turned his gaze.

Huh?

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. I have something to do."

"Oh no..."

Yi-Han disguised his hypocritical disappointment. Professor Boladi nodded as if he understood.

"Don't be hasty."

"Haha. I understand."

Yi-Han even saw Professor Boladi off as he stepped out of the hut. Only then did he feel a little relieved.

'Wait. Professor Boladi doesn't have that much to do, right?'

Come to think of it, Yi-Han was probably the only disciple Professor Boladi had right now, right?

When an ominous future came to mind, Yi-Han firmly pushed it away. Perhaps because he learned divination magic, he strangely felt like ominous futures kept disturbing his mind.

"Phew."

When Yi-Han let out a bitter sigh of relief, Professor Reuji was slightly puzzled.

He didn't understand why he was sighing in relief like that.

Wasn't Wardanaz an ambitious person aiming for the principal's position and beyond from the 1st year?

Why was he sighing in relief like that?

'Did I see it wrong?'

Professor Reuji thought so and took out a reagent from his pocket.

Brass was a metal that was easier to obtain and handle than mercury, but it was a metal that was easily transformed because it had good compatibility with mercury.

It was quite convenient for beginner transformation mages to handle.

"Oh no. I left the brass behind."

Yi-Han's face brightened.

"I'll synthesize it for you now..."

Yi-Han's face darkened.

When similar things were repeated twice, Professor Reuji couldn't believe it.

...No way?

"You don't really want to learn mercury transformation, do you?"

"What do you mean, Professor? I want to learn it. Is it that you're not in the mood to teach today, Professor? If that's the case, I'll wait as long as it takes."

An exemplary answer popped out as if he had been waiting.

But Professor Reuji wasn't fooled. That answer was exactly the same as the one Professor Reuji showed to the skull principal's bothersome orders.

-Professor Reuji. I heard that suspicious transformation mages have appeared in some of the northern noble families' territories these days, so could you go there for a bit during the break? Oh my. Your expression doesn't look good. You don't really want to go?-

-What do you mean, Principal? I want to go. Is it that you don't want to send me, Principal? If that's the case, I'll understand as much as it takes.-

-Thank you. Have a safe trip.-

-...-

Originally, the same kind of people recognize each other.

Professor Reuji felt a strong intuition from his disciple that he couldn't explain logically.

...No way?

"Yi-Han. Answer honestly... no, it won't mean much. Then just listen. I'm thinking of skipping mercury transformation today."

Yi-Han didn't object, saying, 'What are you talking about when I don't have enough time to devote myself to the path of magic?'

Instead, he remained silent.

Professor Reuji, who gained conviction, was really surprised.

To think that the other person had a similar personality to himself!

Then...

The culprit was none other than the principal.

'My goodness. This is too much, even for him.'

He knew that the principal was originally a person who harshly pushed his disciples, but to force them to take all of the schools of magic.

Wardanaz was clearly enduring that cruel process just because he was born with talent, regardless of his own will.

It was a surprising and truly unfortunate story.

"I misunderstood. I thought Yi-Han wanted to become the lord of Einroguard as the principal's successor."

"...Pardon???"

Although Yi-Han tried not to answer unless it was something significant, an answer inadvertently popped out.

What the hell?

"You must have had a hard time because other professors pressured you like that even though you didn't want to do it."

"I don't really understand what you're talking about. But I'm just grateful that you're worried about me, Professor."

The two had a meaningful conversation. When Yi-Han was happy, the Basilisk's egg also wriggled excitedly.

When they heard the news that this <Boltzmann's Call> festival would be held at Einroguard, ignorant mages were delighted.

Wasn't it Einroguard, the legitimate lineage of imperial magic?

It was a place they might never enter in their lifetime.

However, mages with wide connections or a lot of experience were very displeased.

-Why Einroguard of all places?-

-I won't even be able to breathe properly.-

Unless they were innocent ordinary people who knew nothing, the master of Einroguard was not kind even to other mages.

It was easy to think of a mage's workshop.

Originally, a mage's workshop was like a mage's territory, so there were quite a few precautions when visiting.

As it was full of all kinds of secrets and mysteries that the mage had researched, one had to avoid doing anything suspicious as much as possible.

The more fastidious the owner of that workshop was, the stricter the rules became.

And the master of Einroguard was an annoyingly fastidious great mage.

-Please do not visit any place without permission. Also, even if it's an ownerless item, never...-

"I got it. I got it. I got it."

Dark mage Kutang, who had heard the Death Knight's warning until he was sick of it, shuddered and moved his steps.

'Did I come too early?'

Mages from nearby who were interested in summoning magic were coming to Einroguard to participate in the festival, but among them, Kutang arrived a step earlier.

It was largely because he himself was a dark mage.

It was because if he moved together with other mages and talked to them on the way, it would be bothersome for each other.

-I'm Tadingo, researching summoning magic. I've been learning magic for about seven years, and I learned from a teacher from the Untara Guild.-

-Nice to meet you, Tadingo! I'm also researching summoning magic! I learned by myself for about five years after coincidentally obtaining a grimoire. By the way, what is your esteemed name, Mage?-

-...I'm Kutang, researching dark magic.-

-...Uh. Hmm. Oh.-

-Da, dark magic! I was also very interested in dark magic. Well... anyway, isn't it amazing magic?-

It would only be painful to have awkward conversations with mages who weren't usually interested in dark magic.

It wasn't for no reason that dark mages avoided interacting with other mages.

'I should avoid contact until the festival starts.'

Kutang thought so and looked around for a place with few people.

The academy was so vast that it seemed sufficient to wait in a suitable forest or mountain until it started.

Boom-

"!"

Kutang was startled.

Surprisingly, students who still looked young were controlling a golem in an empty lot in a corner of the forest.

'As expected of Einroguard! They look less than half my age, but they're already controlling a golem...!'

It was even more surprising to see them moving the massive golem to do chores.

Usually, among mages, no one tried to do chores with golems. Why would they do chores with a summon that was difficult to make and control like a golem?

There was only one reason.

'It's training.'

Not only did they make a golem, but they also trained to move it.

"Amazing!"

"An, an outsider!!"

A White Tiger Tower student screamed in surprise at the muttering voice from behind.

Kutang was even more surprised by that.

"Ca, calm down. I came in with permission! Here's the permit given by Lord Gonadaltes..."

When the White Tiger Tower students flocked together and surrounded him in a circle, Kutang felt a huge pressure.

'Why? Do they not trust me? Was it revealed that I'm a dark mage?'

Kutang was nervous, worried that he might be attacked by Einroguard students.

"By any chance..."

"???"

"Do you have something to eat?"

"..."

Kutang and the White Tiger Tower students quickly became close. Kutang was slightly moved by the students' consideration of not forgetting their sense of humor to relieve the tension of the outsider.

"Take your time eating. I understand your sincerity."

The White Tiger Tower students ate the sweet food voraciously, regardless of what Kutang said. They even fought over the cream on their friend's finger.

'...Are they starving at the academy?'

Without even thinking that he had hit the nail on the head, Kutang asked a question.

"You were controlling the golem earlier..."

"Cough."

"Ack. Cough cough."

The White Tiger Tower students started coughing like crazy.

"Did... did you give us this because we controlled the golem well?"

"Pardon? No."

"Phew..."

"That's a relief."

"??"

When the White Tiger Tower students sighed in relief, Kutang was puzzled.

What?

"I have a few questions about the control, is that okay?"

"Well, um."

"We have received the food, so we want to answer, but, um."

The White Tiger Tower students hesitated.

Surely he wouldn't tell them to spit it out, right?

"The one who controlled this is another friend."

"...Pardon? You mean he controlled it without being at the scene?"

"So, uh... he left commands and went..."

The White Tiger Tower students explained to the best of their ability.

Usually, when controlling a golem, it was standard for the mage to directly control it one by one next to it, but once Wardanaz got the hang of it, for simple tasks, he would give commands to the golem to 'do this much' and then go to another place and come back.

Hearing that explanation, Kutang was genuinely surprised.

'Not only did he make a golem, but he also maintained commands??'

Kutang was originally far from being sociable, but there was an exception.

That exception was when he saw something magically interesting.

"Thank you. It was really fun."

"We also ate really well!"

Kutang, who even heard Yi-Han's name, thought he should tell this interesting story to the dark mages he knew and moved his steps.

And after a while, Yi-Han returned.

"Nothing happened?"

"A mage who came from outside for the festival took a look and left."

"Nothing else happened."

"I see."

Suddenly, Yi-Han was puzzled by the creeping ominousness.

'What is it?'

A situation with absolutely nothing strange.

'Could it be that the principal is plotting something strange?'