“He seems insane, so I suppose I should be careful.”

“Does he?”

Adenart looked puzzled at Lee Han’s whisper.

Compared to the professors at Einroguard, Professor Jorzik of House Benmalpa had not seemed especially insane.

Besides, Adenart was royalty. She had grown up seeing countless followers from childhood onward.

Usually, the followers of royalty were ambitious people, since they tended to harbor the absurd expectation that the royal they served would someday inherit the imperial throne.

“He doesn’t seem that strange to me. Even among the people who support me, there are people like that…”

“Ah.”

After hearing Adenart’s explanation, Lee Han nodded.

Apparently there were quite a few people like Professor Jorzik among the princess’s supporters.

And Lee Han casually took a step away so Adenart would not notice.

“Professor Benmalpa. Why exactly do you want to become Einroguard’s principal?”

“Professor. Even so, can you really become principal without being acknowledged by the principal first?”

While the two of them were talking, curious upperclassmen started throwing questions at Professor Jorzik.

It was killing two birds with one stone: they could satisfy their curiosity and delay the lecture.

Even though the students’ questions might have sounded rude at first glance, Professor Jorzik merely stroked his mustache and looked pleased.

“First, an excellent question. Why do I wish to become principal of Einroguard? Then let me ask in return. Why do you not wish to become principal of Einroguard?”

“…W-well, I…”

The upperclassman had apparently almost said, Because I’m sane? but must have decided that was too much and phrased it differently.

“I’m a mage, so I’m not particularly interested in the principal’s seat, Professor.”

“That way of thinking is mistaken! I will say it boldly. Gentlemen. If you are mages, then of course you ought to dream of becoming principal of Einroguard!”

The lecture hall fell silent enough to hear a mouse breathe.

Unbothered, the professor continued in an intoxicated voice.

“The great seat at the heart of a thousand years of magic, and lord of the immortal estate. You there. If you gained that power, would you not be thrilled by the thought of what magic you could perform?”

“W-well, the magic I’m researching is perfectly possible even without the power of Einroguard…”

If people wanted bread, they usually went outside and bought bread. Few went so far as to create brand-new land and grow a wheat field from scratch.

“And the principal’s seat of Einroguard does not end with magical power alone! The honor of raising the Empire’s greatest mages and becoming their spiritual guide. Does that still not thrill you?”

“?”

Does it?

Not just the upperclassmen, but Lee Han and Adenart as well tilted their heads and thought it over.

When it was put that way, it did sound a little appealing.

Einroguard was the greatest magical institution in the Empire, and the mages it produced were truly exceptional talents. If someone were the teacher respected by all of them, that would indeed be tremendous influence.

But no matter how much their heads could understand it, their hearts refused to agree.

In the students’ minds, the image of the principal was still overwhelmingly the Skull Principal.

“But the principal said he was going to make his disciples into enemies.”

“I am different! I shall raise my disciples with affection and attention. My disciples will respect me and support me!”

The students stirred.

None of them could say for certain whether Professor Jorzik would ever become principal in their lifetime, but it was definitely an enticing idea.

“We’ll support you in our hearts, Professor!”

“We can’t exactly step in and do anything ourselves, but we’ll cheer for you!”

“My thanks, my thanks! Gentlemen! And now the second question. Can one become principal without the principal’s acknowledgment? That, too, is quite simple! The answer is, ‘Yes, one can!’”

“How?”

“Why, because I asked the principal.”

“……”

“……”

The students’ faces dimmed.

Their expectations for Professor Jorzik had just plummeted.

What kind of fool planned a coup and then asked the target of the coup whether it was allowed?

Wait. Isn’t that actually possible?

Unlike the other upperclassmen, Lee Han found that answer unexpectedly promising.

The Skull Principal Lee Han knew was not particularly attached to the position of principal of Einroguard.

Nor was the relationship with the Emperor built on the healthy sense of responsibility the upperclassmen seemed to imagine. It was closer to two people grabbing each other by the ankle and thrashing around in the swamp called the Empire so the other could not climb out first.

So if, in that situation, the Skull Principal had answered Professor Jorzik’s question with, Go ahead if you can…

If Professor Jorzik really won the Emperor’s recognition, it might actually happen.

“This… if the professor can win His Majesty the Emperor’s recognition, I think there’s a real chance.”

“…Isn’t that the hardest part?”

Adenart looked at Lee Han with the same dumbfounded expression she might have used on Gainando.

Well, she’s not wrong.

Meeting a dragon’s standards might, in some ways, be even harder than defeating the Skull Principal directly.

As if he was already used to reactions like this, Professor Jorzik simply grinned.

“Gentlemen. I do not mind if you think my plans are absurd. That is your freedom. But do not abandon your own dreams as absurd. Those who changed the Empire were always the ones mocked as dreamers!”

Lee Han was a little moved.

That had been better than expected.

But the expressions of the upperclassmen, long steeped in Einroguard, hardly changed.

“At Einroguard, dreamers usually don’t graduate.”

“I submitted a research proposal, and the principal threw it back in my face and called it delusional horsesh—”

“Now then. Shall we begin the lecture!”

Like the ambitious man he was, Professor Jorzik smoothly cut the conversation off as soon as it started moving in an unfavorable direction.

“Each of you, to the area you want!”

The lecture for <Elemental Magic and Its Linkages> resembled Professor Verdus’s lectures in that the students practiced on their own.

But the atmosphere could not have been more different.

“Professor. I’m trying to transform the fire element and maintain at least four swords, but keeping the form stable is harder than I expected.”

“At present, your problem has two major parts: form transformation and multi-control. Since you are attempting both at once, backlash is occurring in the middle. Personally, I would recommend practicing the form transformation of the fire element first. Have you learned Vagni’s Five Forms?”

“Not yet…”

“Understandable. Vagni was an outstanding fire-element mage, but lived centuries ago, and there is little practical reason to master all five forms now. In truth, there are not many mages who have learned them. However! For a mage stuck on fire-element form transformation, there is no better training than those five forms. So begin by practicing them.”

“Professor. I need the dark element for this research, but even basic attunement is too difficult. I asked Professor Mortum, and he said I’d get the feel for it if I went missing a few times in some pitch-black underground cave in the mountains or in the undead realms. Is that really the only way?”

“A good method. However! That is a method suited to a genius like Professor Mortum. I would recommend safer methods. Here, do you see the dark elements I have called here? Place them on your hand one by one and sharpen your senses. Slowly! And even if you cannot feel the dark element, there is absolutely no need to worry. It is the sort of thing you can resolve by asking another mage for help.”

“…!”

Watching this, Lee Han and Adenart were both deeply shocked.

Adenart said in a trembling voice, “D-did you see that? I can hardly believe someone can handle the elements so diversely and so effortlessly.”

At the same time, Lee Han said in a trembling voice, “How can a lecture taught the same way as Professor Verdus’s be this kind?”

“?”

“?”

The two stared at each other in mutual confusion.

“…Isn’t the elemental magic the more astonishing part?”

“The principal does things like that too. The kindness is more astonishing.”

Lee Han finally understood why a few upperclassmen had left Professor Jorzik with the evaluation, “Still, he’s better than some others.”

That’s far too low an estimate!

While Adenart was looking at Lee Han with a slightly colder gaze than before, Professor Jorzik walked toward the two of them.

The professor’s eyes were blazing with interest and ambition.

“The only two students attending my humble lecture!”

“…A pleasure, Professor?”

“Answer me this and tell me whether I have learned correctly about the two of you. Student Adenart. You are the Empire’s forty-third royal, and you have the support of the Palm Tree Order, the Accumulated Rain Mage Tower, the Imperial Western Allied Merchant Guild, the Cross Brothers Swordsmen, and the Olodo Party!”

Adenart jumped and nodded like a startled rabbit.

Outside Einroguard it would have been one thing, but for an Einroguard professor to take this much interest in a student was far from common.

That acknowledgement only made the ambition in Professor Jorzik’s eyes burn hotter.

Even without the other party using telepathic wave, Lee Han could practically hear the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ voice: Become my disciple and support me!

“If I have one true hobby at Einroguard, it is receiving the respect of talented disciples like you.”

Intimidated by the professor’s blazing intensity, the princess hurriedly darted behind Lee Han.

Unperturbed, Professor Jorzik spoke firmly.

“If ever you need help or instruction, come seek out Jorzik of House Benmalpa!”

“She says she understands.”

“Good! And you…”

Wait. Me too?

Lee Han had, in truth, let his guard down a little.

Since the man had shown so much interest in Adenart, Lee Han had assumed he himself would pass by relatively easily.

But Professor Jorzik’s eyes were burning even more fiercely than before.

If Adenart had been a casually tossed lure, then with Lee Han it was as if Jorzik had charged in carrying a net and a harpoon, determined to catch him no matter what.

Did he cast some kind of fire spell on his eyes?

Lee Han genuinely could not believe someone could make their eyes burn like that through ambition alone, without a trace of magic.

“So you are that student!”

“…Have the upperclassmen and professors forgotten my name, by any chance?”

Lately, being referred to as that one or that student or him had started to get on his nerves a little.

It did not feel like a good sign.

Professor Jorzik smiled so broadly it looked as if his mouth might reach his ears.

“How could that be? Student Wardanaz. A member of House Wardanaz who is attending lectures in every school.”

“Yes…”

“And the principal’s disciple as well.”

“Pardon?”

Lee Han was about to deny it, but Professor Jorzik simply continued saying what he wanted to say.

“You have received the favor of every professor in Einroguard, so naturally Jorzik of House Benmalpa cannot refrain from joining them as well.”

“I’m really fine—”

“What magic troubles you? I may not be as specialized as someone like Lord Yumidihus, but when it comes to elemental magic, there is very little I cannot handle at least to some extent!”

Professor Jorzik spoke modestly, but after seeing his skill earlier, Lee Han knew perfectly well how impressive that was.

Someone like Yumidihus, who took a single element such as water and researched it to the extreme, was the unusual case. Merely being able to handle a wide variety of elements already made Professor Jorzik an expert in this field.

Right. I came here to attend a lecture, so I should focus on magic.

The man was showing an uncomfortable amount of interest, but that only meant Lee Han needed to keep the conversation fixed on magic.

Besides, unlike a certain professor, the one standing before him was kind and enthusiastic about teaching.

“I’m aiming for overall improvement.”

“That makes sense. You are a second-year, after all. Then how about this? List the elements you lack confidence in, and the ones you are confident in.”

“For now, I’m not confident with the fire element…”

“Hmm.”

“As for lightning, frost, and dark, I’m comparatively more confiden—”

“……”