Princess Yukbeltire was deeply disappointed that she had missed the chance to learn secrets from the Insane Duplicate.

Diret spoke carefully.

“The enchantment magic school underclassmen are all... somewhat individualistic.”

And you’re the leader of them.

Out of consideration for their friendship, he swallowed the rest.

Honestly, Diret strongly suspected that Princess Yukbeltire herself had heavily influenced the current culture of Einroguard’s enchantment magic school.

“I was talking about the junior from House Wardanaz.”

“Ah.”

Diret momentarily fell silent.

Come to think of it, using individualism as an excuse absolutely did not work in that junior’s case.

“He probably didn’t have the presence of mind to call you while the Principal’s Duplicate was standing beside him.”

“Indeed. Still immature.”

Behind Princess Yukbeltire’s back, Ogoldos pointed at his own temple and rotated his finger.

Inside or outside Einroguard, that gesture meant the same thing everywhere.

—Is that senior insane?

“...”

Diret shook his head.

Princess Yukbeltire wasn’t insane.

Just slightly eccentric.

...Probably.

“Anyway, Yukbeltire. You understand now that what I said wasn’t wrong, don’t you? If you’d listened to me earlier, you could’ve learned five more dimensional secrets already.”

“That logic makes no sense.”

“No. It makes perfect sense.”

Diret, who was desperately trying to silence his friend and throw her out, suddenly noticed something strange.

“Wait. The Principal’s Duplicate entered Professor Verdus’s lecture hall too?”

“Senior... shouldn’t that have been the first thing you reacted to?”

“No. He came to my lecture hall as well.”

“?!!”

Ogoldos nearly screamed in shock.

Who could have imagined the Principal’s Duplicate had also appeared in Diret’s class?

“Were you alright?!”

“Huh? Yes...”

“...As expected of you, Senior!”

Ogoldos looked at him with pure admiration.

Truly worthy of supporting Einroguard’s dark magic school.

Unlike a certain professor, his ability was on an entirely different level.

“He’s not planning to follow that junior into every lecture, is he?”

“That seems to be exactly what he’s doing.”

The atmosphere instantly became heavy and gloomy.

Not because this was the dark magic school workshop, but because everyone could already sense the terrible fate awaiting the junior.

“Then if I follow the lectures the junior from House Wardanaz attends, can I also learn secrets?”

“Probably. But you’re a fifth-year, so no. He only appears when you’re teaching.”

“Auditing lectures is free at Einroguard.”

“Auditing lectures you’ve already completed is forbidden.”

Diret enacted Diret’s Law on the spot.

Princess Yukbeltire protested immediately, but her cowardly and irrational friend refused to withdraw his absurd legislation.

***

“I was surprised, Master.”

“That mage was quite surprising. Even in the ancient age, people like that were uncommon.”

The Insane Duplicate nodded, apparently misunderstanding his disciple’s meaning.

The mage called Verdus certainly possessed extraordinary qualities.

Even during ancient times, it was difficult to find someone so obsessively single-minded.

To continue pursuing personal desires so stubbornly even while watching precious artifacts destroyed before his eyes...

Had he lived in the old days, he might have become a truly dangerous enemy.

“Huh? Oh, the professor? I wasn’t talking about Professor Verdus. He’s always been like that. I meant you, Master. I never expected you to # Nоvеlight # personally teach other people’s magic.”

After subduing Professor Verdus, the Insane Duplicate had personally conducted the lecture.

The students had accepted it naturally enough, but for Lee Han, it was an entirely different matter.

Who could have imagined the Insane Duplicate would actually teach students himself?

Honestly, Lee Han had been nervous the man might simply say:

You teach them, disciple.

Being forced into brutal magical training would’ve been preferable. How was he supposed to teach upperclassmen?

“Indeed. So there exists such a method.”

“...”

Lee Han reflected deeply.

A mage incapable of controlling his tongue will never achieve greatness...!

“The reason royalty gave instruction today is because royalty has great plans.”

“...?”

Lee Han looked puzzled.

He has plans?

What kind of plans?

Wait. Could it possibly be...?

Only one possibility came to mind.

Lee Han asked in shock.

“Are you perhaps aiming to become Einroguard’s Principal?”

“...”

The Insane Duplicate stared at Lee Han with eyes full of contempt, as though he were filth rather than a disciple.

“Ah. Sorry. That’s just the only possibility I could think of.”

“Why would royalty desire the position of ruler over such a flea-infested pit?”

Although he had apparently just become one of the fleas, Lee Han remained unfazed.

“It’s still a fairly respectable position. It’s recognized by the Empire, and technically it’s also equivalent to an imperial grand noble title...”

“You concern yourself with such things often.”

“Isn’t that going too far?!”

Lee Han rarely became angry.

The Insane Duplicate looked genuinely surprised when his usually polite disciple suddenly snapped back.

“...I apologize. Your disciple became emotional.”

“You are not descending into madness, are you? It’s too early for you to go insane.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. So what exactly are you planning?”

This time, however, the Insane Duplicate did not answer.

Instead, he fell silent in thought.

‘????’

Lee Han became even more confused.

The Insane Duplicate almost always answered questions immediately, like some prophetic crystal orb.

Remaining silent like this was unusual.

“I cannot tell you. This is something my disciple must not know.”

“...”

Lee Han was horrified.

He really is trying to become Principal?!

Nothing else made sense.

If he was personally teaching students who weren’t even disciples, while deliberately hiding his intentions from Lee Han...

“Where are we heading next?”

“Uh... 【A Drop of Potion Instead of Complex Magic】.”

“Alchemy? Is this mage perhaps another one like the previous mage?”

“Absolutely not. There can’t possibly be another professor like that at Einroguard... well, actually there probably can, but this one isn’t.”

As he answered, Lee Han suddenly felt a little guilty toward Professor Thunderstep.

Still, surely he won’t be that shocked... right?

***

“Please, if you have complaints, let’s resolve them through conversation from now on!” 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The moment he saw the Principal’s projection sitting there expressionlessly, the dwarf professor hurriedly dragged Lee Han into a corner.

Earlier that morning, Professor Garcia had warned everyone in the faculty lounge to be careful, and now he finally understood what she had meant.

He already knew this disciple was a frightening schemer capable of all kinds of things, but he never imagined the boy would drag the Principal’s Insane Duplicate into a lecture hall just to settle grievances against professors.

“You misunderstand. I didn’t bring him here intentionally either.”

“I heard you also went to Professor Verdus’s lecture hall! How is that not intentional?!”

“...I did enjoy that part a little, but that was still a lecture I had to attend.”

Lee Han explained sincerely.

It was true that he had enjoyed Professor Verdus’s public destruction somewhat, but fundamentally, the situation had only happened because it was one of Lee Han’s scheduled lectures.

Once the Insane Duplicate decided to follow him, what exactly was Lee Han supposed to do?

Professor Thunderstep’s anger softened slightly.

He also knew perfectly well how pitiful Lee Han’s circumstances were.

There weren’t many mages in the world capable of stopping the Principal’s projection once it decided to trail someone.

“If that’s really the case, then it couldn’t be helped. You’ve suffered a lot too... Wait. Didn’t you already finish your staff? Then why were you in Professor Verdus’s lecture hall?”

Oops.

The one who rescued Lee Han was, unexpectedly, the Insane Duplicate himself.

The man calmly addressed Professor Thunderstep.

“Excellent. You are a mage who understands etiquette.”

“Wh... what?”

Professor Thunderstep blinked in confusion.

He considered himself fairly average regarding etiquette and formal behavior.

Nothing exceptional.

“I worried another mage like the previous one might appear... but fortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

‘Ah.’

Everything in life was relative.

After Professor Verdus, any professor who merely breathed normally looked like an outstanding educator.

Thank you, Professor Verdus. I absolutely won’t repay this debt later, though!

While expressing heartfelt gratitude toward Professor Verdus internally, Professor Thunderstep bowed slightly.

“It’s merely the basic etiquette every Einroguard professor possesses.”

“That wasn’t particularly convincing... Regardless, I have a task to entrust to you.”

“...?”

Professor Thunderstep hesitated.

Is this really alright?

Won’t there be chaos once the Skeleton Principal returns?

Wardanaz was still a student, and moreover a disciple particularly favored by the Skeleton Principal, so traveling together with the enemy could probably receive some degree of special consideration.

But if an Einroguard professor openly accepted a request from that enemy...

Would that receive special consideration too?

“What kind... of task?”

“First, let us swear an oath. Secrecy is important.”

“That sounds wise. Secrecy is indeed very important.”

Professor Thunderstep nodded immediately.

If possible, he wanted this matter buried forever—even after the Skeleton Principal returned.

***

Afterward, Professor Thunderstep began the lecture as usual.

Well—

—not entirely as usual.

Today’s Professor Thunderstep was unbelievably gentle and kind.

“Professor. The reagent became contaminated.”

“Then go outside and get—! Ahem. Ahem. No. That sort of thing happens sometimes, you idiot. Right?”

“We’re not first-years anymore though...”

“Shut u— Ahem. Ahem. Right. I forgot.”

The second-years immediately realized what was happening.

Normally, Professor Thunderstep exploded with rage whenever even the slightest mistake occurred.

Now he was comforting students instead.

“Professor. I’d like additional reagents!”

“Professor! Could you guide my hand movements while I stir the cauldron?”

“Professor! It was actually me who melted the bottom of the pot last week!”

“...”

Professor Thunderstep stared at his second-year disciples in horror.

They were Einroguard bastards down to their bones.

“Professor.”

“Why are you calling me too?!”

The moment Lee Han spoke, Professor Thunderstep snapped at him first.

What possible question could this monster have?

“I also have a question.”

“Ah. I see.”

Professor Thunderstep suddenly felt slightly embarrassed.

He often forgot, but no matter how abnormal this disciple was, he was still technically a second-year student.

There was no rule saying even Wardanaz had to succeed at every potion immediately.

Professor Thunderstep approached and inspected Lee Han’s cauldron.

Inside shimmered a silver liquid containing perfectly dissolved silver ore.

“...This is flawless though?”

“It’s not about the potion. Did you perhaps discuss something with Master earlier?”

Lee Han lowered his voice carefully.

No matter how he thought about it, whatever plan the Insane Duplicate was hiding felt deeply ominous.

Perhaps Professor Thunderstep knew something.

Professor Thunderstep nodded in understanding.

“So that’s what you wanted to ask.”

He quietly pulled out a quill pen and began writing something onto paper.

Seeing that, Lee Han immediately looked hopeful.

“Here.”

“Thank y— 【Thunderstep’s Immersion Incense】? This is what Master wanted?”

【Thunderstep’s Immersion Incense】 was the unique incense Professor Thunderstep had used during exam preparation before.

Just reading the recipe made Lee Han’s head spin from the difficulty.

“No. Since you apparently have so much free time and energy, I’m telling you to practice making it.”

The moment he finished speaking, Professor Thunderstep spun around sharply and walked away.

Lee Han glared at the professor’s retreating back.

What a petty professor!