Published at 6th of March 2026 6:14 am

Chapter 680

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

You just said directly

Diret.

!

A mage hed never seen before spoke to him.

The mage had facial features that somehow resembled Adenart. The silver hair and blue eyes particularly created a sense of similarity.

The difference was that the mage before him radiated a much more inorganic and cold atmosphere.

It might have been because Lee Han had become quite close to Adenart, but despite being often misunderstood as cold, Adenart wasnt really that emotionless of a person.

She cared about dignity and formality and had a strict personality, but someone who would steal bread for her followers couldnt be truly cold, right?

Shes like a capable Gainando.

In contrast, the mage before him felt fundamentally different in personality.

The mage showed no interest in Lee Han whatsoever and spoke to Diret.

You came to watch.

Well, its your work, Yukveltire.

Good thinking. It will surely be helpful.

She was the Imperial Princess!

Lee Han realized that this person was Princess Yukveltire whom Diret had mentioned earlier.

Then shes Adenarts older sister?

Yukveltire, who had been having a complex conversation with Diret about this magic, seemed to notice Lee Han for the first time.

Yukveltire glanced at Lee Han once, then frowned and spoke to Diret.

Are you looking after underclassmen again?

Ah. Stop it. Its my business.

Then advice is my business too. Stop looking after underclassmen who dont match your level. They wont be of any help to your magic.

There was no trace of emotional elements like arrogance or contempt in the Princesss voice.

Only an emotionless conviction that her words were correct could be felt.

Diret responded with disgust at her friends perpetually cold kindness.

Enough, Ill handle my own affairs. And this underclassman is smart.

You say that every time. But I dont think Ive ever seen a truly smart underclassman.

Direts face reddened slightly as her friend hit a sore spot.

Among the underclassmen in the dark magic school, there really wasnt anyone with grades as good as Direts yet.

This underclassman is really smart!

You said that last time too. Is there a difference?

Hey. Go away. Get lost.

This isnt your personal space, so you dont have that right.

Underclassman. Lets go.

Diret tried to pull Lee Hans sleeve and move away.

However, the Princess followed behind with an expressionless face, continuing to try to persuade her friend.

Now that were going up to fifth year together, how long do you plan to keep looking after underclassmen? You should focus on your own magic too.

Why the hell did I even come to a place like this?

Diret regretted coming for no reason.

She had come just to see her friends magic and felt like shed gotten a bigger burden attached.

When Diret ignored her words, Yukveltire turned her arrows toward Lee Han.

Third year. You answer. How long are you planning to act spoiled toward Diret? Arent you ashamed of holding back the ankles of Diret, who will become a great mage as a student of Einroguard?

Why does she think Im a third year?

Im a first year though?

Lee Han was puzzled.

However, before he could answer, Diret flew into a rage.

Hey. Youre crossing the line now. Friend or whatever, there are limits.

Im giving advice as a friend

Keep babbling. Presentation or whatever, youre dead here today.

!

Lee Han felt a thrill sensing how powerful the anger of a senior going up to fourth year, no, fifth year was.

Magic power rippled, and Lee Han felt like about five spells whose identity he couldnt determine had risen to just before pulling the trigger.

Hmm. But isnt she right?

Hey underclassman

Diret looked at Lee Han with an expression that said what are you doing saying that?

You should take my side, so what are you doing taking that rude friends side?

No, the dark magic school seniors seem to depend too much on Senior Diret Like last time too Even the professor is a bit like that, isnt he?

You have good eyes.

Yukveltire readily agreed.

She might not know about talent, but he seemed to have some conscience.

The dark magic school is exploiting Direts talent. Not only Professor Mortum, but Cohorti is the same year yet has never been helpful. Are you going to deny this too?

Diret hesitated as another sore spot was hit.

Thats the characteristic of the dark magic school

That does seem right.

Hey!

Diret was furious at her underclassmans betrayal.

Isnt this guy a spy?

Lee Han soothed Diret while expressing his conviction.

I think the dark magic school students should stop depending on Senior Diret now. People should handle their own affairs. Professor Mortum should stop making Senior Diret do things too.

!

Diret forgot about the fight and was moved to tears.

This was the first time shed seen an underclassman say such admirable things.

Even just the sentiment makes me happy.

Ill also file a complaint to the Principal every time the professor calls Senior Diret!

Both Diret and Yukveltire looked at Lee Han like he was insane.

Is this underclassman mentally unstable?

No. Hes just close with the Principal.

Then he is mentally unstable?

The Princess spoke without malice.

The opponent couldnt be the Skeleton Principals disciple, and if he wasnt a disciple but was still close to him, he could only be a regular in the punishment room.

Underclassman I appreciate the sentiment. But you dont need to go that far. And the dark magic school just seems to have a heavy workload because there are so few of us.

To be precise, the workload that Diret handles alone is much heavier.

You shut up.

I refuse.

Listening to their conversation, Lee Han suddenly had a thought and asked.

By any chance, which school does Senior Yukveltire major in?

Enchantment magic. Im Professor Verduss direct disciple.

Ah, as expected!

Lee Han immediately understood, thinking as I thought. Diret spoke with a sour expression.

Still, shes my friend, so isnt that too harsh?

I dont know what you mean.

Diret sighed.

There were few things as rude as asking someone Are you by any chance Professor Verduss disciple? but there was an exception.

When the person really was Professor Verduss disciple!

Yukveltire was such a case, so there was nothing to say even with ten mouths.

-Lady Yukveltire. Please prepare yourself.

When the mages called her name, the Imperial Princess checked the time and turned around.

Diret. Dont forget todays advice.

Yes. Ill definitely change!

Why are you answering

Yukveltire said she would watch with an expressionless face, then left.

Diret felt exhausted as if he had just sprinted at full speed.

I came to see magic and what kind of suffering is this

Youre right.

And why are you taking her side!

S-sorry.

Lee Han felt slightly wronged.

Honestly, it seemed like the Black Magic Academy was also at fault.

But why did that senior think I was a third year earlier?

He knows the fourth years, and second years have no reason to be here, so he probably thought you were a third year.

There are first years too, arent there?

Diret looked at Lee Han with the expression of someone looking at a junior who had asked the most pathetic question in the world.

***

When Gawon prepared his magic, Diret flipped through his book with an uninterested expression.

Arent you interested in that magic?

I saw it in the advance announcement and it wasnt much.

The magic presented at exchange meetings was basically compiled into catalogs in advance and distributed to the mages.

Mages with good insight and intelligence could distinguish whether this magic was decent or mundane just by looking at it.

There was no development from the Otas Radiant Prism magic.

B-but wouldnt it be good if we improved the magic circle a bit more and shortened the process?

That would be nice, but its not easy.

Improving magic required both knowledge and intuition.

Knowledge from experience in creating and modifying all kinds of magic circles, and the sense to feel the flow of mana more sensitively than others.

You needed that to determine the direction for improvement.

Even determining the direction wasnt the end. You also needed the ability to implement that direction.

For example, suppose compressing 1,000 units of mana into a magic circle would improve its effectiveness.

Then the mage had the obligation to personally obtain and insert that amount, then prove it. Just making claims without being able to do it would only make everyone indifferent.

But that one re-improved the Gwangryeongmuk magic circle and compressed mana into the black shadow

Really?

Diret closed his Monthly Dark Magic Trends book and narrowed his eyes.

Looking closely, he could definitely feel something had changed.

He made the form stabilization much simpler, didnt he? He removed the left-side form stabilization magic?

Diret was surprised by the bold choice.

Einroguard graduates might be different, but external mages tended to be obsessed with safer choices than expected.

But such a bold magic circle.

Is it okay?

Its good its fine.

Lee Han felt proud.

It seemed his modifications werent wrong.

Wait, he completely improved the magic circle and then compressed mana into the black shadow? How did he come up with such an idea when hes not Professor Beeble?

People other than the professor can do it too

Thats true, but that method is one Professor Beeble likes to use.

A magic method that cuts out unnecessary things for efficiency regardless of difficulty.

It was a method Professor Verdus liked to use.

Lee Han was disgusted.

How unfair.

To be misunderstood as using Professor Verduss method!

It seemed his experience learning under the professor had unknowingly influenced him. Lee Han felt great humiliation.

Impressive.

Diret gave a brief assessment and leaned back. His eyes were full of interest.

That mage seems to have come out with determination Come to think of it, junior. How did you recognize that right away?

He thought it was amazing.

From this distance, and the junior probably hadnt even seen the catalog, yet he noticed the extraordinariness of that magic.

I helped with the improvement.

What?

For giving me a ride in the carriage

Lee Han told the story of how he repaid the kindness of mage Gawon who lent him the carriage.

Diret was so dumbfounded he couldnt even respond.

Seeing this, Lee Han carefully asked.

Should I not have touched magic submitted to the exchange meeting?

No. Thats not it. But usually people dont modify magic just for lending a carriage

It wasnt like the story of a mage who cast magic on a village and left after receiving a single coin what kind of generosity was this?

Diret shook his head and looked ahead.

-Isnt there no change from Otas Radiant Prism?

-Th-thats

-Stupid! Dont you have eyes to see! Look at that magic circle. Its been improved several times over from Otas Radiant Prism!

-That level of improvement isnt enough!

-Dont you see the mana compressed in that black shadow! Are you an idiot?!

-How dare you Follow me! Its a duel!

-Thats what I should say. I need to remove one idiot from this exchange meeting!

Except for a few minority opinions who went to duel after trying to find fault but only getting cursed at instead, the mages participating in the exchange meeting showed positive reactions.

Gawon sighed in relief and was patting his chest when he spotted Lee Han and brightened up.

Then he pointed at Lee Han from the stage and shouted.

Lee Han sir, thank you! Thank you! Without that persons help, this magic would have been impossible!

When all the mages sitting in the seats looked at Lee Han at once, Diret pulled his hat down low and said quietly.

Junior. I think it would be better if we sat separately from now on.

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