There isn’t.

The insane duplicate spat the words as if wondering what more was needed after such kind advice.

Just like the alchemy advice from earlier, this insane duplicate wanted the disciple to understand everything after throwing out a single word.

That might have worked in ancient times, but nowadays...

Isn’t that too old-fashioned?

While Lee Han was whispering with the insane duplicate, the Kalarogard students made their move.

They were trying to separate Galar somehow.

If they could just get that outside mage away, subduing the Valdrogard students would be easy.

“Come forth. Blazing Hungry Ghost!”

An undead monster appeared, its entire body aflame, smoke and flashes of light spewing from its eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Galar grew extremely tense.

Students of the Empire were, by nature, violent and rough beings.

They were troublemakers who came out of their schools whenever they were bored, caused disturbances, and dueled in nearby cities.

And the Empire’s mages were equally dangerous and troublesome.

Whenever they were bored, they caused magical accidents and incidents everywhere.

Now those two things had been combined into Imperial magic-school students.

Violent, rough, dangerous, troublesome beings!

Since Galar knew full well what Imperial magic-school students could do when they set their minds to it—excluding Valdrogard—it was only natural for him to be tense.

“Why did you summon an undead?”

“I wanted to let it breathe Einroguard’s air.”

“Step back two paces.”

“I’ll step back one.”

“No. Cold, swirl strangely.”

“Tch!”

Galar also chanted a spell and went on the defensive.

As cold-aspect illusion magic unfolded, a frigid mist wrapped around Galar. From the outside, he could no longer be seen.

Not knowing what effect it might have, the Kalarogard students clicked their tongues.

That kind of illusion magic was the sort one inevitably fell victim to without prior knowledge, which made it disadvantageous when facing an experienced mage.

“Should we break through the spell?”

“No. We might get counterattacked. Stay calm. He won’t be able to escape. Are you controlling the Blazing Hungry Ghost?”

“I fed it a whole fire crystal, so it should be docile for several days.”

“Mana strike? Confusion? Paralysis?”

“Judging by the flow, it doesn’t look like paralysis. It seems to be interfering with mana or the soul...”

The Kalarogard students wore gloomy black robes that could be mistaken for gravediggers’ clothes at a glance, but their abilities could not be ignored.

Galar did not let his guard down and prepared his next spell.

This was not one-on-one, but one against many. Worse, he also had to protect the Valdrogard students, so Galar was quite anxious.

The outside snow mage from the mage tower quietly pulled a reagent from the front pocket of his old cashmere vest.

It was precious, but he might have to use it to summon a blizzard.

Interesting.

Lee Han watched the tense atmosphere with excitement.

Watching a fight that had nothing to do with him was always a happy and enjoyable thing.

For Lee Han, who had recently been involved only in fights related to himself, this kind of spectating revived a joy he had forgotten for a while.

This is how it should have been originally. I’ve had too much bad luck lately. I got dragged into way too many unnecessary fights.

What are you doing, you lowly thing?

“I’m spectating?”

The insane duplicate frowned as if pained by Lee Han’s words.

Despite the disciple’s useful talent, those vulgar and pathetic manners angered the master.

I told you to sweep them all away.

“...Master. Actually, when I said outsiders were attacking, that was somewhat exaggerated.”

When the insane duplicate did not forget and ordered him to sweep them away again, Lee Han quickly changed his words.

Those people were actually guests, and the attack was more of a figurative expression...

Shut up.

The insane duplicate silenced Lee Han.

It did not matter whether the opponents were outsiders or not, or whether they had attacked or not.

What mattered was that they were casting magic and fighting in front of him and his disciple.

“??”

Lee Han tilted his head, not understanding.

“It’s a magic school, so they use magic, don’t they?”

How dare they cast such lowly and insignificant magic before me without even understanding propriety? Such arrogance deserves severe punishment.

“...”

Only belatedly understanding what the insane duplicate meant, Lee Han wore an expression of disbelief.

So using magic in front of him was arrogant?

Royalty really are absurd. Gainando and Adenart won’t become like that when they get older, right?

Having very rude thoughts about his absent friends, Lee Han subtly changed the subject.

“But Master. Times have changed now, and this is a magic school, so using magic is normal.”

If he swept people away just because they used magic in front of him, even Einroguard students would treat him like a madman.

Where in the world would there be such a madman?

That won’t do.

“What won’t do?”

Speaking from a distance, I cannot possibly correct your lowly manners. I will visit in person.

“I’ll go sweep them away right now!”

Lee Han quickly changed his answer again.

Whether it was Kalarogard, Valdrogard, or outside mages, he did not care.

He had to survive first, didn’t he?

“By any chance, does that Blazing Hungry Ghost have any weaknesses? It seems like quite a powerful undead.”

Why don’t you ask about breathing methods too?

“Oh. Are there also breathing secrets passed down from ancient times?”

The insane duplicate still did not know that this disciple was an opponent who could not be easily defeated without violence.

Just as countless professors at Einroguard had been defeated, the boy ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) of House Wardanaz was a disciple among disciples.

By comparison, the insane duplicate, despite being an archmage, was only a novice as a master.

The insane duplicate cast another curse at Antagondals, then spoke with eyes as cold as burning ice.

There are none, you lowly thing. Know that it is shameful for a disciple to ask about ways to deal with undead like the Blazing Hungry Ghost one by one.

Despite saying that, the insane duplicate eventually explained.

This undead, mainly found in the hell-type dimension known as the Hungry Ghost Realm, had a soul burning with curses, so it easily burned not only surrounding enemies but even incoming attacks.

Of course, one could break through that defense with force, but that was not an elegant strategy for a mage.

“Are you telling me to feed it until it’s full?”

That’s right.

If other dimensional beings, such as spirits with the power of flame, were summoned and used to fill the Blazing Hungry Ghost, it would return satisfied instead of stubbornly remaining.

“Ah! I happen to have a contracted low-rank fire spirit. It’s a creature that looks like a sparrow, and it’s very clever and cute.”

...

The insane duplicate remained still, expression unchanged.

The talk was so trivial that there was not even any desire to ask, “So what?”

—Compared to me, which one is cuter?

When the baby basilisk asked curiously, Lee Han pretended not to hear it and continued speaking.

“I’ll summon that one and have it feed the Blazing Hungry Ghost until it’s full. Oh, Master. Do you know how I came to contract with this spirit?”

You lowly thing.

“Yes.”

If you chatter about that spirit one more time, I’ll sew your mouth shut.

No. This is too much.

Lee Han felt deeply disappointed.

How could a master show so little interest in the achievements accomplished by the disciple?

No wonder the insane duplicate had no other disciples. Come to think of it, even Professor Voladi Bagreg had two disciples, so having none until now was quite a problem.

“In the name of laws and contracts, I summon you.”

With a flutter of wings, a low-rank fire spirit that looked like a sparrow appeared.

The spirit trembled upon seeing Lee Han and behaved very cautiously.

Its manners would be more useful.

“You’re a smart one. Now, I’ll lend you plenty of mana, so can you feed that hungry ghost some quality flames?”

The spirit nodded.

Lee Han asked again just to be sure. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“You understood properly, right? I’ll give you mana, so...”

The spirit nodded.

It’s quite frightened.

“No. It’s just nervous. We’re close friends.”

—It looks nervous, though?

The baby basilisk spoke without knowing Lee Han’s inner thoughts.

Already jealous, it did not easily miss the chance to criticize when an opportunity appeared.

“...You be quiet. Now then, Master. How should we deal with that fog?”

...

When asked for a solution not only to the undead summon, but also to the magic cast by an outside mage, the insane duplicate sighed for the first time that day.

*****

“Lord Galar. The fog is weakening!”

“It’s only temporary, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah. Is that so? ...Huh. It still seems to be getting weaker...”

“I said it’s temporary!”

Galar shouted in irritation. To wipe the sweat from his palms, he pulled a handkerchief from his vest, wiped them, then gripped his staff tightly again.

He needed more time to deceive those outside and spirit away these troublesome clients.

And yet they were making such a fuss over a temporary change.

“...W-wait!”

Galar was shocked to realize that the fog really was rapidly weakening.

The spell meant to buy time by preventing approach from the outside was losing strength this quickly.

Had its duration run out?

No. I definitely calculated it properly.

Galar connected with the spell again to check what was happening.

And he was shocked.

“...!??!”

Outside, the boy of House Wardanaz was dismantling the fog by deploying counter-magic.

Counter-magic was an advanced magic that grasped the structure of a spell and approached it in reverse to dismantle the spell itself.

In truth, the principle itself was not that difficult. There was simply too much information to grasp for each spell being countered.

Even battle-hardened mages often struggled or made mistakes in such areas.

Moreover, the fog Galar had deployed was magic he had independently improved during his mage-tower days.

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult even to discern the effect, let alone the structure of the spell.

Yet from that distance, the boy was casually waving his staff and dismantling the magic.

What kind of monsters does Einroguard gather and raise in its second year?!

Galar felt shock before confusion or despair.

However, Galar was not the only one surprised. The Kalarogard students were similarly shocked.

“N-no! The hungry ghost!”

“This bastard?! It’s trying to betray us and go back!”

While their attention had briefly turned elsewhere, the hungry ghost made a satisfied cry and began moving to return to its original dimension.

The hungry ghost, always starving and trying to devour any flame it saw, was now obediently trying to return.

Only then did the Kalarogard students notice the low-rank fire spirit swiftly escaping.

To think someone had sent a spirit to satisfy the hungry ghost!

Unbelievable. Such a method. I never even thought of it.

Even borrowing the spirit’s power would waste a considerable amount of mana, yet he did it so boldly...!

Both groups of mages stood awkwardly, looking at each other as the methods they had prepared were neutralized.

The Valdrogard students blinked, not quite understanding the situation.

One of the Kalarogard students spoke accusingly.

“Why are you interfering in the sacred duel between Kalarogard and Valdrogard!”

Galar, thinking much the same thing, shouted.

“The Valdrogard students were winning, so why interfere!”

“?”

Lee Han looked over for a moment. Galar’s face reddened, and he averted his gaze. Seeing this, Lee Han felt sorry for him.

So that’s a professional adventurer.

“The reason I interfered is...”

Tell them you could not bear to watch that arrogant trash making a scene.

“...because, as a fellow mage, I couldn’t bear to watch your duel!”

...