# Episode 10
"Is that so, Professor."
Lee Han showed no emotion on his face.
He had dealt with crazy professors before, and he wasn't going to act like a novice now.
"Indeed, with passion and dedication, one can get good grades in alchemy."
'I must never take this class again after it ends.'
"You think so too?"
Thunderfoot rubbed his nose with a satisfied smile.
"Then take it."
"…I haven't checked out other classes yet…"
"Oh, forget it. Just take it. No other class will be better than this."
"No, I need to see…"
"No! You must take it!"
Lee Han began to feel he was truly in trouble.
The other students were looking at him with envious eyes.
- As expected of the Wodanaz family…
- Such great talent…
'They're pissing me off more.'
Professor Thunderfoot looked around and spoke,
"Today's class ends here. Unfortunately, the other group didn't encounter the boar."
"..."
"…Professor, did you deliberately make us encounter the boar?"
One of the students spoke in a horrified voice.
It was called a boar, but it was practically a monster.
One could have broken bones or ruptured organs and died if unlucky.
Thunderfoot answered as if it were obvious,
"Of course, I didn't just make you gather herbs. You must encounter situations you might face while gathering herbs."
"That's… insane…"
"Indeed. Hey, do you think the professor would have sent us without any preparations? He must have been watching us from behind."
"Oh…"
One of the students said, and the others agreed.
Indeed…
"No? Why would I follow you?"
The dwarf professor looked as if they were talking nonsense.
"I came because the boar was down."
"What… what if there was a serious accident?"
"Then you have no talent for alchemy."
"..."
"..."
Lee Han felt he could hear the hearts of the students.
'You bastard…!'
"Whether you catch it, avoid it, run, or hide, handling unexpected situations is a talent of an alchemist. Got it, iron heads?"
"Yes!"
"Uh… Professor, do we still need the Dokuochi then?"
Yoner cautiously raised her hand and asked. Thunderfoot looked surprised.
"You found Dokuochi?"
"Yes."
"Oh dear. I didn't expect you to find it. You pass too! Come here. You must take this class."
"..."
Yoner was dragged along, bewildered.
"I didn't find it alone. Nillia helped me."
"Really? You pass too! Come here!"
Thunderfoot pulled Nillia over next. Nillia looked unsure whether to be happy or not.
"And Wodanaz here…"
"You really, really must take this class!"
"..."
Lee Han half gave up.
At this point, it was impossible to escape.
'Damn it.'
No matter how much he avoided the class, it wouldn't be good to be marked by the professor.
If he didn't take it, this dwarf professor might chase him to other classrooms.
"…I will do my best. Alchemy has always been my dream!"
"You…!"
Thunderfoot laughed. He had read Lee Han's emotional shift.
Among the freshmen here, Lee Han was the most mentally mature.
Although he didn't want to take the alchemy class, he quickly accepted and changed his attitude when he realized he couldn't avoid it.
Noble children couldn't hide their true feelings well.
They had never had to hide their emotions in their lives, so they had no practice in holding back.
In that sense, Lee Han was very intriguing.
"Don't be too disappointed. There's a privilege in the alchemy class."
Thunderfoot decided to comfort Lee Han.
It was hard to find good students.
Just as students evaluated classes, professors evaluated students.
If you found a good student, you had to hold on tight like Thunderfoot.
But if you only forced them, it could backfire and they might run away.
The best way was to use a carrot.
"What privilege?"
"There's a cabin near the forest. Usually, no one is allowed to approach, but since you caught the boar and found Dokuochi, you can access it this semester."
"…??"
Lee Han thought it was nonsense.
A privilege to visit the professor's house?
'A privilege to clean, sort garbage, or do slave work?'
"…Ah. I didn't explain enough."
Seeing Lee Han's expression, Thunderfoot realized what he was thinking. The dwarf professor quickly added,
"Do you know what iron heads want the most?"
"An easy class for good grades?"
"…Are you really from the Wodanaz family? That's not bad, but the answer is food. Right now, you only look a bit pale, but in a week, you'll be trying to eat each other."
"..."
Thunderfoot's words were convincing.
Over 80% of the students here were used to eating well and living well.
Putting them on hard black bread and cold rice balls would naturally make them suffer.
"But in my cabin, there's meat and fish from the forest, spices and vegetables from secret spots. Do you know what that means?"
"…!"
Lee Han finally understood.
A sort of buffet access pass!
"Professor!"
"You're growing on me, kid."
The two exchanged a warm handshake.
* * *
After class ended and while students were moving to find their next classes (some muttering they'd never take this class again), Lee Han stayed put.
Yoner and Nillia asked curiously,
"Aren't you going?"
"I'm going to butcher the boar."
"..."
"..."
"Impressive!"
Thunderfoot was the only one impressed.
He had never seen a freshman adapt so quickly.
"Professor. Is this boar safe to eat?"
"It's just become fierce. It's safe to eat."
"I see. Could you lend me some tools for butchering and smoking the meat?"
"You're already liking alchemy?"
"Yes. I really love alchemy."
Having adapted to reality, Lee Han decided to love alchemy.
'If what the professor said is true, I can't just wait.'
There were hints.
From the principal's words about finding answers in the school to the no-leaving rules.
Freshmen had to find their own food and survive!
'What kind of school is this… But I'm not even surprised anymore.'
In a school where people might die, finding your own food wasn't surprising.
Lee Han carried the boar to a stream.
It was better to be near water for draining the blood and removing the entrails.
"I'll help."
Yoner rolled up her sleeves and approached.
"Are you sure?"
"We'll have to handle worse ingredients in the future. Will you share the meat?"
"..."
Lee Han thought he heard Yoner's stomach growl.
Nillia, standing behind, said in disbelief,
"Are you really going to butcher it?"
"Yes."
"Why… at school…"
"Aren't you hungry?"
"…Fine! I'll help!"
Lee Han had learned hunting and butchering from Alarong, and Nillia was a literal expert.
Yoner, though not a professional, had practiced handling ingredients.
"Here are the tools. These should be enough."
Thunderfoot brought the necessary tools. His eyes gleamed with interest, as if saying, 'Let's see how you do.'
Lee Han drew a dagger and skinned the boar.
Slice-
'He's good?'
Nillia was honestly surprised.
She didn't expect a noble like Lee Han to be as good as her.
The three of them worked hard together, skinning the boar and separating the meat, which they hung on branches.
There was plenty of meat due to the boar's size, but Lee Han didn't waste the entrails.
'I'll make sausages with these.'
Not knowing how long this hellish first year would last, it was best to make as much food as possible.
"Are you going to smoke it?"
"Yes."
"Impressive…!"
Thunderfoot was impressed.
They couldn't just leave all this meat. Even in cool weather, it would spoil eventually.
But smoking it would make it last much longer. A good method for freshmen.
"Professor, can I use these logs?"
"W… wait."
As Lee Han reached for the logs piled near the cabin, Thunderfoot was alarmed.
Not all wood was suitable for smoking. The better the scent of the wood, the better.
'That's premium applewood I prepared…'
Lee Han, with a knack for spotting quality, grabbed it. Thunderfoot sighed in regret.
"Nillia, is this enough?"
"More than enough."
Smoke rose, and the smell of cooking meat filled the air. Sweat beaded on the hardworking trio's foreheads.
Growl-
Lee Han turned his head. It wasn't Yoner or Nillia.
It was the dwarf professor.
"…Are you hungry?"
"Yes. I could eat."
Lee Han stood up. When a professor was hungry, a graduate student moved automatically.
'There's plenty of meat. I'll grill some.'
"Professor, could you get some bread and butter…"
"…Take what you need…"
Thunderfoot grumbled but didn't complain further, as he'd be eating too.
Lee Han placed the meat on the iron pan. He didn't just cook it; he seasoned it with salt and pepper.
Rub, rub-
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing it."
"?"
Thunderfoot found Lee Han's preparation peculiar.
Just cooking would suffice…
But Lee Han didn't stop. He scored the meat, oiled the pan, and placed the meat.
Sizzle-
The smell of cooking meat filled the air. Lee Han added vegetables from the cabin.
"Why did you stop?"
Thunderfoot was puzzled when Lee Han paused. The meat wasn't fully cooked.
"Adding butter makes it better."
"Are you saying you have no talent for alchemy?"
Thunderfoot gave Lee Han a suspicious look. He wasn't planning to let him off.
"Try it and decide."
As the meat browned, a decent meal was ready.
Pork steak with grilled vegetables. And thick bread and butter from the cabin.
Though not freshly baked, it was enough for freshmen who had only eaten black bread.
Chomp chomp-
Suddenly, it was silent.
All four were engrossed in eating.
Thunderfoot ate the most.
The dwarf professor tore off a chunk of bread, added a big piece of grilled pork, and ate heartily.
Then he walked to the cabin and brought out a jar of jam.
"..."
"..."
"…I'll share a bit, so stop staring like that, iron heads."