The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

30. The Professor with Both Hands (2)

Whoosh!

Reaching out towards the blazing flames.

The excruciating pain of burning flesh spread from the arm to the entire body.

Crunch.

Suppressing the groan that threatened to escape from between my lips, I endured the pain.

The time I had to endure with my hand plunged into the blazing flames was about five minutes.

Five minutes might be a very short time for practicing magic, but if I had to endure with my hand in the blazing flames for that entire time, it was a different story.

Even touching a match flame is painful enough to make a person scream and pull their hand away, so how terrible would it be to endure the pain of being burned continuously for five minutes?

“Ugh. Ah, uh.”

A suppressed groan escaped from between my lips.

Although it was a virtual flame created by my imagination, not a real flame, the vivid pain of burning flesh was no different from reality.

‘Just a little more.’

The opportunity to increase my magic power through the primordial fire was only four times a day.

To accumulate more magic power, I had to bring as much ‘fire’ as possible from within these flames.

“Ugh.”

Thus, the five minutes that felt like an eternity passed.

I slowly withdrew my hand from the flames.

On the palm of my hand that emerged from the fire, a small flame the size of a finger was burning.

‘It’s grown bigger.’

At first, the flame I could bring from the ‘primordial fire’ was only the size of a candle flame, but as I repeated the training, it had grown to the size of a finger.

‘Well… this is still far from enough to handle the primordial fire.’

I looked at the gigantic flame that seemed to engulf the world and gave a bitter smile.

I was absorbing the power of the primordial fire by ending my life four times a day, but the primordial fire that had settled in my heart was still not moving at all.

‘It’s like scooping seawater with a ladle.’

What difference would it make to absorb a flame the size of a candle or a finger from the flames that seemed to engulf the world?

‘Well, someday I’ll be able to handle it.’

It wasn’t a problem that could be solved immediately by worrying about it now.

“Whew.”

I cut off my thoughts and slowly opened my eyes.

The consciousness that had sunk into the imaginary world rose as the intense pain that seemed to burn my body gradually faded.

What I saw in front of me was the appearance of a dormitory room with only an old bed, a table, and a single shelf.

I got up from the bed I was sitting on and lightly stretched my body.

“Let’s see. How much magic power has accumulated this time?”

As I stirred the mana embedded in the stigmata, the magic power that had clearly increased compared to when I first returned surged through my veins and spread vigorously throughout my body.

‘Good.’

If the average magical power of ordinary cadets is considered to be 10, then mine would be around 3.

Even though it had increased, it was still less than half of the average magical power of the cadets.

“Originally, it was less than 10 percent, so this is a significant improvement.”

In absolute terms, it might still be lacking, but compared to when I regressed, my magical power had nearly tripled in just a few weeks.

At this rate, I could catch up to the average magical power of the cadets in 2 to 3 months.

‘Maybe even sooner.’

Just as the size of the flame I could absorb from the primordial fire had increased from the size of a candle flame to the size of a finger.

If I could continue to increase the size of the flame I could absorb.

‘I could obtain a level of magical power that I couldn’t even dream of in my previous life.’

A thrilling shiver ran down my spine as I imagined the future.

“No, this is not the time to be happy.”

The future is the future.

The magical power I currently possessed was still less than half of the average cadet’s.

‘This is far from enough to face Ashtaroth.’

Although the seal of the demon was still firm, and the archbishop’s power was not complete.

‘But the archbishop is still the archbishop.’

The archbishops, who stood at the pinnacle among the thousands and tens of thousands of demons, could never be underestimated.

“Oh, right. I haven’t delivered this yet.”

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the backpack containing the magical herb, Seven Star Grass, placed in a corner of the room.

After obtaining the Seven Star Grass from the cave where the ley lines flowed, I had forgotten to deliver it to Professor Jade due to various events.

‘First, I should go find Professor Jade.’

I shouldered the backpack containing the magical herb, Seven Star Grass, and headed outside.

* * *

“I have brought the Seven Star Grass you mentioned.”

Dust rose in the musty laboratory.

Professor Jade let out a low exclamation as he looked at the table piled high with the magical herb, Seven Star Grass.

“Even though there are many Seven Star Grass growing around the school, it wouldn’t have been easy to find… You have brought a lot.”

Professor Jade’s eyes sparkled like stars as he looked at me.

If I were to put those sparkling eyes into words, it would be something like, ‘As expected, you are the only one who can become my assistant!’

“I said no, you human.”

I had never worked as a teaching assistant under a professor, but whenever I wandered around the school and occasionally encountered the soulless eyes of the assistants, I never wanted to do it.

“Is this amount sufficient?”

“We won’t know for sure until we start the actual manufacturing… but it should be enough.”

“Then when can it be completed?”

Knowing that Archbishop Ashtaroth had infiltrated the school, it was necessary to get the completed stigma enhancer as soon as possible.

“The manufacturing method itself is already complete, so it shouldn’t take too long. Probably… it should be done before the sealing ceremony.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But where exactly do you plan to use this stigma enhancer?”

Professor Jade narrowed his wrinkled eyes and continued.

“Surely… you don’t intend to use this during the candidate ranking exam, do you?”

“What?”

Did he misunderstand that I was trying to get the stigma enhancer for the exam?

‘Well.’

Professor Jade knew that I had been at the bottom of the candidate ranking for three years straight, so it was natural for him to make such a mistake.

I chuckled and shook my head.

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

“But….”

“If I use the stigma enhancer during the evaluation, feel free to report me to the school for cheating.”

“Hmm.”

Professor Jade stroked his bushy beard and nodded.

“Alright. If you say so, I won’t press further.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

I bowed my head and looked around Professor Jade’s lab.

It was still as messy as ever, resembling a garbage dump.

Even a healthy person would quickly fall ill in such a miserable environment.

‘The thought of manufacturing the stigma enhancer I’ll be drinking in this trash heap makes me uneasy.’

Considering that the potion affects the stigma, a delicate and clean manufacturing process was essential, but looking at this lab, I had no trust in it at all.

“Then I’ll start the manufacturing right away….”

“Wait a moment.”

I stopped Professor Jade, who was about to start manufacturing immediately.

“Let’s clean up first.”

“Clean up?”

“How long do you plan to leave the lab in this mess?”

“Ahem. M-mess! I’ll have you know that I have a system of organization and tidiness…”

“Quiet.”

I cut off Professor Jade’s words and immediately started cleaning the lab.

‘Oh, geez. Even a pigsty would be cleaner than this.’

It looked dirty just by looking at it, but once I started cleaning, all sorts of dust and trash came pouring out.

I grabbed a broom and a rag and continued cleaning the lab at a fast pace.

It seemed that the experience of cleaning the school for eight hours a day every vacation to earn living expenses hadn’t gone to waste, as the lab, which was close to a garbage dump, was quickly turning into a place where people could live.

“Uh… is there anything I can help with?”

“Don’t get in the way and just stay outside.”

What help could I expect from someone who let the lab get to this state?

I waved my hand and chased Professor Jade out of the lab.

After about three hours of cleaning, which was no different from a war.

“Phew. Now it finally looks like a place where people can live.”

“Oh, oh!”

Professor Jade exclaimed repeatedly as he looked around the lab, which was now incomparably cleaner than before.

“Is this really my lab?”

“Whose lab would it be?”

I chuckled and continued.

“I’ve gathered the reagents over here, and the magical tools needed for potion making over there. And I’ve sorted the research materials by type for now, but you should check them again later.”

“…You!”

Professor Jade suddenly grabbed my hand and shouted with a passionate voice.

“You really are my assistant!”

“No.”

Since when did I become your assistant?

“Ahem! Since an assistant has worked so hard, I can’t just stand by as a professor. I’ll buy lunch today, so follow me!”

“No, wait…”

The sight of the newly cleaned laboratory seemed to please Professor Jade, as he grabbed my arm and pulled me along.

The place Professor Jade led me to was a private dining hall, accessible only to professors and their assistants.

Though it was a slight step down from the buffet-style main dining hall, it was still a high-end restaurant with a well-rounded menu.

“Go ahead, order whatever you want!”

Professor Jade exclaimed boldly as he stepped into the dining hall.

“…Dale? What are you doing here?”

We had just entered the dining hall when we ran into Professor Lucas.

“You are…”

“……”

An awkward silence fell between Professor Jade and Professor Lucas.

‘Come to think of it, Professor Lucas did punch Professor Jade two years ago.’

As I recalled the incident between the two professors and took a step back.

Professor Jade stood in front of me, blocking my way, and spoke.

“Do you have any business with my assistant?”

“Assistant? Since when did Dale become your assistant?”

“He’s not officially my assistant yet, but he’ll join me after graduation.”

Excuse me?

Professor Jade? I have no intention of becoming your assistant!

Who keeps calling me their assistant without my consent?

“Ha. Dale, joining you? What nonsense are you spouting?”

Yes, yes.

Please, Professor Lucas, give him a piece of your mind!

“Dale will join me after graduation and help lead the Department of Warfare!”

“No.”

Why are you doing this too, seriously?