Episode 274

Episode 274

Even if it was the same amount of mana, that mana was never exactly the same.

Some mana would have a slightly stronger property of flame, some would have a slightly stronger property of darkness, and some mana could be turbid because it contained many impurities.

Mana with fewer impurities and higher purity produced a much stronger effect even with the same amount.

Of course, any magician would want to carry only the purest mana in their body…

…But in practice, that was impossible.

To live meant to decline and eventually die.

Even just breathing produced impurities, so living beings could never hold perfectly pure mana in their bodies.

Therefore, magicians polished their mana with various arcane arts and raised its purity with spells.

But there were sometimes exceptions.

There were magicians who were born with high-purity mana even without doing such things.

The boy from the Wardanaz Family in front of them was quite a bit higher than usual, but…

• Don’t tell Bible.
• Of course.

The skull principal and Professor Garcia communicated via telepathy.

It was obvious that Professor Verdus would have made things more troublesome if he found out about this.

“What’s wrong?”

Let him be for a moment. Why is he fidgeting so much?

The skull principal blocked Professor Verdus’ view and forcibly twisted his neck. With a crunching sound, Professor Verdus’ neck turned.

Meanwhile, Professor Garcia quickly dispersed the remaining mana. So that Professor Verdus wouldn’t notice.

Let’s cast the spell quickly.

“Wait. My neck hurts a bit.”

We can treat that later. We have to do this before the transferred mana disappears.

“Fine, fine.”

Professor Verdus grumbled but did his task.

After swinging and tapping his staff several times, an anti-fire spell was cast over all the students present.

Once preparations were complete, the skull principal asked with interest.

So, how do you plan to drain the phoenix’s stamina now?

“First, please assist me, both of you.”

?

The skull principal was perplexed as Lee Han pointed at him and Professor Voladi.

How dare you?

If you think I’ll kindly help you, you’re gravely mistaken, brat.

‘But you said you’d help…’

The students were flustered, but Lee Han wasn’t surprised.

That’s just how he was!

“But you’ll still help us to some extent, won’t you?”

Within the limits of what’s possible as a professor.

“Yes. That’s all I’d like to ask.”

So what is it?

• * *

……

The skull principal looked at the phoenix with a sullen gaze. Then, he said to Professor Voladi next to him.

Why did you even agree to this?

“?”

A moment ago.

Lee Han had made this request.

• Please drive the phoenix for me, both of you.
• What? You want us to use magic to drive the phoenix? That goes beyond what professors are supposed to do.
• I’m not asking you to use magic.
• Then what?
• Just approach it closely.

-……

The skull principal had to admit that Lee Han had used his head well.

Unlike using magic to chase the phoenix, simply approaching it wasn’t too difficult a task.

Moreover, mystical beasts like the phoenix had instincts bordering on extrasensory perception.

A being that could harm the phoenix, like the skull principal, was something it was likely to avoid.

But since the skull principal had spoken, he couldn’t refuse…

• Fine. But Professor Baegrek will not be thrilled about this…

‘Refuse instead, Professor Baegrek.’

• Understood.

-!?

Professor Voladi accepted it much easier than expected.

From the skull principal’s perspective, it was utterly absurd.

Since when has he been so cooperative with the affairs of the magic school??

“It’s necessary for instruction, after all.”

……

The skull principal’s mouth fell open.

Though he was an archmage who had reached enlightenment and abandoned mundane emotions, Professor Voladi’s words shook the principal’s feelings.

‘That… that bastard…!’

If Professor Garcia had said something like that, the skull principal could have accepted it.

Even if Professor Alpen or Professor Mortum had said it, he could have accepted it to some extent.

But Professor Voladi, who was so egocentric about education that he even surpassed Professor Bible Verdus, saying something like that was infuriating.

When the skull principal had previously hinted, ‘If you keep having zero apprentices, perhaps it’s time to reconsider,’ where had he been then?!

That… that…!

“?”

…Nothing.

The skull principal gave up trying to speak to Professor Voladi.

Having been at Einrogard for so long, he’d learned only one thing.

Talking to a wall just hurts your own mouth.

People like Bible Verdus or Professor Voladi were not ones who could be persuaded simply by the skull principal’s words.

‘Should I have blocked that Wardanaz brat from attending lectures…’

The skull principal’s nonexistent insides felt upset.

Right now, Professor Voladi was probably thinking, ‘See, now that a student has passed my curriculum, I was right all along.’

That thought gave him a headache.

Let’s just drive it.

The skull principal approached the phoenix.

The phoenix, which had been spinning and frolicking in the sky, fluttered in surprise and chirped.

■■■! ■■■! ■■■■ ■!

Shut up, you birdbrain who’s only good at burning. I allowed you to play in my garden, so don’t get cocky.

Frightened, the phoenix immediately turned and began flying to the opposite side of the skull principal.

But Professor Voladi was already waiting there.

Likewise, floating with an aerial levitation spell, Professor Voladi gazed at the phoenix with an expressionless face.

‘Will it just fly past him?’

The skull principal hoped the phoenix would pass by Professor Voladi.

Unlike the skull principal, who exuded overwhelming presence from his very soul, Professor Voladi wasn’t an ancient monster.

Moreover, Professor Voladi was an accomplished battle mage.

Having mastered controlling and concealing his emotions, he was a mage at the peak of self-control.

So maybe the phoenix wouldn’t feel threatened and might just pass by…

Flutter!

The phoenix immediately turned and flew away.

The skull principal blinked in disbelief.

…Did he attack that phoenix before or something?

“I did try to catch it.”

……

The skull principal sighed deeply.

The phoenix fleeing in the distance could be seen entering the main building of the magic school.

“Close it!”

As the phoenix entered the building, Lee Han shouted at the students.

Even though the heavy main doors of the building shut with a thud, the phoenix wasn’t at all flustered.

On the contrary, it flew at the students as if wanting to play.

“Wardanaz! Now what are we supposed to do?”

“Gotta catch it.”

“And after we catch it?”

“Hold on until it gets tired.”

“…Huh? Th- that’s it?”

• * *

The glorious empire’s official, Iyunrade, spoke to his escorts with a smile.

“Everyone, don’t worry. Einrogard isn’t such a dangerous place.”

“E- even so, sir…”

“My colleague once escorted another official to Einrogard, and after that, he never spoke of Einrogard again.”

The adventurers hired as escorts looked extremely tense.

Experienced, veteran adventurers knew well which places in the empire were relatively safe and which were dangerous.

…And Einrogard was, to adventurers, one of the most dangerous places in the empire.

It wasn’t because of harsh natural environments or powerful monsters.

It was just that there were so many eccentric wizards among Einrogard’s mages.

And now, they had to go inside Einrogard.

Even if they tried not to tense up, it was impossible not to.

“You all really worry too much. I wasn’t going to say this, but I’m actually a graduate of Einrogard.”

Iyunrade revealed his alma mater to the adventurers.

He judged it would reassure them.

But it had the opposite effect.

“…!!”

“H- he’s an Einrogard graduate!”

“Did we take the wrong job?”

“B- but, it’s an imperial request, surely they wouldn’t hand us over to Einrogard?”

“Just because it’s an imperial job doesn’t mean you can trust it!”

“……”

Hearing he was an Einrogard graduate, the adventurers became even more frightened.

The adventurers trembled in fear, worried Iyunrade might capture them and hand them over as experimental subjects. Iyunrade had to spend several hours persuading them.

“…Do you understand? I’m absolutely not going to hand you over as test subjects, I’m just going there in my capacity as an imperial official.”

“I- I see…”

“We’ll believe you… for now.”

The adventurers nodded hesitantly. Iyunrade suppressed a sigh at their reaction.

‘Honestly, these rumors make it so hard to work.’

It was a simple mission, just confirming the students’ circumstances at the magic school as an imperial official, but he hadn’t imagined the adventurers would be so terrified.

All these baseless rumors were making things unnecessarily complicated.

“There are a lot of false rumors about Einrogard. Don’t be too quick to believe them. Understood?”

“Yes…”

“T- then. Was the story in last year’s imperial newspaper, about all the goats in the villages around Einrogard turning into devils, just a rumor too?”

“Ah. That was an unfortunate accident.”

“……”

“……”

The adventurers glanced at each other.

Then, they cautiously asked again.

“Then what about the story in the imperial newspaper two years ago, where a dark wizard from Einrogard tried to steal corpses from a knight order’s cemetery—was that just a rumor too?”

“That actually happened, but out of all the graduates, isn’t it possible for one person to cause trouble?”

“…Th- that’s true!”

“You’re right!”

The adventurers nodded and whispered among themselves. Although their faces and eyes were full of fear and terror, Iyunrade didn’t notice.

‘We should arrive within an hour.’

Iyunrade looked around the familiar path and checked the sky. Dawn hadn’t yet broken, but it wasn’t far off.

With finals starting this week, it was good they weren’t arriving late…

“Alright! Let’s keep up our spirits.”

“Yes, wizard.”

“Since we’ve taken the silver, we’ll do our jobs thoroughly.”

The adventurers nodded, swinging their lanterns as they led the way.

Even though it was a well-maintained imperial road, caution was needed at this hour. Monsters could spring out from the nearby brush.

Kwakwakwakwakwa-bang!

“!??!!”

“Combat formation!”

Suddenly, with a deafening roar, a massive monster leapt out, and the adventurers jumped in alarm, drawing their weapons.

But Iyunrade stopped them.

“There’s no need to fight.”

“What???”

“Look at the letters engraved on its shoulder. It’s a chimera that escaped from the magic school. There’s a ban spell placed so it can’t attack people.”

“……”

“……”

The adventurers looked at Iyunrade with eyes filled with complex emotions.

It was surprising he noticed the letters engraved on its shoulder in this darkness, but more than that…

‘A chimera escaped from the magic school, and he’s this nonchalant?’

“Umm, wizard. Shouldn’t we call the guards?”

“Haha. There’s no need. It’s really no big deal.”

“…I see!”

How much time passed?

The gigantic walls and main gates of the magic school finally came into view.

As soon as the main doors opened, some strange monster rolled around nearby, crying out.

“■■■■! ■■! ■■■■ ■■■!”

“?!??”

“Back into combat formation…”

“There’s no need to fight.”

“What???”

“That’s a fourth-year student who failed a transformation spell. He’ll turn back soon.”

“……”

“……”

The adventurers gave up being surprised any longer.

It felt like nothing would surprise them anymore.

Creeeak—

The main building’s doors opened.

Inside, a group of young students, looking exhausted, were panting while pinning down a phoenix.

Determined not to be surprised, the adventurers looked at Iyunrade and spoke.

“This must be some kind of event at the magic school?”

“Is that sort of thing required to become a wizard?”

“…Wh- what on earth is going on here, Principal?!”

Iyunrade, terrified, rushed to the skull principal and asked.

No matter what, this was over the line!