Episode 275

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but this is a misunderstanding.

“A misunderstanding! How could you do this when you knew I was coming!”

Iyunrade said in a flustered voice.

There was only one reason a wizard who graduated from Einrogard would be sent to investigate the state of Einrogard’s students.

Wizards from other schools would never be able to understand Einrogard!

Only a wizard who graduated from Einrogard could understand its unique educational culture.

…But even considering that, when visiting as an imperial official, Einrogard should have been a little more considerate.

Sometimes ridiculous incidents happened at Einrogard, but there was no need for such incidents to occur just when the imperial officials visited.

It’s a misunderstanding. This wasn’t my doing.

“If you didn’t do it, Principal, then who did? Don’t tell me you’re saying the first-year students did this on their own?”

Yes.

“…Don’t be ridiculous.”

Then ask them.

“……”

The skull principal was a wicked, mischievous, devious, and cruel wizard, but he wasn’t someone who made nonsensical excuses.

Iyunrade asked one of the students holding down the phoenix, who seemed to be the leader.

“Did you really try to catch the phoenix? First-year students, just among yourselves?”

“Yes.”

“And you caught it?”

“Yes.”

The adventurers muttered among themselves in the background.

Iyunrade used to think that most stories about Einrogard were baseless rumors, but this time, he couldn’t deny it.

• * *

As they had expected, capturing the phoenix was far harder than they’d imagined.

Trapping the phoenix in the main building was only the beginning.

“First, restrain it. Lure the phoenix in!”

“How?”

“Let’s lure it with magic…”

Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary. The phoenix, upon entering the main building, came bouncing eagerly toward Lee Han.

■■■■! ■■■■!

The phoenix seemed to perceive the current situation as a game. Even as students rushed at it from either side with fierce faces, it flapped its wings and clung to Lee Han.

It was absurd, but a chance was a chance after all. They were spared the trouble of trying to bait the phoenix.

“Everyone, get it!”

■■■■■…

“……”

The phoenix chirped.

It was a much louder and clearer sound than when it had sung in front of the tower before.

Friends who had been full of confidence only moments prior all collapsed, entranced, and sat with their mouths open, staring at the phoenix.

‘Damn. Should I have cast a mental defense spell too!’

Lee Han cursed inwardly.

The phoenix’s song, sung in earnest, was much stronger than expected. Ordinary resolve or determination was completely swallowed up.

What will you do now?

The skull principal, who had entered belatedly, asked in a thrilled voice.

He seemed overjoyed that, except for Lee Han, all the others had been knocked out.

“…It’s fine. It won’t keep singing forever, so I can just endure alone until it stops.”

Aren’t you being a bit too reckless?

Lee Han ignored the principal’s teasing.

Since there was no changing what had to be done anyway, there was no point in complaining.

“Appear, Sharkan!”

Lee Han summoned Sharkan and called out the skeleton warriors. Then, he held the phoenix tightly so it couldn’t escape.

The phoenix didn’t seem to care about being restrained, fluttering its wings playfully.

Flutter, flap!

“Lee Han, bombard it with magic! If you want to sap the phoenix’s stamina more, that’s the only way!”

Lee Han already intended to do so and swung his staff. As ice and lightning struck, the phoenix was hit and became even more excited.

Sharkan, in disbelief, bit and clawed at the phoenix. The phoenix nipped back at Sharkan with its beak.

To anyone watching, it would have looked like pets playing with each other.

That is, if the area wasn’t set ablaze by the phoenix’s flames.

What a cunning brat! Seducing the phoenix with mana.

The fact that the phoenix continued to play and never fought back drew criticism from the skull principal, who blamed Lee Han.

Of course, Lee Han was too busy wrestling the phoenix to hear it.

“…I don’t think Lee Han did it on purpose.”

Professor Garcia stepped in to make excuses.

Judging by the way the phoenix seemed to treat every attack as play and stuck around, it was clear it was completely captivated by Lee Han’s mana.

It was not surprising for mystical beasts that fed on mana to crave it.

The only reason the capricious phoenix continued to stay and accept all this play was probably that.

But Professor Garcia decided not to share this with Lee Han.

It would’ve been too cruel to tell an already struggling student, ‘The phoenix chased you because of your mana.’

But such cunning tricks wouldn’t last forever.

“I really don’t want to ask, but… why is it like this?”

As you know, the phoenix is fickle. For now, it’s calm, intoxicated by mana, but…

“Calm isn’t the word.”

Professor Garcia said as the phoenix tried to slip a feather into Lee Han’s ear.

…Once it gets bored, it’ll try to leave soon enough. Do you think you’ll be able to catch it then? Unfortunately, you’re not prepared enough.

‘True.’

Professor Garcia couldn’t help but agree with the skull principal.

With all the other students taken out by the phoenix’s song, it looked difficult for Lee Han alone to restrain it.

If the phoenix got bored and tried to fly away…

……

“……”

The skull principal and Professor Garcia quietly watched Lee Han and the phoenix play.

How much time passed?

The skull principal finally burst out in frustration.

Why is that phoenix so patient?!

Eventually, as time went on, the friends snapped out of the song and joined in.

“I’ll help you, Wardanaz!”

“It’s basically already caught anyway!”

“Shh. Quiet.”

Thanks to the friends joining in, Lee Han managed to secure a short break…

■■■■! ■■■■!

“Wardanaz! The phoenix is trying to escape!”

“Wardanaz!! What do we do?!”

“……”

Lee Han, about to rest, rushed back and grabbed the phoenix. The phoenix happily flapped its wings.

“Uh, uh, should we give it a snack?”

“Yeah. Please do.”

It was stubborn perseverance in its purest form.

As Lee Han kept pressing down and restraining the phoenix, the skull principal muttered constantly.

If you’re just going to use brute force, why be a wizard at all?

• * *

After listening to the explanation, Iyunrade finally nodded, understanding.

“I see!”

So you understand a bit now?

“No!”

Why not?

“If you knew I was coming, you should have stopped all that! You could have dealt with it yourself, Principal! Especially during finals!”

That’s not possible. Regardless of the situation, principles must be upheld.

Iyunrade was dumbfounded.

Yet he sets aside principles whenever it suits him!

‘What’s so hard about helping the students just once during finals!’

“I don’t know either! I’ll do my best, but I can’t make what happened go away.”

…Hmph. Fine.

The skull principal’s burning gaze wavered slightly.

He was clearly calculating how much of the budget would be cut in his head.

• * *

“One at a time, please come in.”

After organizing his things, Iyunrade sat down to hear the first-year students’ situations.

Einrogard had students of various grades, but none had it as hard and miserable as the first-years.

Since Iyunrade had once been a student at Einrogard, he knew how shocking the first year could be.

Attendants, servants, and slaves were left outside the gate, and you had to enter the tower in shabby clothes.

A terrifying lich archmage was just a bonus.

If life in the tower was at least comfortable, that would be something, but unfortunately, tower life was harsh and grueling.

You ate only hard black bread and rice balls and had to cope with a dreadful amount of assignments and study.

‘I feel so sorry for them.’

Seeing a Blue Dragon Tower student entering, Iyunrade felt a wave of sadness.

Having graduated from the Blue Dragon Tower himself, Iyunrade knew just how hard it must have been for the student before him.

All the first-years had it tough, but the Blue Dragon Tower was especially so.

The students’ noble birth or brilliant minds were of little help in the first year.

What’s more, the White Tiger and Black Turtle Tower students were petty and often disliked Blue Dragon Tower students for no reason.

Sadly, Blue Dragon Tower students, lacking skills in hunting and gathering, often had no choice but to go hungry.

“Please take a seat.”

When the Blue Dragon Tower student sat, Iyunrade wrote down the name. He then asked a question.

“It must be very difficult.”

“Gasp. How did you know?”

Gainando was startled. Iyunrade replied with a wry smile.

“I’m also a wizard who graduated from Einrogard. And from the Blue Dragon Tower as well.”

“So you’re a senior!”

“That’s right. So feel free to speak honestly. Most of it will be cut out anyway.”

The empire’s only real concern was whether any of Einrogard’s students wanted to burn down the world or summon archdemons to overturn the empire, not whether students were hungry.

So first-year students could be candid. There was no need to be wary of the skull principal.

“How’s the food?”

“It’s a bit lacking.”

“I understand. That black bread and cold rice balls are really hard to get used to. I never adjusted to them all the way to graduation.”

“What? Oh, I don’t eat that stuff.”

“Excuse me?”

Iyunrade froze at Gainando’s words.

If he didn’t eat the black bread or rice balls, was he surviving on dew or something?

“Then what have you been eating?”

“Uh… for breakfast I had a bacon omelet, and for lunch, I had a tuna, egg, and corn sandwich. For dinner…”

“Wait. Wait. Wait.”

Iyunrade, doubting his ears, stopped Gainando.

“Are you joking with me right now?”

“Huh? D- did I do something wrong?”

Gainando cowered, startled by the senior’s sudden outburst.

Only then did Iyunrade snap out of it and realize what he was doing.

“S- sorry. I snapped for a moment. I thought it was a joke…”

“It’s not a joke! We even have dessert!”

Gainando protestingly pulled a cookie from his backpack.

It wasn’t a mud-and-grass cookie, but a proper cookie made with flour, sugar, and butter.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t the kind of snack a first-year student should be able to eat.

“…Where did you get this?”

“Lee Han brought it from outside. He also makes some by getting ingredients here.”

“……”

Gainando started to chatter excitedly.

He explained how Lee Han got ingredients and how he cooked to feed the Blue Dragon Tower students.

Listening to their gourmet lifestyle, Iyunrade’s face grew more and more distorted.

It was a reaction he didn’t even notice himself.

“…You’re really… fortunate.”

“Right??”

Iyunrade realized something.

He felt sorrow when his juniors suffered, but rage when they were too well off!

‘Is this why people from other towers hated us!?’

• * *

The answers were similar when Iyunrade asked the other Blue Dragon Tower students.

Shocked as he was by the well-fed juniors, Iyunrade trembled in anger.

‘How are they supposed to improve as magicians living so complacently! It wasn’t like this in my day!’

He didn’t realize he was saying the exact same things as the skull principal.

The interviews continued after that.

At first, Iyunrade shuddered because of the Blue Dragon Tower students, but as he consulted students from other towers, his feelings changed to surprise.

“So you’re saying this Wardanaz student is taking summoning magic, illusion magic, imbuement, divination, transformation, healing… basically all those classes?”

“Yes, I believe so?”

“And yet is also in charge of the Blue Dragon Tower students’ meals?”

“Huh? Isn’t it the Blue Dragon Tower kids that split up the work? Are they nuts or what?”

“……”