Episode 333

Episode 333

Normally, Lee Han would have immediately sensed the crisis, but during the day he had been lifting artifact curses, and in the evening he had cast enhancement and healing magic on countless people, so his mind was dulled.

So he realized only a step behind Nillia.

“…Don’t tell me they’re coming from Einrogard?!”

“If it were me, that’s what I’d do.”

Nillia muttered, incredulous.

For someone like Lee Han not to pick up on something even she noticed right away.

‘Or maybe it’s just because he’s used too much magic.’

Feeling suddenly worried, Nillia looked at her friend. Sensing Nillia’s stare, Lee Han whispered.

“Don’t worry. Even if the professor drags me away, I won’t mention your name.”

“…I wasn’t even worried about that! You jerk!!”

How could you think that of me!

• * *

A dark elf professor with the most exhausted face in the world nodded off, supporting herself with her sword.

She looked so tired that the adventurers didn’t dare speak to her.

“Professor, all finished.”

“Professor, we’re done over here too.”

“Professor, here as well…”

Professor Alcassis nodded.

“We took care of it ourselves this time!”

“If you came up here in this state after just first aid, of course you should take care of it yourselves. If you called me up, you would have been straight-up scumbag thieves.”

“……”

The disciples were moved to tears by the kind encouragement of their gentle mentor.

It was true, but still…!

“So. Am I going insane from overwork and lack of sleep? Or are the adventurers talking nonsense? Or is it really what I’m thinking?”

“……”

The disciples kept their mouths shut.

To be honest, they were confused as well.

—The treated are coming up right now, but are there still priests down below?

—There’s a mage down below!

—Just one? One??

—Yes!

—One person healed this many people??

—Yes!

—Is this adventurer delusional?

—…How dare you! Regardless of if he’s a healing mage, if you insult Lord Wardanaz, I won’t stand for it!

“The only Wardanaz we know is, uh, a first-year… Don’t you think this is a mistake?”

“That’s right.”

Phil and Chil tried to make excuses in Lee Han’s favor.

To be honest, they couldn’t believe it either.

No matter how outstanding a junior was, saving and sending up so many people alone was hard to believe.

And he hadn’t even been helped by others.

He’d secured the dungeon corridors, cast enhancement magic on the adventurers, and done all this while healing?

It seemed more plausible that another mage from the Wardanaz Family had happened by and helped after seeing the disaster.

“As far as I know, the other members of the Wardanaz Family don’t help out for reasons like that.”

“Then maybe the adventurers are mistaken…?”

Before she could finish speaking, they saw a familiar first-year junior come up the stairs with the adventurers, looking exhausted.

The junior looked around at the healing mages and then sighed in resignation.

Phil and Chil, knowing what that meant, heaved an internal sigh as well.

‘You should’ve held back a bit…!’

Before the junior could escape, the recovered knights swarmed Lee Han.

Knight Burhirg shouted on behalf of the subjugation party’s knights.

“Here is an honorable mage. We offer our heartfelt thanks to Mage Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family!”

“Thank you, Lee Han!”

“Thank you!!”

The knights who had fallen shouted from the depths of their throats.

Proud and prideful knights giving thanks like this was a rare sight indeed. The excited adventurers stomped and whistled.

“If not for Lee Han, we wouldn’t have survived. Thank you again for your amazing magic…”

While the knights spoke, the adventurers chattered at the back.

“To think, not a single person was left behind.”

“This… this is real magic, you know? I once admired a mage who shot fire arrows, but now, I don’t think I’ll ever be impressed like that again.”

“But why does the mage look so down?”

“Tut tut. You think someone like him would be pleased? With so many injured, he must feel uncomfortable being praised.”

“That makes sense… Truly on another level…”

• * *

The difference between Professor Verdus and Professor Alcassis was that faking illness worked only with Professor Verdus—not with Professor Alcassis.

The instant anyone claimed to be in pain, Professor Alcassis could just heal them on the spot.

“Very impressive.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Han, exhausted, was tied—no, sitting—in a chair before Professor Alcassis.

He felt like he was tied up, but maybe it was just in his head. There really were no ropes to be seen.

The disciples who had come with Professor Alcassis—Lee Han’s seniors—were split into two heatedly debating groups.

The topic was what to do with Lee Han.

—If he’s that skilled, he should absolutely be on field duty from the second semester! No, someone like him should of course join us! I puked several times from mana exhaustion just yesterday! One junior alone managing dozens of wounded!

—You shameless, trashy bastard! Do you call yourself a noble? Still, recruiting a first-year junior for field work in the second semester? You want to watch him shrivel up and die?

“There were a lot of comments about you joining us in fieldwork from the second semester.”

“Professor, I don’t like special treatment.”

Lee Han spoke seriously.

“If it’s a burden for you, professor, then I can…”

“But after seeing your work today, those people will want to rip out their tongues for talking.”

‘It can’t be that bad.’

“You have a genius talent for healing magic.”

“Yes… I had a vague sense that might be so.”

“There’s no need to let that talent rot away over time. Take my hand. I’ll help your talent blossom.”

“……”

Lee Han was quite curious what would happen if he took the professor’s hand.

Specifically, he wondered if he’d end up like the seniors over there.

Why were those seniors spending vacation in the professor’s company anyway?

“I should go home and think deeply about it…”

“There’s no need for that. It’s a talent you shouldn’t hesitate with.”

“Come to think of it, I needed to speak to the priests…”

“I’ll send my disciples to ask them to wait a bit.”

“Now that I think about it, I also need to tell the hunters something.”

The professor’s disciples formed a wall to block the hunters’ approach.

The two hunters were left speechless at the blatant interference from the healing mages.

What kind of dirty trick is this…?

“What is this about?”

“W-we’re sorry. We were just following orders.”

Lee Han briefly wondered if he should just push through the professor’s pressure.

He’d probably be worked to death by the professor in second semester anyway, so should he really be doing so from vacation, too?

‘Even if there’s some payback in second semester, it’s better to protect my vacation.’

Lee Han firmed his resolve as he glanced at Professor Alcassis’ belt of swords.

No matter how strong she was, Lee Han too had been trained harshly.

He would not back down so easily.

“All done?”

“……”

At a familiar voice from another professor, Lee Han turned his head.

Professor Verdus, who had arrived sometime, stood waiting, yawning.

“When did you get here?”

“I heard the order was doing a dungeon check, so I came after my event was over.”

Professor Verdus seemed completely unconcerned about the chaos near the dungeon.

Even with wounded lying around in bandages, not a flicker of emotion showed in his eyes.

“By any chance, was there any artifact found in the dungeon?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Really? That’s fine, then. Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”

Professor Verdus smoothly and casually took Lee Han to the carriage and departed.

Everyone left behind was speechless and just stared after them.

‘Seriously…’

‘Is he insane???’

The students of Einrogard who specialized in healing magic shuddered at the sight of Professor Verdus.

Even Professor Alcassis didn’t go that far.

The hunters, bewildered, asked Nillia.

“He… shouldn’t he take a break? Didn’t he just say there was work to do?”

“Uh… yes. He’s… a bit unusual.”

“That’s more than unusual, that’s just too much.”

‘Exactly!’

Nillia shouted inwardly.

Even the priests from the Prisinga Order were gossiping in surprise.

• * *

Lee Han returned to his mansion, finished work with Professor Verdus, then collapsed.

Then he slept nearly a whole day.

“…I thought I fell asleep in the morning, so why is it still morning??”

“You slept a whole day.”

“……”

Lee Han stared out the window with a heavy heart.

Professor Verdus was flopping about on the carpet.

‘I should pretend I didn’t see that.’

“But, young master… You have another guest.”

For a moment, Lee Han considered putting a sign out front: -No Visitors-.

At this point he couldn’t tell guest from pest.

“Is it a professor?”

“No.”

“A friend?”

“No.”

“Is it maybe a crazy per… no, then you’d have said professor. Who is it?”

“It’s Prince Bogajun.”

“Oh, that…”

He was one of the royal family members whose life Lee Han saved by defeating the basilisk at the last royal gathering.

He remembered a lot had been said, but…

‘Wasn’t he the one who said he tried and failed to solve the Kldrann Village plague incident?’

The royals had been so animated in criticizing each other that the only thing that had stuck was their criticism about each other.

“Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family! I’ve heard the rumors!”

“About the basilisk?”

Lee Han half gave up and asked.

Whatever happened, people would hear what they wanted to.

“Ah. Not that rumor.”

“The defeat of the King of Ghouls?”

“You defeated the King of Ghouls? Please, tell me more about that story as well.”

‘Damn it.’

Lee Han was exasperated at Granden City.

How could there be so many rumors that the person involved had to think about what they were about?

“Then what rumor…?”

“That you saved the knights of the Scarlet Lotus Forest subjugation squad! I was truly moved.”

“……”

“There are many mages in the empire, and there are some quite brilliant ones, but for the sake of the wounded you descended into the dungeon and risked your life…”

“I didn’t risk my life. I brought my escorts, and it was a small dungeon with almost all monsters exterminated.”

Prince Bogajun, full of self-satisfaction, didn’t hear a word Lee Han said.

“…How many people could truly do such a thing? Even Lord Lagrinde has been full of praise. He says you have the qualities to become a great healing mage.”

Lee Han gave a bitter smile.

He wanted to say, ‘Telling a pig on the farm that it’s grown fat isn’t a compliment,’ but what was the point? The prince wouldn’t understand anyway.

Lee Han composed himself and put on a fake smile. Then he spoke.

“It’s just that I happened to get involved in something and my reputation grew out of hand. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“What are you saying… Fame reflects the soul. You have the vessel of soul to deserve that fame.”

Prince Bogajun looked upon Lee Han with deep, profound eyes and spoke.

“Lord Wardanaz. I’d like to make a proposal.”

“Let’s hear it.”

‘I have to refuse for sure.’

“There’s a gathering soon, and with me…”

Knock knock knock—

A servant hesitantly opened the door and entered.

“Excuse me, young master. There’s another guest.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Prince Gainando.”

Prince Bogajun’s face registered deep shock at the servant’s words.

‘Of course…!’

After seeing him hide his claws at the last mansion gathering, he’d found him suspicious, and indeed, he was right.