Episode 340

Episode 340

“Do you think that’s enough? It doesn’t even look that tasty.”

“It, it is tasty though…”

Rowena replied in a slightly less confident voice at Lee Han’s harsh criticism.

Not all elves insisted on vegetarianism, but some elven families really loved vegetables. Lee Han knew this, so he didn’t blame Rowena.

“I take back what I said about it not looking tasty. But considering our schedule ahead, it’s best if we eat something a bit more substantial.”

With those words, Lee Han took away Cltran’s plate.

When Cltran’s plate, which was piled up with thick pancakes soaked in honey and syrup, three kinds of fruit tarts, and a three-layered meat pie baked to a crispy perfection, was taken away, Cltran made an expression more painful than when his ankle was broken during the last polo match.

However, the princess’s face brightened slightly.

Lee Han placed the plate in front of the princess and handed the green plate to Cltran.

“Cltran. You eat this.”

“…Can’t you just bring it back? Wardanaz?”

“If you want.”

Cltran nervously stood up again hoping the pancakes hadn’t run out. Rowena, noticing there was no plate in front of Lee Han, spoke.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to eat at least a little something?”

“I’m fine with this, so you should fill your plate up instead.”

“I’m alright…”

“What was that? Your Highness? Are you worried? She says she’s worried about you.”

The princess glanced at Lee Han in disbelief as she put the pancake in her mouth, but Lee Han ignored her as if he hadn’t noticed.

Rowena seemed to understand, then stood up from her seat.

“By the way. Are you sure you’re fine with that plate?”

“I’m fine.”

Lee Han didn’t particularly like Rowena’s fresh green plate, but he wasn’t hungry, and above all, he was used to rough food.

Even when his friends at Blue Dragon Tower gagged on hard black bread, Lee Han could swallow it without trouble.

“Sir Wardanaz, you must really like vegetables.”

“That’s not… No. Just fill up your plate and come back. Break’s almost over.”

Lee Han sent Rowena out as well. Then he spoke to the princess.

“Aren’t your followers bothering you?”

The princess started coughing while eating. Lee Han handed her a cup. The princess drank some fruit juice and slowly answered.

“…No.”

“Really? I’ve thought this since we were at the academy, but that seems a bit like bullying.”

The princess fell silent. It looked like she was thinking about what to say.

“There’s no ill intent… It’s just a little… they’re a bit overzealous…”

‘Gainando should see this.’

Lee Han admired the way the princess tried not to speak ill of her followers.

If it were Gainando, he would have immediately blurted out, ‘These bastards won’t let me eat when I want to, play when I want to, and force me to study when I don’t want to. How are they followers?’

“Can’t you just tell them to stop? They’d get it if you just said something.”

The princess shook her head at Lee Han’s words.

Then she explained that acting arbitrarily toward the followers supporting her would be irresponsible as royalty and would shatter their expectations.

As long as she was supported as royalty, she had the responsibility to live up to her followers’ expectations.

Rather than saying “I’m not the person you think I am” every time, keeping silent and nodding solemnly made her seem more charismatic.

‘Wait, what?’

Lee Han was shocked, rather than just impressed.

He hadn’t expected her to think like that.

Of course, there could be people among the royals with such a sense of responsibility, but having hung around Gainando, the comparison just made it more surprising.

‘Maybe she’s five years older than Gainando?’

“But your followers aren’t that numerous yet, are they? Wouldn’t it be better to try persuading them now? How many followers do you have?”

Lee Han thought of Bogajun or Judrantas, and felt it was a bit embarrassing to even mention them alongside Gainando’s followers.

According to rumors in the city, those considered Bogajun’s followers included a mid-sized earth-element mage guild, a pretty well-known adventurer party, three merchant companies, two banks, a polo team, and about five city noble families. As for those considered Judrantas’s followers, they included a wizard’s tower founded by wizards from Baldrogard, a large leather guild, a mage tower specializing in the study of carnivorous plants, two swordsmen guilds, and about three knight families.

As for Gainando’s supposed followers, at best you could count the owner of the Granden City confectionery shop or the owner of a toy shop.

Of course, the princess would have more followers than Gainando, but if it was about the same as Bogajun or Judrantas, it seemed feasible to persuade and gain human support one at a time.

“Palm Tree Knights, Jeokyu Mage Tower, Imperial Western Merchants’ Union, Cross Brothers Swordsmen Guild, Olodo Party…”

“……”

But the list flowing from the princess’s lips was entirely different from what Lee Han expected.

The Palm Tree Knights was an honorary order made up of the empire’s high nobility. Though its power was weaker than real knights, its name alone could crush several knightly orders. Jeokyu Mage Tower was established by mages from Einrogard.

The Imperial Western Merchants’ Union was a giant capitalist group formed by the western region’s merchant companies and traders combining forces, and the Cross Brothers Swordsmen Guild was a prestigious fencing guild that had produced several outstanding swordsmen. Some knights even went to study swordsmanship there, so there was nothing more to say. Olodo Party was an adventurer party that Lee Han had heard mentioned a few times.

‘Was it to that extent?’

He did think her name often appeared in the imperial news, but he hadn’t realized that such big players were already supporting her.

Worse yet, this wasn’t even the end; there were apparently more.

Lee Han understood why there were so many freshmen who supported the princess.

‘Even I’d want to support her.’

At that level, wasn’t she the horse with the highest odds in the empire? Even Lee Han felt like he wanted to support her.

The princess stopped talking and looked at Lee Han.

Given that she was the top student in the year who achieved so much even during the holidays, she looked like she expected sage advice about the situation.

“Your Highness, the Princess.”

“!”

“Cheer up.”

“……”

The princess glared at Lee Han.

Her words were different from before.

“…Didn’t you say I should try persuading them?”

“Hmm. On second thought, sometimes dignity is better than persuasion. They say silence is more golden than gold, right? Look at Gainando over there.”

When he slyly used Gainando as an example, the princess couldn’t refute it.

• * *

Lee Han didn’t let his guard down until the end of the event, but there was no major assault.

When he saw the skeleton principal exchanging greetings with the city’s nobles with a gloomy look, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

‘I survived somehow.’

“By the way, Sir Wardanaz. There’s one thing I’d like to ask you as we go.”

Lee Han was puzzled at Rowena’s words.

“Is it an invitation to take an adventurer quest together?”

Among the students from White Tiger Tower who had heard rumors during the break, some would approach Lee Han and say, ‘I’ve found a quest like this—if we succeed, we can all sit atop a pile of gold coins.’

However, to Lee Han, most of them were just outlandish quests. They were so unlikely that no one had touched them, and the written requests were faded by now.

“Ah. Sorry. I haven’t heard of any new quests about subjugating something like the King of Ghouls.”

“…Rowena. I’m not someone who only goes looking for things like the King of Ghouls.”

“You are so modest.”

Rowena laughed as if to let it go. Lee Han thought the White Tiger Tower guys really were all infuriating.

“So what did you want to ask?”

Rowena pulled a thin booklet from her pocket. The cover read as follows.

To the Honorable Prince Adenart, may this riddle relieve your boredom.

“Isn’t this unbelievably rude?!”

“Huh… huh?”

Because Lee Han couldn’t keep up with Rowena’s outrage, his reaction was a beat late.

Rowena explained belatedly.

Among the princess’s followers, there were some who, like Rowena, actively believed in and supported her; but there were also those who compared, tested, and sized her up.

Naturally, these were the sorts who lacked for nothing and wielded considerable power even by imperial standards. Without that much, they couldn’t risk walking such a tightrope.

The riddle received this time was sent by one of the empire’s dukes. Though it was called a gift, for the recipient, if she couldn’t solve it, her reputation could be damaged, so she had to be very careful.

“That is certainly quite rude…”

“The duke sent such riddles before too! Once is enough, but he keeps…! Even if the reward is given in gold coins, if he keeps doing this…”

“Gold coins?”

“Yes?”

“Did you just say gold coins?”

“Yes, I did?”

Of course, since the recipient was royalty, they didn’t just send such riddles and leave it at that.

If one solved the riddle, the noble would send an enormous congratulatory gift as an apology for the test, out of noble honor.

Hearing this, Lee Han felt an overwhelming jealousy toward Adenart.

‘How envious!’

Lee Han could solve riddles like that too, but why didn’t the other high nobles send them to him?

Actually, Lee Han knew the reason. Because she was imperial royalty and one of the successors, such things were sent to her. Sending that among high nobles themselves would just come off as picking a crazy fight.

“Wait. Gainando… Never mind. I was about to ask something weird. Anyway, are you all working on this riddle together?”

“Yes.”

“Did you all work on the last one together too?”

“Yes.”

“Did the princess keep all the gold coins received?”

“No, she shared them with us.”

“……”

Lee Han seriously wondered if he should have made friends with the princess instead of Gainando.

Of course, he was quite satisfied now, but listening to the stories from the princess’s followers, he had second thoughts…

“Isn’t this Sir Wardanaz the mage?”

Lost in thought, Lee Han looked up. The familiar voice belonged—surprisingly—to Duke Ikaldoren.

“What a pleasant coincidence. It’s been quite some time since we met last. Fancy meeting you here.”

Of course, it was a lie.

Duke Ikaldoren had appeared in the area today to make contact with valuable students of the magic school.

If it was the boy from the Wardanaz family, he was one of the most valuable cards.

‘He’s with Princess Adenart. Is he supporting her? I heard he was close to Prince Gainando?’

Even in that brief moment, Duke Ikaldoren’s mind raced with countless thoughts and considerations.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”

“Would you mind having a brief chat with me?”

Rowena openly made a face of distaste. Lee Han poked her back, signaling her to mind her expression.

-What’s wrong?

-That duke is the one who sent the rude riddle!

-Seriously? Well, last time he also generously gifted a basilisk egg…

-Pardon?

-Nothing.

Regardless of whether the duke kept testing the princess, it didn’t matter to Lee Han.

And if it was the duke who sent the riddle, it was better to get closer. That way they could at least get a hint.

Right then, a sinister aura emanated from the alley. It was an obviously murderous, dangerous energy.

Duke Ikaldoren’s guards were startled and rushed over.

“Get back, my lord!”

“It’s alright. I’ll handle this.”

Lee Han sighed and picked up his staff.

The guards, bewildered by such unbelievable confidence, hesitated, unsure whether to panic, stop him, or get angry—so their reaction was a beat too late.

“What on earth… Sir Wardanaz. I know you’re a mage from Einrogard, but this isn’t a joke…”

“I said I’ll handle it.”

Lee Han looked into the alley.

Then he shook his head. He thought the skeleton principal was taking his pranks too far.

He should have ended it in the banquet hall—if he did things like this outside, it would involve bystanders.

“…Wait.”

Lee Han sensed something was off.

The aura emanating from the alley was growing stronger. No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t feel like a joke.