Episode 429

Lee Han understood the situation quickly from Tijilling Priest’s whisper.

‘Ah, right.’

Of course, if you don’t have much experience with night walks, getting excited like this is only natural.

If it were Gainando, he’d have given him a light flick on the forehead, but he couldn’t help but be more generous with the priests.

“Don’t worry, everyone. We just made this temporary boat because we were in a hurry. If we keep going on night walks, I’m sure we’ll have to cross this lake again, so next time let’s make a proper boat.”

At those words, the two priests’ faces lit up.

Tijilling Priest, listening from the side, thought to herself.

‘Is there going to be a next time?’

Everyone was so naturally making plans for the next night walk.

• * *

Ssssshhhh—

The ice boat cut across the quiet underground lake. Once Lee Han confirmed that there were no monsters, he moved more boldly.

He floated a light orb above the boat.

‘If there’s a monster we haven’t found yet, this’ll bring it out.’

In that case, Lee Han was prepared to unleash a magical bombardment and take care of it in the water.

But the lake remained calm. There wasn’t even the slightest sound of a monster moving.

“That’s odd.”

Lee Han felt a strange sense of unease.

He never expected to be disappointed not to have a monster pop out every time he explored a remote part of the school…

But the longer nothing appeared, the more uneasy he got.

Why was this?

“It’s weird,” Siana Priest spoke up.

“In my opinion, a lake this size should at least have some fish or something, right?”

“!”

Lee Han’s eyes widened at Siana Priest’s words.

Indeed, she had a point.

He’d been so focused on monsters, but with a lake this big, it should have been normal to see some fish or something.

No matter how much of an underground lake it was…

“Siana Priest, so you’re saying…”

“That’s right.”

Siana Priest nodded. She was so confident that Lee Han couldn’t help but stare at her as if spellbound.

What kind of deduction would Siana Priest offer?

“Isn’t it just amazing?”

“Indeed. That a lake like this exists is truly amazing. I knew Einrogard had all sorts of places, but still.”

“……”

Lee Han regretted getting his hopes up.

The two priests were so excited they weren’t much help.

Tijilling Priest, a bit awkward, tried to offer a guess.

“If it’s a sealed, artificial facility, there might not be any living things.”

“But for that, there are a lot of plants and soil, and there’s even a current. It must connect somewhere.”

“What if there’s a powerful being under the lake? Either it ate everything, or scared them off?”

“If it were that aggressive, it would have come out when we made all this commotion.”

The two of them set up hypotheses and seriously considered possibilities.

Meanwhile, Siana Priest and Nigisor Priest were busy doing their own thing.

“Wow! Look at that ripple!”

“Check out how far this stone skips!”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Tijilling Priest simply stared at them, but the two didn’t notice at all.

“Wait, there’s an island!”

Just as he was watching them, Lee Han lifted his head and shouted.

Thanks to his enhanced eyesight, he saw it a bit ahead of the others.

A small island, invisible before due to the darkness, emerged on the horizon as they drew nearer.

The two priests grew even more excited.

“There might be a lost magic tome!”

“Or maybe a historical text! Something priceless you couldn’t get outside!”

Einrogard had as many rare tomes as it did long years of history.

Of course, whether you could take and read the book you wanted was a separate question. Once a lost book disappeared, even professors struggled to locate it.

That’s why finding a rare book in a place like this was so exciting and romantic.

“What are you talking about? Keep quiet, you’ll jinx it.”

“……”

“……”

Except for Lee Han.

To Lee Han, desperate to secure any necessary supply, romantic notions were a luxury.

A book? What kind of book!

‘A storeroom set up by upperclassmen. A storeroom by professors. Or the principal’s storeroom. Any of those would be great. Please.’

While the priests grew glum, Lee Han beached the boat and landed.

A huge rock took up most of the island’s small area.

Lee Han guessed that, if there was something on this island, it would be hidden inside the rock.

‘Truth Light…’

Realizing what Lee Han was about to do, Nigisor and Siana Priests grabbed their tools.

Let’s find hidden hidden passageways with fire and acid!

Is that Gonadaltes?

“!!”

Suddenly, from inside the rock came a booming voice.

That was when Lee Han realized what he had assumed was a huge rock was actually a monster.

A monster that rivaled the island’s size!

Lee Han’s mind whirred. Given the situation and location, a head-on confrontation was out of the question.

“I am the wicked one who…”

Oh, you’re not Gonadaltes. A student.

“……”

Huh? What was I going to say just now?

“I am a disciple who inherited the evil imperial magic tradition from Gonadaltes.”

Ah. So that explains the mana. I nearly got the wrong idea.

The huge rock continued in a slow, gentle voice.

No pupils were visible, but it was definitely not perceiving them just by mana.

“Are you a rock spirit, by any chance?”

“I don’t think so,” Lee Han replied thoughtlessly.

The huge rock sounded pleased as its voice rumbled out.

That’s right. I’m not a spirit. How surprising. Most students mistake me for a spirit. How did you know?

“…Experience and knowledge?”

Lee Han was about to say, ‘Most spirits hate me on sight, so I know by reflex,’ but he rephrased it.

I am a Bulgasali.

“!”

Bulgasali.

An amorphous monster that grows by eating iron.

With no set form, its appearance depends entirely on what metals it eats and the environment it grows in.

Judging by its massive size and gentle demeanor, this Bulgasali had clearly eaten well and grown up without any fights.

“Why is a Bulgasali at Einrogard…?”

When was it again… It was so long ago, I don’t really remember. A student smuggled me in right after I was born and raised me here. They must have thought this was a good place to keep me.

The Bulgasali spoke leisurely.

But to Lee Han, this was shocking.

‘How irresponsible!’

Even for Einrogard, sneaking in a dangerous lifeform from outside was outrageous.

No wonder the school was the way it was.

Siana Priest asked carefully,

“So, Mr. Bulgasali, you’re not angry or planning to bother the students, right?”

No. Why would I do anything like that? The student who brought me in works here as a professor now.

“……”

Lee Han’s face stiffened.

To think the culprit was a professor.

“Was it a beaver beastkin by chance?”

Hmm? No.

“A vampire, maybe?”

No… Wait. Stop asking.

The Bulgasali, though slow, drew a firm line.

Afraid of causing trouble for the student—no, professor—who brought it here, it clammed up.

If you’re thinking I don’t respect my professor just because they brought me here, you’re mistaken. Everyone makes mistakes as a child.

“True.”

Nigisor Priest agreed deeply.

He himself had played with fire in the sanctuary, trying to create stronger flames.

Those were innocent childhood mischiefs.

“I don’t think I would ever smuggle in a monster so big it could fill the school, no matter what mistake I made at that age… mmph.”

“Shh. Siana Priest. Don’t provoke it unnecessarily.”

Lee Han quickly covered Siana Priest’s mouth.

It was a shame it wasn’t an upperclassman, professor, or principal’s storeroom, but this was an opportunity in its own right.

You don’t often get a chance to meet a creature who’s both friendly to students and knowledgeable about the school.

Most beings attack as soon as they spot students. Like that golem before…

‘I must get as much information as possible.’

“That’s right. No matter the truth, our respect for our professors will not change.”

Lee Han did not lie.

Even if they’d smuggled in a baby Bulgasali, his respect hadn’t changed.

After all, it was already zero!

Is that so? That’s good.

The Bulgasali, apparently satisfied, replied leisurely.

Lee Han watched for a reaction and asked,

“Then do you stay here?”

Yes.

When prompted by questions, the Bulgasali revealed information slowly.

This lake where the Bulgasali swam and fed was called -Spiderweb Lake-.

It had nothing to do with spiders, but was named for its tangled geography.

Located so deep in the main building’s underground that you could barely count the floors, -Spiderweb Lake- had, over the ages, become securely and tightly connected to several regions of Einrogard.

Even when Einrogard twisted itself and mixed up its internal spaces, the areas connected to -Spiderweb Lake- were never unlinked.

Professors who knew this used -Spiderweb Lake- as a sort of shortcut.

“!!”

Lee Han barely controlled his racing heart to ask cautiously,

“Then… is there a connection point nearby?”

I don’t know about elsewhere, but there’s one below me. I hear professors use it.

“!!!”

At the mention of a place professors used, Lee Han’s eyes shook.

Nigisor and Siana Priests nodded excitedly in agreement and exchanged glances with Lee Han.

‘A storeroom?’

‘Maybe a professors’ library?’

Tijilling Priest, quietly listening, nervously raised her hand and asked,

“May I ask something? You seem well acquainted with professors and the principal. Is it okay to tell us this?”

Hmm? Of course. If you’ve made it here, you’re probably an upperclassman. Even if I don’t tell you, you’ll find out soon enough.

“……”

“We’re first-years…”

Huh??

The Bulgasali was genuinely shocked. The rock trembled and flinched.

If you’re first-years, how did you cross the lake?

“We froze the water and made a boat.”

Wow. Incredible. Are this year’s freshmen really that skilled?

‘No, not at all.’

‘Nope.’

‘Not really.’

According to the Bulgasali, you had to use magic to cross -Spiderweb Lake-.

If you tried with anything but magic, the lake itself would push you back to shore.

‘Those sneaky professors.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue.

Even if you tried to use the lake as a shortcut, unless you knew the entry and exit points, you couldn’t use this vast, complex lake as a shortcut.

And to top it off, there was even a restriction like this.

“Was it Lord Gonadaltes who set this up?”

Hm? No. It’s natural. Mana pooled and pooled until it became like this.

“…I see.”

Lee Han reflected inwardly for a moment.

“Then is the reason there’s no life in the lake also because of that mana?”

No, that’s because the water spirits are about to mess around. Everyone escaped in advance, expecting a flood.

“……”

“…????!”

So casually mentioning such a huge event, the Bulgasali left Lee Han and his group utterly shocked.

• * *

“Shouldn’t we… maybe hurry back and tell people if there’s going to be a big flood…?”

Despite learning such a shocking fact, Lee Han headed straight through the passage under the Bulgasali, toward the professors’ exclusive area.

Tijilling Priest was bewildered by his determination.

Shouldn’t they be going back now to prepare?

“Tijilling Priest. It’s times like these you have to be even more thorough. If it’s a professors’ storeroom, there’ll be things we can use if the flood comes.”

“That’s true!”

“I agree.”

The other two priests clung excitedly to the ladder, nodding.

“A little delay in going back won’t make much difference. Up here…”

Lee Han stopped short at the very top of the passage’s ladder.

Then his face hardened.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I think it’s the professors’ lounge…?”