Episode 433

“Everyone’s helping each other prepare for the flood.”

“??”

Lee Han, listening from the side, couldn’t believe his ears.

“Uh… The Black Turtle Tower guys… the prices… Never mind.”

He was about to boast, “They’re the bad guys raising prices because of the flood, and I’m the good guy who isn’t,” but stopped himself.

It would be disgusting to snitch as if reporting to the skull principal or to act all self-righteous.

“Yeah. Everyone’s working hard to help each other.”

“What are you talking about, Priest!”

“I’m telling you, the Black Turtle Tower guys are ripping us off!”

White Tiger Tower students protested, shaking the water off themselves, but Lee Han pretended not to hear.

“Are you all ready?”

“Of course. Who do you think we are?”

“……”

Lee Han hesitated, unable to answer the White Tiger Tower students’ question right away.

The White Tiger Tower students shouted in outrage.

“Hey, you bastard. Why are you hesitating!”

“Sorry. I just couldn’t think of what to say for a second.”

“Knights! Knights! What’s so hard about that!”

They were furious that the Wardanaz, who could answer every hard question, was lost for words on such an easy one.

Being from knightly backgrounds, the White Tiger Tower students were fairly capable at these kinds of tasks.

They moved the supplies stacked outside up above, dug drainage channels around the tower, and prepared rafts and oars in anticipation of flooding…

The Black Turtle Tower students were equally skilled at such preparations, and the Phoenix Tower priests also weren’t lacking, having grown up in the temple.

The problem was Blue Dragon Tower.

‘I wonder if they’re okay.’

Lee Han had given some instructions before leaving, but he wasn’t sure if things were going well there.

Having finished business, he spoke to the White Tiger Tower students.

“Perfect timing. Come with me.”

“Huh? What, we going hunting?”

“No. I want to do some work at the Blue Dragon Tower dorm.”

“……”

“…Why would we do that?”

The White Tiger Tower students asked incredulously.

Unless they got hit in the head by an arrow, there was no way they’d help the Blue Dragon Tower guys.

What’s so endearing about them…

“Because you bought expensive magic items at cost. Should I stop selling now?”

“What the hell…!”

At the short but powerful threat, the White Tiger Tower students trembled.

One of them, in the midst of it, looked enlightened.

‘So THIS is the power of monopoly Wardanaz talked about!’

Last time, when he talked about “If you monopolize necessities in the market, you get great power,” he thought, “What’s he talking about? Some Black Magic spell?” But now, experiencing it firsthand, it made sense.

“We’ll help! We’ll help…”

“Wardanaz.”

“?”

“At the very least, tell the Blue Dragon Tower guys we came as knights, honorably to help.”

“…O-okay. Got it.”

• * *

Gainando yawned as he watched Princess Adenart use spirits to dig deep drainage channels.

‘Why work so hard…’

“Gainando. Stop goofing around and move your shovel.”

“I-I’m restoring my mana.”

“You can still move your body even if you’re out of mana.”

Gainando grumbled as he took up his shovel, chastised by his friends.

There were too many who’d learned only bad things from Lee Han, even though he wasn’t around.

“Gainando, think about it. Don’t you know the story of the ant and the grasshopper?”

Ahsan spoke, trying to cheer Gainando up.

“If you don’t prepare ahead, you’ll end up like that.”

“Can’t I just convince the ants to let me live with them…?”

“Would you let yourself in?”

“If I prostrated myself and promised to serve as a servant, wouldn’t they accept…?”

“……”

Ahsan was almost persuaded by the twisted logic.

To be fair, even Ahsan thought if Gainando did beg and offer to play the servant, he’d let him in just to torment him for a while.

The ability to make even your enemies accept your surrender out of sheer pathetic-ness!

‘Is that a kind of talent too?’

Ahsan looked at Adenart.

If Adenart radiated natural majesty as a royal, Gainando exuded natural pathetic-ness…

‘…But what use is looking pathetic? Where do you even use that?’

“What’s up? What are you thinking about?”

“Your talent as royalty.”

“!”

Gainando’s face brightened.

“What is it? What is it??”

“Huh? Uh.”

Ahsan, for once, became flustered.

“It’s, well…”

“It must be the ability to unite everyone’s hearts! Right?”

“Wardanaz!!”

At the voice from behind, Ahsan turned his head with delight.

‘Wait, does he actually have that ability?’

“Are you all getting ready…”

Lee Han looked around the tower and let out a deep sigh.

His friends all averted their eyes as if guilty.

The drains were uneven, the rafts they’d made were two-thirds unbalanced, and the supplies waiting to be moved were still sitting there…

With no experience, they’d made mistakes and progress was slow.

Even among the dejected, the princess alone stood tall in pride, confident in her work.

Compared to the other areas, the section the princess handled stood out for its extraordinary completion!

“We’d better get to work right away.”

“?!?!?”

But Lee Han started work without even checking the area the princess had handled.

The princess stared at Lee Han with large, shocked eyes.

The White Tiger Tower students in back whispered curiously.

“Why’s the princess glaring like that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s checking Wardanaz. Think from her perspective.”

“Yeah, you can’t have two suns in one tower.”

The White Tiger Tower students nodded, thinking of Giselle.

Anyone who tried to challenge Giselle’s authority had been ruthlessly trampled.

For royalty, you’d be sensitive to power.

Maybe while Wardanaz was in the tower, she lay low because he was overwhelming—but now that he’d been away, she’s trying to regain control.

It was only natural she’d dislike him showing back up now.

“Heh. This should be fun. If those Blue Dragon Tower guys start fighting amongst themselves… Plus, Wardanaz isn’t even on guard.”

“Let’s not tell Wardanaz. Keke.”

It was rare to find anything as enjoyable as watching other obnoxious people fight.

The White Tiger Tower students nodded, grinning slyly.

“What’s going on? Why do you all look so suspicious?”

“Uh… nothing?”

“Wh-why are you picking on us? We’re here to help you!”

“Hm. It’s odd… Fine. By the way, these White Tiger Tower friends came to help.”

Lee Han’s words shocked the Blue Dragon Tower students.

“What? Why?”

“Is this a trick?”

“Ahem, quiet. As knights, we’re here to help our comrades.”

The Blue Dragon Tower students were even more shocked at Lee Han’s explanation.

“Wardanaz! This is definitely a trick…!”

“Quiet.”

Lee Han forcibly silenced his friends and got to work.

• * *

Giselle walked along with Angrago and Bartrek.

All three wore exhausted expressions.

That was because Jeancliff of House Jeanclene, walking beside them, was chattering madly.

“So, young knights… Oh, right. I forgot something while I was talking, so let’s go back…”

‘Feels like blood’s coming out of my ears.’

Giselle absolutely detested talkative people. To her, the vice-captain of the Beechwood Knights was a demon sent to torment her.

A suitable title might be Windy-Mouth Gong or Chatterbox Gong.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

When soil suddenly spouted up ahead and a path was formed, Jeancliff fell silent at once.

As he quieted, the three felt themselves finally returning to sanity.

“It’s done… Wait. What are you doing there??”

The three were shocked to see their friends helping with Blue Dragon Tower’s work.

Why?

Their friends looked just as awkward, but belatedly answered.

“…H-honor, I guess?”

“Ex… Excellent!!”

Jeancliff shouted in tears, moved.

“I’d heard that because Einrogard’s students come from all over the Empire, they don’t get along. To see that the knights here are different! I’m truly touched!”

“…Yeah, that’s us.”

“We’re just like that.”

The White Tiger Tower students awkwardly admitted.

Nearby, Blue Dragon Tower students looked at them in disbelief.

“When were we ever friendly…”

“Hey, come on, play along.”

“We helped you, at least let us save face!”

“……”

Meanwhile, Giselle frowned and looked away.

She was curious why her friends were doing this, but decided not to ask.

Dealing with Jeancliff was already giving her a worse headache.

“Wardanaz. Let’s go.”

“Huh? Where?”

“…Don’t play dumb, you bastard…”

Giselle almost cursed but remembered the crowd and kept her dignity.

“…The meeting. You remember. We all said we’d attend together, right?”

“We’re leaving already? What about tomorrow’s Friday lectures?”

“We’ll just tell them we’ll attend later. There aren’t many Friday lectures, anyway.”

“There are, actually.”

“……”

Giselle was at a loss for words.

Come to think of it, Wardanaz was always different.

“Fine. Makes sense to go now, since we have to travel. We can ask the other friends to speak to the professors.”

“Yeah. Get ready.”

“Wait. Moradi.”

“…What.”

Giselle snapped with annoyance when Lee Han called her.

“With the flood coming soon, is it okay for me to leave?”

“What choice do we have? It’s fate.”

At that, an explosion of reactions came from all sides.

“That evil White Tiger Tower bastard!”

“He’s going outside!”

“Moradi! Even if you’re leaving, Wardanaz is still essential! If he’s not here, how will we get all the work done!”

The White Tiger Tower students even responded, leaving Giselle speechless.

These crazy bastards…

“Take care of yourselves, idiots! Do I have to spoon-feed everything to you? Is Wardanaz your nanny?”

Lee Han was hurt by Giselle’s sharp retort.

“Nanny? That’s too much…”

Wait.

Am I a nanny?

Lee Han reviewed all his recent actions and was a little shocked.

“Wardanaz! Don’t listen to that evil Moradi! Our friendship isn’t like that!”

“That’s right, Wardanaz! You’re not a nanny! When did a nanny ever beat kids like you do!”

“…R-right.”

Lee Han replied that way for now, but immediately decided he’d better get ready to leave.

Surely his friends would manage!

• * *

“Your horse is quite amazing.”

“…Y-yes?”

As Fongrif snorted in protest, Lee Han quickly stroked his mane to signal him to be quiet.

Somehow, it didn’t seem right to say in front of the knights, “I turn my griffon into a horse and ride him around.”

Jeancliff, delighted, looked at the young—no, perhaps “still young” fit better—knights following behind.

To walk together with the future of the Empire.

That alone was an honor and a joy.

“To stroll the night roads with the Empire’s prodigies like this…”

‘Dear god.’

‘Oh, heavens.’

‘Should have plugged my ears.’

“…By the way, do you all keep up with your studies at Einrogard?”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Giselle were relatively at ease, but the other two began to break into cold sweat.

Jeancliff grinned mischievously as if he understood.

“I get it. Of course numbers and letters are hard for those from knightly backgrounds. But you all excel at riding or swordsmanship, so there’s no need to be shy.”

“……”

Now even Giselle started to sweat.

It turned out that in every class discussed so far, she’d lost first place to a student from another tower.