Episode 560

Episode 560

Angrago bristled when his friends insulted him.

“That goat just looked so pitiful back then! It was hanging upside down!”

“So you got caught instead?”

“I’m telling you, at Einrogard you can’t even trust animals.”

The chattering students finally reached their conclusion.

It was probably just a rumor!

Whether it was Wardanaz or Moradi, there was no way those two would be relaxed under today’s circumstances.

• * *

“…!!!”

Lee Han and Giselle looked up at the villa from the road below with shocked eyes.

Evening had crept up on the city before they knew it. The roadside magic lamps glowed, and the plentiful crowds gradually thinned.

And with evening, the Death Knights had arrived.

In front of the villa’s main gate.

‘We’re late…!’

Lee Han looked at Giselle. Giselle already seemed resigned, nodding her head.

“Wardanaz. I have a favor to ask.”

“Tell me.”

“You’re close with the principal, so ask if we can get separate punishment room assignments. Being stuck with you in there would just make me twice as mad.”

“I’m not close to him!”

The Death Knights, trying to look like imperial citizens, wore luxurious and colorful coats, but it wasn’t very effective.

With every breath, yin energy radiated out—there was no hiding it.

-What on earth happened…?

-The prisoners have escaped!!

-What is the master doing? Telling us to trust his magic! The prisoners escaped! We should have just kept watch!

-Let it go. The master has his own aesthetic.

-And what exactly is that?

-Prisoners shouldn’t just be helpless. Isn’t it so trivial otherwise? Prisoners should always be struggling and thrashing in vain. For that, you need to give them a little bit of hope.

-Huh… I get it. That explanation makes my anger fade. The master truly is deep-thinking.

‘Get it, my ass.’

‘Fade, my ass.’

Casting invisibility and carefully approaching, Lee Han and Giselle inwardly cursed at the Death Knights’ conversation.

What kind of lunatic talk was that!

To deliberately not set Death Knights on guard just to torment the prisoners.

Ironically, the Skull Principal’s twisted hobby turned out to be lucky for the students.

If the Death Knights had been on guard, escape would have been several times harder.

They might not have been able to escape at all and would have been caught in the villa.

“Moradi. It’s not over yet.”

Lee Han’s gaze blazed with determination.

Seeing the Death Knights gathered at the gate, it was clear they hadn’t fully grasped the situation.

They’d assume the prisoners escaped by their own efforts and prioritize the chase.

That meant they could get past them and make it to the upper gate and return to school.

-But how did the prisoners escape? They couldn’t have opened the main gate with the magic items they had. Was there someone with magical talent?

-Even with talent, they couldn’t have opened the gate…

-Maybe the master’s successor came by?

“Who’s the principal’s successor?”

Giselle asked, puzzled.

Lee Han felt a wave of ominous premonition wash over him.

-The Wardanaz boy wouldn’t do something so reckless. Why would such a good-natured boy release the prisoners?

-That’s true.

“……”

Giselle glared at Lee Han with a look beyond words.

Lee Han didn’t have a single thing to say, no matter how many mouths he had.

“That’s just because that Death Knight is weird…”

“Get lost, successor.”

-Search!

One Death Knight opened and closed his gauntleted fist, spreading a blue aura around.

The traces left near the main gate floated to the surface.

Thousands of footprints and magical traces.

-???

-?????

The Death Knights fell into confusion.

-What…?

-Did the mercenaries get attacked?

-Were there any mages among the mercenaries?

-Did they have some bizarre spellbook? Maybe they hosted a demon in their body…

-If they did, we should have heard from Granden City by now. Anyway, contact the city guards. The prisoners have escaped, we need to notify them at least.

-Yes.

-Some must have escaped out the main gate, so let’s pursue. There are still footprints.

‘We’re saved!’

Seeing more than half the Death Knights head outside, Lee Han’s eyes widened.

The traces of the most nuisance-causing mercenary had led the Death Knights out.

‘But I’m not grateful!’

The two headed toward the villa’s main gate with all their resolve.

They were determined to get through the dimensional gate no matter what.

• * *

“Wardanaz!!”

“Moradi!!”

The students who had been anxiously waiting cheered.

Lee Han and Giselle had passed through the gate!

Upon arrival, Lee Han immediately turned off the artifact. The overheated artifact whined with strange sounds.

“Huff… huff.”

“Haah… huff.”

They both collapsed to the storage room floor without being able to say a word.

“???”

“What’s wrong? Uh, your luggage?”

They couldn’t even answer—just gestured weakly.

Angrago cautiously walked over.

“Moradi. I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“W…”

“What?”

Angrago got even closer.

Giselle rasped in a hoarse whisper.

“Bring water…”

“Me too, one glass…”

“……”

As Angrago slowly got up, the friends asked out of curiosity.

“What did they say?”

“Are they cursed? Why are they late? What about the luggage?”

“…They said to bring water.”

A little later.

After downing some cold water, Lee Han and Giselle came to their senses.

“What happened, anyway?”

Summoning a paper bird for diversion, making noise with a bony hand, calling out Sharkan to snap villa branches, using Gonadaltes’s surging strength spell to move cabinets, sending a clone to lure Death Knights outside one last time…

Cutting doors, going onto the second-story terrace, carrying Wardanaz while jumping up, hanging from the ceiling chandelier to avoid sight, shouting at Wardanaz for mistaking the floor…

“…Seriously, what on earth happened?!”

The friends heard the explanation but couldn’t understand at all.

What sort of epic adventure did they have for all that to happen in a mansion!?

“It’s a long story. For now, let’s head back to our dorms. We just have to avoid getting caught here. Oh, by the way, everyone.”

At Lee Han’s words, his friends focused on him.

“If I get sent to the punishment room, could you guys bring me some food from outside?”

“……”

Seriously, what happened!?

• * *

“So you got caught because you went after the mercenaries.”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t be helped. Bad luck. Besides, it’s not Wardanaz’s fault for gaining fame outside.”

Phoenix Tower lounge.

The priests listened to Lee Han’s words and tried to comfort him.

The other students had brought in loot like they were about to empty the shops, but the most hard-working—Lee Han—was at risk of being caught.

Priest Siana was so sad that she sniffled.

“But if that’s all, the testimonies should be unreliable enough for you to be okay. Nothing else happened, right?”

• * *

“…I caught a mugger.”

“……”

“……”

The White Tiger Tower students glanced at each other.

If it were Angrago, someone would have immediately asked “What were you thinking?” but this was Giselle.

If you said, “What were you thinking?” you might get “I’ll show you, grab your sword and follow me,” as a response.

The bravest student, Deorgyu, broke the silence.

“I respect you, Moradi. Not everyone can do that. In my opinion, true honor is stepping up and carrying out justice, even at your own loss.”

“That’s right, Moradi. I think so too.”

“Yeah! That’s real honor!”

With Deorgyu’s words, the others seemed to think it sounded good and piled on.

Giselle was truly happy at her friends’ encouragement.

“Everyone, shut up.”

“……”

“……”

‘See, I said we should just keep quiet…’

An awkward silence lingered for a while.

Deorgyu cleared his throat and said,

“Still, if it weren’t for you, the damage would have been great.”

“I heard later that the staff artisan’s shop has top-tier defenses. Maybe it wouldn’t have gone that far.”

“…Still, not many would have thought he was a mercenary. There’s still hope!”

“That’s right! With little and unreliable testimony, the principal can’t put you in the punishment room. Let’s all point out the loopholes together!”

“There’s nothing else, is there?”

“What a bad-luck question. What else could there be? There’s nothing else, obviously!”

• * *

“…I saved someone who got hurt in an accident.”

“……”

“Priest Siana? Why are you avoiding my gaze?”

“Well, that’s…”

Priest Siana couldn’t look at Lee Han and avoided his eyes.

No matter how she calculated, at this point, it seemed sure he was going to the punishment room.

If witnesses were gathered, it could be a hundred people…

“If you get sent to the punishment room, I’ll visit you every single day.”

“Thank you… but you know the punishment room tunnels change every day, right?”

“…I’ll come at least once every three days.”

The priests were truly sad thinking Lee Han might be sent to the punishment room.

“I’ll protest to the principal on your behalf! Why send someone to the punishment room for saving others!”

“Yeah! There’s something off about this!”

Lee Han quietly shook his head.

It was a protest that would never work.

-Is anyone there?

“!!!”

As a Death Knight knocked on the lounge door, the priests sprang to their feet, thinking the day had come.

“He’s not here!”

-Wardanaz. The master calls for you.

“I said he’s not here!”

“Just try coming in! I’ll set Afha’s fire to your face!”

The Death Knight was hurt by the priests’ response.

Normally, unlike other towers, the Phoenix Tower always had gentle and kind priests, but this year, the priests were a bit too harsh.

“It’s fine. Thanks, everyone. I’ll go.”

Lee Han calmed his friends and got up from his seat.

It was something he’d already braced himself for.

• * *

You two make me so proud!

“??”

“????”

When the Skull Principal shouted brightly, the two shrank and sent wary glances.

A praising Skull Principal was scarier than a scolding one.

Why?

As expected, it’s always the best in the Tower who elevates its honor! Is there anything you want to eat, by the way?

“To bring as outside food into the punishment room?”

At Lee Han’s question, the Skull Principal laughed heartily.

The principal, who had taken on a human form (Giselle nearly screamed in surprise), clapped Lee Han and Giselle’s shoulders very hard.

Hahahahaha! As if I’d do that! What a joke. If others hear, there’ll be misunderstandings!

“…?”

“…??”

Lee Han and Giselle shrank even further.

What was the deal?

Of course, you ruined your study books for the finals, smashed my villa, went on an unauthorized trip around the city, not to mention let others out as a group to roam around, and even had Death Knights tailing you two to figure out just how space magic coordinates got set—but do you think I’d ever send you to the punishment room? Don’t misunderstand!

“…Should I just go to the punishment room?”

At the venom in the Skull Principal’s tone, Lee Han raised his hand and volunteered.

It seemed like it’d be better to just go in quietly at this point.