Episode 580

Episode 580

“That’s a bit harsh…”

The apprentice knight looked at Giselle with a wounded expression.

Of course, recommending someone from a mage family representing the Empire, like the Wardanaz Family, to the knight order was an unprecedented act.

It was hard to predict how people would react to that.

But if it were a boy from the Wardanaz Family, he was more than qualified to be recommended to the knight order.

Just look at how, the other day, he had worked together with the Beechwood Knights to subjugate the anti-magic faction.

If it’s Wardanaz, he would only elevate the honor of the person recommending him, never bring it down.

Wardanaz could join an excellent knight order, and Moradi could enjoy the honor of having recommended such an outstanding talent…

“Moradi just doesn’t want to cause a misunderstanding that his family is close with the Wardanaz Family.”

Lee Han stepped in for Moradi.

After all, recommending someone to a knight order under one’s family name would mean that, if the recommended person made a mistake, one’s own honor would be at risk, so it wasn’t something easy to do unless they were quite close.

The moment you recommend someone, people around would think, ‘Oh, I guess they’re quite close.’

Of course, Lee Han’s action didn’t help much. Giselle immediately denied it.

“No way? Why would I refuse a connection with the Wardanaz Family? What are you talking about, Wardanaz?”

From Giselle’s perspective, with her keen sense for politics, it was something she could never admit.

Even though hers wasn’t a knight family, there was nothing to gain from rumors that she had refused a connection with a great noble family like Wardanaz.

“…Hey…”

Lee Han wanted to end things nicely but was dumbfounded by Giselle steering the conversation back to the beginning.

Of course, Giselle also looked at Lee Han with a gaze just as incredulous.

‘Why say something like, “We don’t want a misunderstanding that our family is close with the Wardanaz Family?” What if the Wardanaz Family finds it offensive?’

‘No. People in our family don’t even read the Imperial newspaper. They won’t care about anything that’s said.’

Unable to watch any longer, Deorgyu stepped up.

“Wardanaz said several times he had no intention of joining the knight order. That’s why Moradi reacted so hastily. His words were harsh, but please understand.”

“Right. That’s exactly it.”

“Yeah. That’s the reason.”

Lee Han and Giselle nodded in relief.

From Lee Han’s perspective, being misunderstood as wanting to join the knight order was very dangerous.

Few professions were as grueling and difficult as being a knight.

Thinking about it a bit more coolly, one could ask, ‘How does that connect to insults?’ but the apprentice knight accepted it for now.

He was already close with Deorgyu, and something else had sparked more of his curiosity.

“Wardanaz. I feel like even if you joined the knight order, you would excel. There are also mages in the knight order. They are highly respected and assist the knights. Moradi, in your northern knight order…”

‘Shut up, you clueless fool.’

This time, Giselle managed to only think it to herself.

If he wanted to recommend him to the knight order, why did he keep pushing the task onto Giselle?

Thankfully, Deorgyu answered again.

“Wardanaz will remain in Einrogard even after graduation. He has to research magic with the professors.”

“Are you out of your mind, Deorgyu!?!?”

Lee Han cried out in shock.

This time, Deorgyu made a slightly hurt face.

• * *

It took the apprentice knights and students some time to clear up the misunderstanding and put their heads together.

“So, the six of us have to spend a day in that mountain range.”

At the apprentice knight’s words, Lee Han asked carefully.

“Do you know where we’ll be starting from by any chance?”

“Of course not! Haha. Wardanaz, if we did, it wouldn’t be a proper test.”

‘What a clueless idiot.’

Lee Han cursed the apprentice knight inwardly.

Einrogard students may have been trapped inside, but what had these knights been doing that they didn’t even try to find out such basic information outside?

Professor Ingeldel would have been a bit more lenient towards them, too.

“Wardanaz. This is bad.”

“Why?”

When Giselle whispered the question, Lee Han looked confused.

Sure, they didn’t learn where they’d be starting from, but was it really that big of a problem?

“We were originally going to stay at the lodge for the night.”

“That was the plan?”

“…Do these guys look like they’d allow that?”

“What? No, of course they would all…”

Lee Han stopped mid-sentence.

The apprentice knights’ eyes were more upright and clear than he had expected.

Huh?

“Wait. Everyone, I’m curious about something. Among our other friends, there are some who do this—they hide a cabin in the mountains ahead of time to evade difficulties.”

No sooner had Lee Han spoken than the apprentice knight grimaced.

“Who would do such a dishonorable thing? Who in the world would?”

“Wardanaz, we have to tell the professor right now. Who is it?”

“…Well. I just heard it somewhere in passing.”

At the apprentices’ reaction, Lee Han’s face turned serious.

Lee Han quickly made an excuse and called his friends aside.

“Are all those knight family types like this? Isn’t preparing a lodge a skill of its own? Do they even know how much effort it took to put supplies in there?”

In a heartfelt tone, Lee Han shared his thoughts with his friends.

What did these apprentice knights know, after living comfortably in the city, to say such things?

Lee Han and his friends worked hard in their spare time to build a lodge in the mountain range without being discovered.

Secretly going up at night during their shifts, sneaking up early at dawn, sneaking up at every spare moment during the day…

The supplies inside were as precious as gold, painstakingly gathered from outside.

To ignore all that!

“Among the knight family types, those who join the order early are usually even more stubborn.”

Giselle agreed and explained to Lee Han.

Apprentice knights, who trained from an early age to pull their weight in the knight order, had strong convictions and didn’t know how to compromise.

That was fine, but it became a problem when they pushed those standards on the Einrogard students.

“Well, the White Tiger Tower kids are good at compromising.”

“Yeah. …What?”

“…Aren’t you exaggerating a bit, Lee Han?”

Giselle and Deorgyu protested without meaning to.

As knight family types themselves, being told they were “good at compromising” didn’t feel like a compliment.

“Aren’t you pretty good at making compromises?”

“On what grounds are you slandering us like that?”

“The other day, I saw one of your tower students selling a wooden sword in the black market. If you check, I bet there are a few who don’t have their swords.”

‘Idiots.’

Giselle cursed her own tower’s students inwardly.

They were embarrassing no matter where they went.

“T-They must have really been hungry. Really, truly hungry.”

“Hey… Choi. Just shut up.”

Giselle gestured toward her clueless orc friend. The more she spoke, the deeper the hole became.

“What matters now isn’t how good our tower is at making compromises.”

‘But you were the ones who asked.’

Lee Han thought that but held his tongue for his friends’ sake.

Deorgyu, with his head bowed low, and Giselle, with her ears turning red, were both clearly embarrassed.

“The important thing is how we get rid of those unhelpful guys. The test will start soon. We don’t have much time.”

“You’re right…”

Lee Han mused.

Professor Ingeldel had paired mages and knights, probably expecting them to cooperate harmoniously, but it was having the opposite effect.

For the three who had planned to enter the lodge, the apprentices were nothing but obstacles.

Pondering, Lee Han spoke cautiously.

“I can only think of one thing.”

“Me too.”

“Me too, I thought of something.”

The three looked at each other in surprise.

To all come up with the same idea at the same time?

Deorgyu was delighted inside.

‘It was worth fighting together for a year!’

He had always worried because the relationship between Giselle and Lee Han was so bad, but seeing this, he felt a glimmer of hope.

In the end, adversity is what forges true camaraderie.

“Then, shall we all say it at once? Three. Two. One.”

“Let’s put them to sleep, then subdue them.”

“Knock them out, then subdue them.”

“Fair and square with—huh?”

Deorgyu was flustered.

The other two friends’ answers were a bit different from what he had expected.

Wasn’t it best, given the circumstances, to give up and cooperate with the three apprentice knights, adapting as necessary?

Giselle also tilted her head.

Though, her worry was in a slightly different direction than Deorgyu’s.

“Can we put them to sleep?”

“I made a sleeping potion with some friends. If we say it prevents the cold, it should work.”

“Oh. That’s much more peaceful. Good, let’s do that.”

Lee Han and Giselle quickly reached a conclusion.

Let’s put the three apprentice knights to sleep, tie them up, and take them with us!

“What’s wrong, Deorgyu? Do you have any suggestions?”

“…Nothing. I was just going to say to subdue them fair and square…”

“Haha. That’s fair.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

Deorgyu smiled wistfully at his friends’ words.

• * *

Clatter, clatter—

“To think we’d travel by carriage!”

Labda of the Enghe Family was surprised.

He hadn’t expected that they’d travel by carriage in this mountain range. Clearly, Einrogard wasn’t called a school for mages for nothing.

“Labda, you were supposed to be a master of ‘Absorbing Sword,’ right?”

“I’m not a master. I still have a long way to go.”

Labda responded humbly to Lee Han’s words, though there was an unhideable pride in his demeanor.

The Enghe Family’s swordsmanship concentrated on the mysteries of absorption, a rare style even in the Empire.

Knights prided themselves on their family’s swordsmanship, and for someone like Labda, that pride was even stronger.

“Amazing. I’m practicing the mysteries of absorption myself, but to apply that in swordsmanship… I can’t even imagine it.”

“Thank… huh?”

Labda sensed something strange.

‘How is he practicing it?’

Was the mystery of absorption even something you could practice?

“Here. Everyone, drink this.”

Lee Han handed over a potion in a round glass bottle. The apprentice knights looked on with curiosity.

“What is this?”

“A potion that helps you endure the cold.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Gulp, gulp—

Watching the apprentice knights each drink the potion in turn, Lee Han smiled contentedly.

“Can you tell which way the carriage is going?”

“Not at all. It doesn’t seem to be moving in an ordinary way.”

Giselle, checking the direction with her eyes closed, frowned.

Having no windows was one thing, but ever since the ride began, the carriage had been moving in physically impossible directions.

It would climb a slope, then suddenly drop down, move backward, and so on…

Clearly, it had flown or teleported several times along the way.

Thunk, screech!

The carriage came to a halt and the door opened. It was the signal to get out.

Lee Han and his friends tied up the now-sleeping apprentice knights and carried them out one by one. The carriage, without a driver, spun around and quickly disappeared down the slope.

“The snow’s getting heavier and heavier…”

Deorgyu groaned as he checked the area around them.

He had a foreboding that the increasingly heavy snowfall was going to be a problem.

“I heard there are giants in this mountain range. We won’t run into any, will we?”

“No need to worry about giants. There aren’t any right now.”

“I see. Thanks… Uh, Lee Han. How do you know that?”

Deorgyu asked, but Lee Han couldn’t answer.

He was too focused on checking their location on the map.

“Found it. If we walk about 30 minutes from here, we’ll reach the lodge I prepared.”

“Ugh… What’s going on…?”

Labda stirred, his voice heavy with sleep.

Giselle hit Labda in the solar plexus with the pommel of her sword. Labda let out a short scream and went back to sleep.

“What happened?”

Lee Han looked up from the map and asked. Giselle shrugged her shoulders.

“Nothing at all. Let’s go.”