Episode 604

“Uh… they’re nice kids.”

Oh!

“What do you mean, ‘oh’?”

The skeleton principal was dumbfounded.

Even if he hated the throne, that reaction to “nice” was a bit much.

To be nice is to feel pity for all things in the world, so perhaps that qualifies one for the throne…

“And they’re not even that nice.”

The cold-hearted lich mercilessly trampled the gold dragon’s hopes.

“Last time, I saw them stealing other Tower students’ food.”

“No, that was just fair competition…”

Lee Han unconsciously defended Gainando.

“And the students from the White Tiger Tower stole a lot of Gainando’s food, too.”

“I wasn’t talking about Gainando.”

“…Excuse me???”

Lee Han couldn’t believe his ears at that shocking statement.

But the skeleton principal, perhaps not wanting to talk anymore about the students’ petty food wars, changed the subject.

“They’ve still got a long way to go.”

But isn’t there an outstanding magician here?

“Your Majesty…”

The skeleton principal was pleased at the sudden compliment.

“If that’s how you feel, please provide us with a bit more funding. The fourth-year students need a solid-gold golem to use as a reagent. At least fifteen meters in height, over twenty tons in weight…”

The dragon didn’t mean you…

The Emperor blinked and pointed at Lee Han.

With you here, even those only-nice kids will be able to grow more.

“That’s nonsense. Kids don’t grow just by sticking an excellent magician next to them.”

Why not? Didn’t you help that—Iaktus, was it?—kid grow?

“Are you mocking me on purpose? That brat only did everything I told him not to do!”

Enough. Growth is a good thing.

The Emperor snorted, as if annoyed by the skeleton principal’s continued protests.

Anyway, I enjoyed today’s conversation. Osu. The fact that your disciple is close with you… in fact, that’s the most astonishing thing. Maybe the dragon is just getting old. I’m able to accept it serenely now.

“……”

“…That’s going a bit far, don’t you think?”

As if to signal the end of the conversation, the Emperor looked at Lee Han with wise eyes.

I have high hopes for you. Even if you don’t make your friends grow, grow into an excellent magician yourself.

“Yes. I’ll become a fine magician and faithfully serve as an imperial official.”

Lee Han seized his chance and threw out a bolt of flattery like lightning.

How many chances would he have to stand like this before the Emperor?

He had to make a good impression now, if ever.

But the Emperor reacted more with curiosity than fondness.

Official…?

It seemed strange for Osu’s disciple to be talking about being an official.

‘Ah. He must mean the magus examiner.’

He already wished to shoulder one of the Empire’s tasks that Osu was burdened with.

He was a commendable disciple, willing to share his master’s heavy burden despite the master’s eccentricities.

Now that he thought about it, it was hard to believe such a magician was Wardanaz’s child.

It felt like only yesterday that Osu had come, bringing the relic and trapping the dragon in a cursed fate…

The dragon closed his eyes.

Rather than nostalgia, recalling it only ignited his anger.

He felt like adding to the tasks that the patriarch was supposed to take on for the Empire, but considering the Wardanaz patriarch’s character, it was meaningless.

Calming himself, the Emperor smiled and spoke.

I’ll be waiting.

“Yes!”

• * *

“Well done.”

The skeleton principal spoke with genuine feeling.

It was no empty phrase—this disciple really had played a major role.

If they’d gotten on the Emperor’s bad side, they’d have a headache all winter.

“It was all thanks to your excellent guidance, principal. Hah.”

Lee Han answered slyly.

“You rascal. No, this was all your doing. That tongue of yours could make even the most annoying and difficult rascals behave.”

‘Isn’t that a bit of a backhanded compliment?’

“Well then…”

The skeleton principal took out a bundle of papers from his robes. The dirty, misshapen, multicolored papers looked as if they’d been picked up at a junkyard.

Lee Han, puzzled, asked,

“Where did you pick up this trash?”

“They’re research proposals your seniors asked me to submit.”

“Now that I look closer, they have quite the auspicious aura.”

“That’s enough. Most of them are trash research. Like magic music.”

The skeleton principal glanced over the bundles again and grimaced.

Even though he already knew the contents, there were still so many trashy proposals.

-Research on the effects of continual administration of recovery potions under uninjured conditions

-Research on the differences in highly satisfying illusion magic by region in the Empire

-Research on the most efficient staff-swinging motions

-Research on which races trolls most prefer as food…

“Ugh. Still looks like trash. Why do you even need mind magic? If you just swing these papers around a bit, you’d spit blood.”

“……”

“Hoo. Let’s go. Time to squeeze the officials. I hope Pengerrine has charmed the officials thoroughly.”

“Are you going to request funding for these proposals?”

“That’s right. Even if they’re garbage, it’s work that needs to be done.”

The skeleton principal clicked his tongue as he organized the papers.

If it were up to him, he’d throw the students into the punishment room, but failure was necessary for accomplishment.

He himself, being an extraordinary magician, always succeeded without failure, but the skeleton principal knew with his bright mind that not all magicians could be like him.

“Ah! I truly am cursed. Where else is there a grand magician as tormented as I?”

‘If you’d just left that last comment off, you’d be much cooler.’

While Lee Han thought this, the skeleton principal strode over and opened the door.

Inside the ornate room, officials and Alsicle were sitting and chatting.

“So, when it comes to cold magic…”

“As expected of Pengerrine. Every story you tell is entertaining and instructive!”

Each time Alsicle spoke, the officials giggled in admiration.

But to Lee Han, the stories weren’t especially interesting. He honestly suspected it was because of Alsicle’s appearance.

“Anyway, Pengerrine, aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll call the chef and have some sardines brought up.”

“Are you doing this because you want to see me swallow a sardine…?”

“A-ah, no! Not at all!”

The officials hastened to deny it. Alsicle grumbled,

“More importantly, please reconsider Einrogard. Einrogard is the Empire’s greatest magic school. Students receive the best education. Students are not hungry. Students are happy.”

“Did Lord Gonadaltes write those words for you?”

No matter how cute Alsicle was, the officials sobered up the moment Einrogard was mentioned.

The skeleton principal clicked his tongue and walked in.

“How dare you slander my person.”

“Hiekk!!”

“Lord Gonadaltes!!”

The officials shot up in alarm and started running to the corner of the room.

“?”

Lee Han tilted his head, unsure why they were acting this way.

The reason was soon revealed.

Clunk!

The officials opened a secret door and fled to the next room. The skeleton principal sighed and twisted space. The officials immediately returned to their original positions.

“L-Lord Gonadaltes. This is His Majesty’s palace. There are others nearby. And the knights at the main gate…”

“Silence. I won’t harm you.”

“You said the same thing last time and attacked us…”

“How long are you planning to keep that from a few years ago in your hearts? Why are you so petty!”

The skeleton principal banged his staff on the floor and scolded.

The supposed officials of the Empire, catching on trivial things like this, were infuriatingly annoying.

‘No way…’

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

Had he really attacked them before?

“No matter how much you attack us, we can’t provide any more funding.”

Despite trembling, the officials held each other’s hands tightly as they spoke. The skeleton principal sighed.

“You could at least listen. Here are some research proposals painstakingly written by the Empire’s young magicians. Listen—who knows, you might be interested.”

“…Yes…”

The officials nodded with obviously annoyed faces. If the skeleton principal wasn’t involved, they would have thrown them out at once.

The research proposals from Einrogard students were always outlandish and expensive.

Even now, the Empire poured enormous funds into Einrogard by imperial command, and adding more would only make other upright magic towers and mage guilds feel resentful.

Perhaps stopping such proposals was truly the mission of the imperial treasury.

“Well, have a listen. First, -A Study on Which Races Trolls Prefer as Food-…”

“……”

The officials looked grim from the start.

The mere idea of how they might pursue such research was enough to unsettle them.

• * *

“It’s not easy.”

The skeleton principal clicked his tongue and stepped out.

After hearing -A Study on Which Races Trolls Prefer as Food-, the officials recoiled and absolutely refused to approve it.

Even Lee Han thought this one would not be easy.

“What now?”

“I’ll have to persuade some of the other officials.”

“What about going straight to the top?”

“First, I need to recruit a few handy people from the lower ranks. The guys at the top are even more stubborn.”

When trying to secure extra funding, you had to convince some of the folks at the bottom before pushing to the top, otherwise it was useless.

From the get-go, these people already planned not to give the skeleton principal any funding.

“They’ve probably gone into hiding by now, since word got out. Let’s give them a bit of time to let their guard down.”

“……”

Lee Han stared at the skeleton principal, at a loss for words, but the skeleton principal nonchalantly checked his pocket watch.

“Follow.”

“Where to now?”

“The print shop.”

“Oh, you’re going to print the books needed for next year?”

“Quick on the uptake. That’s right.”

The skeleton principal exited the palace and headed down the capital’s road.

A print shop, reeking of ink and hot paper, came into view deep in an alley.

“How have you been?”

“Lord Gonadaltes! I’m honored. You’re here again this year!”

“Yes. It’s good to see you healthy.”

Lee Han found it interesting how the dwarf printer took off his hat and greeted the skeleton principal warmly.

Come to think of it, ordinary people had no reason to fear the skeleton principal like officials did.

And for a print shop, the skeleton principal was a major client. Anyone would be happy with such business.

“Is this your student?”

“That’s right. Is what I mentioned ready?”

“Yes, of course. Hey! Get it ready!”

The dwarf printer began setting up the metal type with his employees.

The magic-infused metal typesets arranged themselves in order as if alive, rapidly assembling the print.

With a single glance, the skeleton principal grasped the entire contents and nodded.

“Proceed.”

With a clanking sound, the prepared paper began turning into book pages.

Skilled printers carried finished pages, and the elementals atop the magic circles took care of the final process.

Though he hadn’t prepared a thing himself, Lee Han felt a surge of pride as he watched the process, then suddenly grew curious and asked,

“By the way, what kind of grimoire is this?”

The skeleton principal, reading a completed book, replied,

“It’s a grimoire with fake maps. I’m going to distribute them across the Empire to trick your juniors.”

“……”