Episode 612

Episode 612

Lee Han wasn’t bothered by the Skull Principal’s scolding.

This was a more important issue than it seemed.

Of course, in terms of opportunity, Einrogard was a good place, but not everyone sought out the best opportunities.

“…Einrogard is a place full of violence, strife, blood, and pain. You should know that before choosing.”

‘That’s a bit much.’

The Skull Principal was dumbfounded by Lee Han’s exaggeration.

Anyone hearing this would think Einrogard was a lawless zone with no imperial law.

“Fight and eat! Fight and eat!”

Eandurde pounded the table with both hands, eyes shining.

Lee Han’s explanation just got Eandurde even more excited.

Nothing but strong enemies, battles, and feasts!

“O-okay. If you’ve decided… Or, how about reconsidering? Maybe think it over one more time.”

“You’re teaching your junior such great things.”

The Skull Principal jeered from afar.

As a senior, he should proudly and confidently shout, ‘If you don’t enter Einrogard, you’re a dropout and a loser!’—why was he acting so sheepishly?

“But Einrogard really is a harsh place, isn’t it?”

“It’s only harsh for those raised in a greenhouse. For someone like that kid, it might not even be that hard.”

Lee Han had to admit the Skull Principal’s point.

Compared to the life this junior had known, Einrogard might not seem all that tough.

“You’ve got a point, sir.”

“Now you get it. Then feed him and teach him a bit. At the very least, he should know how to read and write his own name.”

“…Uh, I’m the one teaching him?”

“The Death Knights used to do it. If you don’t want to, you can leave it to them.”

Lee Han glanced at his junior, who stared at the empty plate with an innocent expression.

He was clearly someone who’d spent his life fighting and learned nothing of the empire.

Would it be right to entrust this junior to knights who’d been dead for centuries—knights who didn’t understand the modern world?

“I’ll just do it myself.”

“Click, click. Wasting your time out of pity.”

‘You’re the one who told me to…’

Lee Han was dumbfounded, but the Skull Principal was already getting ready to go out.

“Where are you going today?”

“To persuade the ones holding onto the new students. I won’t need your help today, so just hang about with your junior.”

“Oh, are these easy ones to persuade?”

“No, these are ones I don’t need to persuade at all.”

The Skull Principal paused as he reached for a white coat, then put it back down.

“Hmm… If there’s blood, it’ll be a pain.”

Draping a black coat over his shoulders instead, the Skull Principal left, and Lee Han turned to his junior.

“Alright. Let’s start with spelling.”

• * *

The junior was quite bright.

It didn’t take long before he’d mastered the empire’s alphabet and could even write his own name.

“Okay, follow me. Einrogard.”

“Einrogard.”

“Osu Gonadaltes.”

“Osu Gonadaltes.”

“Madman.”

“Madman.”

“No, forget that one. Habit. Anyway, well done. I’ll go get you some food.”

Lee Han headed to the villa’s kitchen.

Other than the excessive amount of sardines, the kitchen pantry was fairly well stocked.

Potatoes, canned sardines, carrots, dried sardines, cabbage, frozen sardines, chicken, pickled sardines…

‘I’d better store the sardines separately.’

It wasn’t enough for a noble’s banquet, but for a seasoned Einrogard student, it was practically a feast.

Thinking of his junior, who probably hadn’t had a hot meal in ages, Lee Han set to work preparing a meal.

Grrr-

“Just a minute.”

“Okay.”

To feed the hungry junior, he tossed some meat on the fire, stir-fried it with vegetables, and seasoned it with just salt and pepper.

But the junior didn’t start eating right away—he waited.

“You can eat now.”

“Didn’t win yet?”

“…From now on, you don’t need to win first. And you just spelled things right. That was a victory.”

“!”

Apparently convinced by Lee Han’s logic, the junior dove into his food.

Plates emptied instantly, so Lee Han kept cooking and serving.

Potatoes stuffed with cheese and roasted to a golden brown, onion soup pureed with butter, potato soup, cabbage and sardines fried together with generous spices…

‘Oops. Ended up using sardines.’

He hadn’t meant to use sardines, but there were so many.

Still, his junior ate them with delight. Lee Han watched with satisfaction.

“Oh. You guys are eating?”

Alsicle strolled out, yawning.

Having spent a while trailing Lee Han and the Skull Principal, Alsicle had lately been back to focusing on magic research.

And somehow, magic research always seemed to go better at night.

Having stayed up all night and waking late, Alsicle greeted the unusual spread with a bright face.

“Wow, you cooked this yourself? Mind if I have some too?”

“Of course.”

Alsicle gladly went to take some sardines—

Thwack!

Sniff!

Eandurde batted Alsicle’s wing away and growled.

“Hey, what’s the deal?”

“Hey! You can’t treat Alsicle like that. Apologize.”

“??”

At Lee Han’s words, his junior tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

In Eandurde’s mind, the pecking order was already set as ‘Lee Han > himself > penguin beastkin.’

“Sorry…”

“No, it’s fine. You must really like sardines. I’ve had plenty, so this meat dish—”

Thwack!

Sniff!

Eandurde growled at Alsicle again.

Alsicle was dumbfounded. He’d heard from the Skull Principal this kid was “quite a rough one,” but hadn’t expected this degree.

“…I’ll just eat separately.”

As a member of the Pengerine family, it wouldn’t do to fight a barely-taught young mage over food.

Alsicle just opened a can of sardines and pinned it in his beak.

Lee Han found himself mesmerized, watching.

There was a reason other nobles donated money just to see this. There was something magical about Alsicle swallowing fish.

Eandurde found it odd that Lee Han watched Alsicle eat so intently.

Then he opened a sardine can himself and tried to swallow it whole.

“…Wait! You don’t have to do that!”

“??”

“You can just eat normally.”

‘So, are you saying I eat weirdly?’

Alsicle grumbled inwardly.

Popularity was the lot of a full-blooded penguin beastkin, but fans’ reactions got on his nerves sometimes when he ate fish.

“Did you eat?”

“I was going to have some now.”

Lee Han thought to just whip up a sandwich.

Then his junior looked at him, then pushed his plate toward Lee Han.

“No… You eat. I’m fine.”

“Winner eats, right? Why don’t you eat?”

“The true victor is the one who doesn’t steal another’s meal, but takes care of others instead. C’mon, finish up, then let’s study more.”

Eandurde didn’t really get it, but nodded and polished off what was left.

Alsicle watched and observed, “You might want to teach him table manners too.”

Sniff!

Again, the junior growled at Alsicle, making him flinch.

“No, I mean, table manners are important, kid.”

“Junior—you do need to learn table manners.”

“Okay.”

“……”

Alsicle was horrified by the Gorgon half-blood’s reaction.

Now he understood how that beastlike kid worked out his pecking order.

‘That kid?!’

• * *

With Alsicle’s help, Lee Han started teaching at an accelerated pace.

“For a start, you need some basic imperial morals. Like, you can’t just take what you need from others.”

“But at Einrogard, you take what you need by force, right?”

“Where did you hear that slander, Alsicle?”

“Gonadaltes told me.”

“…Well, anyway, let’s cover basic customs from the various regions, some basic arithmetic—”

“Manners. Definitely teach manners.”

“Will do.”

“And etiquette for noble gatherings too.”

“That much?”

“It’ll come in handy someday.”

Irritated by the rude little Gorgon half-blood, Alsicle insisted on a rigorous course in advanced manners.

Alsicle figured basic imperial morals weren’t enough for that kid.

He needed to learn advanced morals, deeply feel the dignity and class of the nobles, and realize just how rude he’d been.

“Hmm. Understood.”

Lee Han was perplexed, but agreed.

He’d learned from the Wardanaz family, so teaching wasn’t difficult.

“Oh, and I should probably teach him to control his strength.”

Eandurde’s greatest weapons were the petrification curse in his evil eye and his snake hair.

A seasoned warrior could control these, but you couldn’t expect that from this junior.

“No need to worry. The Principal will solve it with an artifact.”

Alsicle flapped his wings and spoke.

The Skull Principal had dealt with more complicated backgrounds and talents than this.

Such racial abilities were easy—he could fix them with a yawn.

“Wait, but I have a lot of mana and he never did anything for me.”

“Wow. There are two sardines in this can!”

“……”

Lee Han grumbled at having mentioned it and organized the things to teach his junior.

‘Let’s make sure he reads a few more words before we go in. Hmm. Better have him learn some basic alchemical potion recipes just in case. Edible herbs could be useful. He’s probably never hunted—should I teach him how…?’

“Sit silently and still. Sit silently and still. Nod and smile. Nod and smile.”

Eandurde recited table manners with humming sounds.

For where he was about to go, that would do.

Don’t attack first, but if attacked, counterattack; normally behave politely; when meeting a leader, show respect; don’t eat any gifts at school without thinking…

Lee Han found himself proud as he saw the notes his junior made.

“Showing respect for the Principal. Smart kid!”

“What’s a Principal?”

“…Wait. Then who’s the leader here…”

Bang!

The door opened and the Skull Principal returned, looking tired.

“Such annoying people.”

“Oh. Gonadaltes, you’ve got blood on you.”

“It’s not my blood.”

“……”

Alsicle regretted bringing it up.

“So you killed them all!”

“Pardon?”

“Oh—I meant, it’s all done. I’ve persuaded everyone.”

“……”

“……”

Then a paper bird flew in through the window. The Principal frowned as he received the letter.

“What kind of letter is it?”

“One of those who said they’d enroll suddenly changed their mind. I thought I was finally done, but now this nuisance…”

Alsicle asked curiously.

“That’s rare. Not many say yes and then back out. Who is it?”

“Your family.”

“…!”

Alsicle tried to recall which relatives were of age to enter Einrogard.

“Oh. I think I know. Probably someone who thinks their talent is good enough to study alone without Einrogard…”

“Why are all of you in your family so overconfident?”

“It’s not just my family…”

“Whatever. I have the perfect medicine for people like that.”

“Are you going to beat him up?”

“No. Wardanaz. Get your coat. Let’s go.”

“……”

Alsicle had no choice but to admit the Skull Principal’s medicine was effective.

Surely it would be terribly, awfully effective!