Episode 654

“This way! Please wait just a moment.”

When the Baldrogard students arrived, the gatekeepers guarding the Kraha family mansion called for the servants.

The students marveled all over again at the vast mansion grounds. Even among the most storied noble households, there were not many as wealthy as the Kraha family.

“The Kraha family is truly impressive. If only someone from the Kraha family had entered Baldrogard.”

“Yeah, I agree. I heard there’s a mage around our age from their family, but he ended up at Einrogard.”

“Ah, you mean the prince.”

“Hmph. I don’t like royals. So many in number, but their noses are way too high.”

“Watch your mouth, Bashiu! Royals are the bloodline of the great Emperor. They deserve our respect.”

The nobles of the Empire could be divided into three groups.

First, the loyalists who believed in and supported the most outstanding royals as the next Emperor.

Second, those who supported the royals but advocated for alliances among the nobles—the aristocrat faction.

Last, the neutrals who cared about neither, like the Wardanaz family.

Ingsen came from a loyalist family, while Bashiu was from an aristocrat family. So no matter how close their friendship, they could not compromise on such issues.

“Ingsen, out of respect for your honor, I’ll retract what I said. Some royals certainly do deserve recognition! But the others?”

“I won’t say all royals are outstanding! But there aren’t many who are lazy and wayward. They’re the ones who disgrace the imperial honor! I’m sure the Kraha family prince deserves respect.”

“Hmph. If he were a Baldrogard student maybe, but as an Einrogard student, never—I won’t admit it. He could be mean-spirited and twisted.”

“No. Since he’s from the Kraha family, even if the seniors of Einrogard are base and vulgar, he won’t be easily tainted.”

Ingsen believed in the name of the Kraha family.

A prince with Kraha blood must certainly be worthy of the loyalist family’s trust.

“Ah, there’s absolutely nothing here!”

“?”

“It was better inside. At least that was full of rotten dirt… Gasp. What did I just say! Damn this mouth, damn this mouth!”

A bright blond boy, in shabby clothes, was digging up the dirt in a shaded spot with a hoe and a dirt shovel.

Seeing him, the two dismounted, finding it interesting.

“Bashiu, what do you think he’s doing?”

“Uh, judging by his clothes, he must be a mansion servant… Digging up rotten dirt?”

“Could it be for an alchemy reagent?”

“Is there a spell that uses rotten dirt?”

In Baldrogard, they didn’t use dark magic. So, the students were curious if there really was a spell using rotten dirt for reagent.

“There are all sorts of weird spells in the Empire… Maybe it’s possible.”

“Bashiu, let’s help.”

Ingsen grabbed his staff and spoke. Bashiu asked in surprise.

“Help a servant? Did I hear you right?”

It was shameful for nobles to help with servant’s work.

The servants here would be competent enough—why should visiting nobles do such menial labor?

“You heard right. But the difference is, we’ll help with magic—not by hand.”

“Ingsen, I’m always impressed by your wisdom!”

Bashiu admired his friend’s wisdom.

If a noble squatted down and dug dirt with a servant, it’d be shameful, but if he used magic to help, it was impressive generosity.

And the helped servant would surely spread word of their kindness throughout the mansion.

“Hey, you there!”

Ingsen called out to the servant boy. Gainando turned his head in confusion.

“Looks like you need to dig out that dirt. Let us help you. Here, stand aside!”

“What…?”

“Gather, earth. Gather, earth. Gather, earth…”

Ingsen began chanting and focused his mind.

As Gainando blinked in confusion at the slow incantation, he suddenly realized what was happening.

“Wait, you’re not…!”

“…Gather!”

Whoosh!

At the end of the incantation, the underground soil Gainando had been digging began to surge up.

A substantial amount of rotten dirt.

Ingsen wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled in satisfaction.

“What do you think? That should be enough for you to collect.”

“…What nonsense! You bastard!”

Gainando shouted furiously.

“?!”

Ingsen and Bashiu were too shocked to reply. They hadn’t expected to be spoken to this way by a servant at the mansion they were visiting.

“H-h-how dare you…”

“How dare I? I could say it a hundred times! You blockheads! Maggots not even worth sending to the punishment room!”

Gainando stomped his feet in outrage.

A string of curses learned from Professor Mortum came out, and the two nobleboys’ minds went hazy.

“Y-you dare insult us after we helped you…”

“Helped, my foot! You think I’m doing this because I can’t dig dirt?! Gather, earth!”

Swinging his staff with a chant, the earth surged right up beside him.

The two were so shocked they couldn’t speak.

More than the servant’s insults, the greater shock was this:

A servant could cast magic.

And more quickly and accurately than them!

“H-how…?!”

“What do you mean how! This is a simple spell! Are you really that foolish? The effect of this dirt is weakened if you use magic on it! You have to dig it out with equipment made of burial iron to preserve its effect!”

“Th… that’s…”

“We… We didn’t know.”

“You think your ignorance ends the spell? What will you do! It was already hard enough to find this rotten dirt after wandering around all day!”

Gainando was jumping mad.

He had spent the whole day preparing dark magic reagent, but because of these crazy passersby, it was all ruined.

If he went back like this, Lee Han might suspect, ‘Were you playing around instead?’

“Follow me! You two explain yourselves!”

“W-we have to go.”

“Let’s get out of here!”

The two hurriedly ran for their horses in a panic.

The energy of the young mage calling them to follow was no joke.

“Where are you going?! Get down here! Come back!”

“W-we’re guests! Don’t attack us!”

“What the hell is wrong with these lunatics?!”

Gainando was dumbfounded but didn’t curse their backs.

They were still guests of the family, after all, so he couldn’t attack them.

But he couldn’t help being frustrated.

“Just let me catch you! Just let me! I’ll bury you in the dirt pit upside down!”

“F-faster! Faster, drive!”

“He wasn’t a servant! He must be a family mage!”

As they rode away, they realized.

That boy wasn’t a servant, but definitely a mage attached to the Kraha family.

Otherwise, his eccentric behavior couldn’t be explained.

Who but imperial mages would disregard authority and order and act so eccentrically?

“He looked young—was he really a family mage?”

“He must’ve taken an age-reducing elixir!”

“Mages really are all so eccentric. In that respect, I’m so glad we’re in Baldrogard!”

• * *

“So some random guests cast magic on the rotten dirt you finally found, and it all flew away?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

The friends looked at Gainando with odd expressions. Eandurde muttered.

“Lies!”

“No! Y-you dare doubt your senior as a junior?! If you don’t believe me, come and see! I’ll show you!”

“Calm down, Gainando.”

Lee Han soothed Gainando.

In truth, he didn’t fully believe Gainando’s story. He’d lied about similar things a lot before.

-Lee Han. The principal’s minion stole my homework.

-Lee Han. The principal’s minion chewed up my grimoire.

-Lee Han. The principal’s…

-Hey. Cut it out.

Such lies were even more effective at Einrogard, where they could realistically happen.

Regardless of truth, Lee Han took out what was needed at the moment.

“Here. Isn’t this enough?”

“What?! You had some?!”

“I know dark magic too, so I carry the reagents.”

Lee Han took out a bottle of rotten dirt from his reagent pouch and handed it to Gainando.

“Take it. It’s good quality dirt, so it’ll be plenty for casting dark magic. No telling when the Baldrogard students will come, so you should have reagents ready.”

“Lee Han…!”

Gainando was moved to tears.

Yoner looked at the dirt, perplexed.

‘Where’d he get that?’

It’s easy to get in Einrogard, since dark magic students set up their own magic tower and live nearby, but outside it’s not so simple.

“How did you get it?”

“I grabbed some during free time when we visited the Moradi family estate.”

“……”

Yoner was appalled at Lee Han’s thoroughness, collecting rotten dirt while visiting another family’s mansion in his spare time.

‘I’ll have to keep this secret from Moradi…’

If Giselle knew, she would have raged, ‘Who goes to someone else’s mansion and digs up rotten dirt in their free time?’

“Gainando.”

“Yeah?”

“I believe in you.”

“…Lee Han!”

Gainando choked up.

The rotten friends—no, they weren’t even friends.

The rotten Einrogard classmates never believed him, but Lee Han was different.

“You’re a real friend!”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, since I believe in you, don’t lose to the Baldrogard students.”

“……”

Noticing something was off, Gainando stopped being emotional and grew cautious.

Lee Han’s face was as serious as a statue.

“…Uh, well, you know how some people are good at certain types of magic but not at others, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Then if I’m unlucky, I might lose to the Baldrogard students…”

“That’s true. But don’t lose.”

“……”

Gainando looked at his friends for help, but they subtly avoided his gaze.

They, too, found Lee Han scary at that moment.

“Gainando. If you have a weakness, just hit your opponent’s weakness first. Don’t lose, whatever happens. If you do… Never mind. No need to think about it yet.”

“Lee Han…!”

Gainando suddenly wanted to go back to Einrogard.

“Everyone, the Baldrogard students have arrived. They’re hoping to meet you. How should I deliver your answer?”

“They’ve come.”

At Lee Han’s words, the friends became tense.

They didn’t really think they’d lose to the Baldrogard students, but if by chance they did…

‘I might die alongside Gainando.’

‘I might die with Mr. Gainando…’

‘I don’t want to die with Gainando!’

“Let them in. We’ll have to meet them sooner or later in the mansion anyway.”

• * *

“This is Mr. Yoner from the Meikin family. This is…”

When nobles met, it was usual for the servants to introduce each other’s name and family.

Having finished introducing themselves first, Ingsen and Bashiu listened intently as the Einrogard students were introduced one by one.

“…This is Mr. Gainando, heir to the Kraha family and descendant of the imperial bloodline.”

“Gah.”

“Gack.”

“You… you guys!”

Not only the two, but also Gainando were shocked.

Gainando wanted to shout ‘soil wreckers!’ but Lee Han’s glare forced him to stay quiet.

‘W-what…?’

‘Wasn’t he the family mage…?’

The two tried to organize their confusion, but the more they did, the more tangled up they felt.

“This is Mr. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.”

“F…fifth-year!”

“??”