Episode 663

“P-Professor Baegrek!”

Still on the ground, Palga cried out in a shrill voice.

Given how seriously he’d been sizing up his rivals only moments ago, it was hard to believe he was the same upperclassman now cowering in disgrace.

Lee Han was taken aback.

“Senior, I said Baegrek, not Gonadaltes.”

It wasn’t like he’d said the Skeleton Principal—was Professor Voladi’s name really worth all this fuss?

“Lee Han, I don’t think this is going to be helpful,” Deorgyu murmured. For Palga, it apparently didn’t matter; he crouched and looked around, like a prey animal hearing a predator’s roar.

“You… you were going around with Professor Baegrek? How in the world?”

“As I said, we met by chance.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way Professor Baegrek would tag along with you just because you met by chance. There must be some other reason.”

‘This guy is sharp.’

Lee Han thought, impressed—this upperclassman’s instincts had clearly been honed at Einrogard.

Anyone who’d spent a year or more at Einrogard was bound to have a nose for danger.

“We happened to help the professor with something. He bought us a meal in thanks.”

“Th-then why the duel club?”

“We talked during lunch, and the professor offered to show us around.”

“!”

Palga was startled.

That Professor Voladi could be so sociable! He’d thought the man was a vampiric monster created by the skeleton principal just to torment students…

“Incredible. I didn’t know Professor Baegrek could even say things like that.”

“Senior, did something happen with Professor Baegrek?” Deorgyu asked, perplexed.

As far as Deorgyu knew, Professor Voladi wasn’t that close to many students, nor the type to enjoy tormenting them like the skeleton principal. There seemed no reason for this extreme reaction.

“My other friends are just a little scared of Professor Baegrek. But I don’t get why you’re so…?”

“…Makes sense. Have you ever tried taking ‘Repetitive Study of Basic Magic Combat’?”

“I tried once…”

“Of course you would, both being White Tiger Tower. We did, too.”

Palga smiled wryly.

First-years could choose whichever lectures they liked, but each tower had traditional favorites.

For the White Tiger Tower, combat and sword-based courses were always popular.

Especially ‘Repetitive Study of Basic Magic Combat,’ since the title promised fighting with magic. Most freshmen stepped eagerly into that classroom.

All of them fled in tears after the first session and never dared return.

“I can understand that.”

“Right. Even the older students say the same. Someone even claimed a kid died, though I don’t know if that’s real or not.”

“……”

While Lee Han was at a loss for words, Deorgyu replied.

“We all ran away, too. Lee Han st—… ugh.”

Deorgyu broke off as Lee Han stomped on his foot, glaring a silent command for him to stay quiet.

No sense mentioning his apprenticeship in front of a senior who collapsed at just hearing Voladi’s name.

‘He might have a heart attack.’

“If it had ended there, Professor Baegrek would have just been an urban legend among students—like one of those rumors about some immortal monster lurking in the basement.”

‘There really is one, though.’

Lee Han almost said it, but decided not to. His senior looked weak; if he learned it was real, he might actually faint.

“But that’s not what happened.”

Palga’s face turned somber, like a war veteran remembering old battles. Deorgyu was so curious, he asked,

“What happened?”

“As I said, I’m in the Einrogard Duel Club. The club has a faculty supervisor.”

“Oh, so Professor Baegrek was the supervisor?”

Palga shook his head, denying Lee Han’s guess. Voladi wasn’t nearly social enough to manage a club.

“The supervisor is Professor Kirmin Ku.”

“??”

“Hmph. This is an internal matter, but since you’re both White Tiger Tower, I’ll tell you.”

Deorgyu glanced at Lee Han, who pretended not to notice.

“A while back, our duel club suffered a string of defeats. With no rewards coming in, it was a nightmare—could barely manage research or get food, and club morale tanked…”

“One moment, senior,” Lee Han interrupted. “I thought you said you didn’t gamble?”

“Oh, that was a misunderstanding. I meant our reward as substitute duelists.”

While thrill-seekers and glory-hounds fought duels themselves, not everyone wanted to risk it. Some would pay others to fight in their stead; acting as a substitute duelist was a major source of income for the Einrogard Duel Club students.

‘People pay for that?’

Lee Han wondered.

“Sorry, but aren’t there not many duels these days? Trial by combat is even rarer. Does it make that much money?”

“Outside school, all disputes go to imperial courts, but in Einrogard, we usually prefer to duel.”

“……”

Hearing who their main clients were, Lee Han and Deorgyu were speechless.

Their seniors thought it better to resolve disputes with violence than by law.

‘Is this a magic school or a den of barbarians?’

Lee Han thought, horrified.

“And we have clients outside Einrogard too—mainly students from other magic schools. They hire our club members as mercenaries because our win rate’s high.”

“Oh… I… see…”

Deorgyu closed his eyes, not wanting to hear more awful details about their seniors’ shady earnings.

‘That’s just being a mercenary!’

“So, back to the story: our club lost several matches in a row. When club income drops, things get ugly.”

‘Aren’t clubs supposed to be for brotherhood and socializing…?’

“We were desperate. We begged Professor Ku, saying we wanted to get stronger. He said it was just bad luck and we’d bounce back, but we insisted.”

A tremor of fear entered Palga’s voice.

“In the end, Professor Ku relented and asked: Do you really want to be stronger?”

“Oh no…”

Lee Han felt a growing sense of dread, guessing where this was headed.

“We said yes. So Professor Ku brought in Professor Baegrek. And barred the doors for three days.”

“My god!”

Lee Han groaned. Deorgyu, not understanding, asked,

“Why bars the doors?”

“To keep us from escaping.”

“That can’t be that bad, right?”

Palga shook his head slowly.

Only someone who hadn’t seen it would say such a thing.

“I’ll stop there. I don’t want to remember what happened inside. All the Einrogard professors are dangerous, but a few are especially so. Just because a professor treats you to a meal and introduces you to a club over break—don’t think taking their class next semester is a good idea…”

Palga shivered at the thought. Deorgyu tried to reassure him.

“I’m not taking it. And Lee Han’s already Professor Baegrek’s disciple, so it’s fine.”

THUMP!

Palga fell over again.

“Are you okay?!”

But Palga’s gaze now held a mix of fear, alarm, and the wariness of seeing a creature from another world.

“Y-you’re Professor Baegrek’s disciple? What’s your name again?”

‘Crap.’

Lee Han realized his mistake.

The look his senior shot him was the same look he and his friends gave Gainando when he was crawling out of a dark magic slime pit.

A chilling look that said: ‘Never get close to this one!’

“…Gainan…”

“Lee Han. You said Lee Han.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han resolved that, from now on, he would use a fake name much more thoroughly.

• * *

Though Palga wanted to escape as soon as possible, Lee Han wasn’t letting go.

Wanting to avoid making a bad impression with his senior, he hung on desperately.

“Uh, I think I should get something to drink…”

“Deorgyu, the senior’s thirsty. Go grab something, quick!”

“Lee Han…”

Lee Han gave Deorgyu a look that said, ‘You’re the one who blabbed about me being Baegrek’s disciple.’

Deorgyu clammed up and went to fetch drinks.

‘Ugh. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that…’

“I could have gone myself…”

“No, please, you sit, Senior. There must be a misunderstanding—actually, I don’t only take Professor Baegrek’s class.”

“It’d be weirder if someone took only his class.”

Ignoring Palga’s mumbling, Lee Han pressed on.

“In truth, I just… sort of stumbled into a few other classes, but the professor’s was one I ended up having to take…”

“There you are.”

Professor Voladi appeared with the others. Lee Han winced.

‘Not helping!’

Palga went white as a sheet, gripping the table so hard his knuckles went pale.

“H-hel-h-h-h-hi, Professor.”

“Cold?”

“N-n-n-not at all, Professor.”

“Good.”

Lee Han’s friends, unaware of the situation, looked at Palga as if he had the flu.

Why was this senior acting like that?

“Everyone this way. The duels will begin shortly.”

Professor Voladi pointed out the best seats for viewing.

Comfort dictated you sit farther back, but for learning, you had to be close.

As the students headed for the stands…

“Wardanaz.”

Professor Voladi motioned for Lee Han to come by his side.

“What is it?”

“You’re number six.”

“?”

Number six?

‘Is he counting how many times the professor’s jump-scared me? It’s definitely more than six…’

“I mean your order in the dueling rounds.”

Professor Voladi clarified—he was number five.

“If left alone, I figured you’d sign up with just anyone. I found you a suitable opponent.”

Even as he introduced the other students to the club, Professor Voladi worried that Lee Han would challenge just anyone at random and made sure to get him a properly matched opponent.

“Professor…”

Lee Han ground his teeth.

He just did it by reflex now.

“Having a teacher like you is truly… a blessing!”

“Mm.”

Professor Voladi patted Lee Han on the shoulder and walked off.

Behind him, his senior was staring at Lee Han in horror.

That Professor Voladi was entering the duel was shocking enough, but to send a junior who’d only just finished first year in with such confidence?

Anyone could see, this was a true disciple!

Lee Han let out a deep sigh.

‘I guess getting close to that senior is off the table.’