Episode 665

“You’re talking about sandwiches when your friend could be seriously hurt right now!!”

“Eh?!”

Startled, Gainando nearly dropped his sandwich.

“Was I not supposed to eat a sandwich? W-would rice balls have been better?”

“Are you kidding with me right now!!”

Palga was even more enraged at Gainando’s shameless attitude.

How could he be so flippant—didn’t he realize what he’d done wrong?

“Your friend is right—”

-The winner is Lee Han of the Wardanaz family!

“…in danger, and you’re thinking about food? And you call yourself an Einrogard student?!”

So caught up in his indignation, Palga didn’t even notice what was happening in the dueling ring behind him.

The duel had ended while they chatted.

Lee Han returned to the stands looking puzzled.

“What did you do that got senior so mad?”

“He got mad because I tried to eat a sandwich. Maybe he’s got a grudge against sandwiches…”

‘Does that even make sense?’

Lee Han gave Gainando a disbelieving look.

He was sure Gainando must have done something else wrong.

Had he told Palga to fetch him a sandwich, or something…?

“Senior, what are you upset about?”

“Just in time, junior! Those guys didn’t show a care for your fight with Count Semten—just sat around eating sandwiches! They don’t know the first thing about friendship!”

After Palga’s scolding, the friends sobered up.

Thinking about it, they really had been rather indifferent during Lee Han’s duel.

They’d assumed it would be an easy win and gotten lazy, but from Lee Han’s perspective, maybe it stung.

“Sorry, Lee Han.”

“We’ll cheer for you properly next time.”

“It’s fine. I won anyway, didn’t I?”

Lee Han was nonchalant.

Would it make any difference if his friends cheered?

Not like friendly support would shield against Professor Voladi’s attacks.

“Count Semten is a really strong duelist.”

“Ah. Yes. He’s strong for sure. I got lucky.”

“…Wait. Why are you here?”

Palga finally realized that Lee Han was standing beside him and shouldn’t he be down in the arena?

“I came back up—my match ended.”

“…What? Who won?”

“I did.”

“?!??!?”

Palga stared at the ring in shock.

He saw club members consoling the count. The count was smiling in satisfaction, even praising Lee Han.

-How did he do it?

-He had remarkable mana.

-But what else?

-Remarkable mana.

-Come on, your Excellency, I get that he had mana.

-I’m telling you, he had remarkable mana!

-He’s just a boy, how much could he really…

-You fools!

“How!?”

“I blocked the artifacts with my trait, rapid-fired magic, and struck when his stance broke…”

Professor Voladi ghosted up behind them.

“You were late on -Lightning Mantle Enchantment-.”

“Yes, that part caught me off guard.”

‘Here he goes again!’

Palga suddenly felt angry on Lee Han’s behalf.

His junior had beaten the count—shouldn’t that be a big deal?

He himself couldn’t even grasp exactly how Lee Han had managed it!

Surely such an accomplishment deserved praise, not a string of criticisms like he’d just lost.

“Professor, come on—at least this time…”

“The rest was fine.”

“!?”

That was the end of Voladi’s criticism.

Palga was even more surprised than he’d been about Lee Han beating the count.

“That’s it!?”

“It’s done.”

Voladi and Lee Han both looked at Palga as if he was the strange one.

Palga felt awkward all of a sudden.

“W-well, you see…”

“Mr. Voladi of the Baegrek family.”

The club marshal approached.

“I’m truly sorry, but from today on, please do not visit the Flaher City duel club anymore.”

“Understood.”

Voladi nodded as if he’d expected this.

Palga protested in shock.

“What did the professor do wrong to deserve a ban?”

“He did nothing wrong. But since none of our members can match him, we have to ask him not to visit.”

“What? There are still plenty of members left!”

The marshal replied expressionlessly.

“They all lost yesterday.”

“……”

Palga stared at the professor in horror.

‘What the hell did this man do?’

But Professor Voladi showed no surprise at all.

Nor did his junior.

Lee Han just stood there looking unbothered.

‘Of course he’s banned—if you cut down every tree in the forest at once, there’s nothing left to chop later. You have to take a few at a time to keep the supply alive.’

“Mr. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.”

“Yes?”

“I’m truly sorry, but please do not visit the Flaher City duel club from now on.”

“…What!?”

Lee Han was shocked.

Why!?

“Isn’t this some kind of mistake? The one who defeated everyone here yesterday was Professor Voladi.”

“You’re the professor’s disciple.”

“But the disciple is way weaker!”

Lee Han was furious at this ridiculous guilt-by-association.

By that logic, since he was the principal’s disciple, he should be blacklisted from every club across the Empire.

“Since you beat Count Semten, I’m afraid none of our members could possibly defeat you, either.”

“You can’t be so sure! It was just luck!”

Lee Han was sincere.

Count Semten happened to use a strategy that Lee Han could counter with artifacts; with someone else, it would’ve been a ferocious fight.

He could accept banning Voladi, but banning him was too much.

Palga seemed to agree and protested.

“Count Semten has beaten over ten challengers. But he’s never been banned, has he?”

The marshal raised his brow and answered flatly.

“Count Semten has never so overwhelmingly beaten the club champion in under ten seconds.”

“……”

Palga glanced at Lee Han.

How on earth did you win like that?

But, in true Einrogard fashion, Lee Han stood his ground.

“I really was just lucky!”

‘Shouldn’t the whole Einrogard crowd be banned with this logic?’ the marshal thought.

Anyone who’d seen the count lose wouldn’t call it luck—yet that boy from the Wardanaz house was brazenly saying as much.

Even for an imperial high noble, this was excessive privilege!

“Ugh. Too much.”

At last, Lee Han gave in, stepping back with a resentful look.

Seeing this, Palga tried to comfort him.

“Calm down, junior. Sure, the student’s weaker than his teacher, but people will always see a disciple of Professor Voladi as super strong.”

“Aren’t you a disciple too, having learned from him?”

“N-no, not me. What are you saying…”

Hounded by Lee Han’s aggressive confidence, Palga quickly denied it.

If he hung around, he had a bad feeling he’d get sucked in as Professor Voladi’s new pupil.

“Sir Palga of the Ukim family.”

“Yes?”

“We’re very sorry, but we must also ask that you not visit the Flaher City duel club again.”

“……”

Palga was truly wounded.

Beside him, Lee Han gave him a look that clearly said, ‘I got the same treatment,’ but it was little comfort.

‘I really didn’t even do anything…!’

• * *

“See you in the next semester.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han and his friends saw Palga off. His shoulders looked a little narrower than before.

Professor Voladi checked the time and prepared to leave. Absentmindedly, Deorgyu asked,

“Where are you going, professor?”

“Don’t ask, idiot.”

“???”

Lee Han snapped at Deorgyu.

“W-what?”

“Are you going to take responsibility if he thinks you’re interested and drags you along?”

“C’mon, he wouldn’t really—”

“Underground arena. Interested?”

“No!”

“No, thank you!”

“Absolutely not, professor! Take care of yourself!”

As soon as the professor mentioned an arena where fights were for real, not just sport, every student shouted in unison.

Voladi stared at Lee Han. Lee Han answered right away.

“I’m not interested!”

“Good. I can’t take you to an arena.”

‘Wouldn’t want to go anyway…’

“Don’t try to sneak after me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m serious.”

“Yes… I mean it, too…”

Voladi made a point of warning, so Lee Han would fully understand how dangerous the underground arena really was.

Even for a disciple mad for risk, there were limits to what he could allow.

After seeing the professor off, Lee Han felt more exhausted than he had from any duel that day.

“…Is it over?”

“I didn’t even do anything, but I’m beat…”

Eandurde, hoping they wouldn’t have to do more shopping, waved toward the mansion.

His eyes were full of hope.

“Come on. Let’s go get what Eandurde needs.”

“……”

Eandurde threw a resentful look at Yoner, but Yoner ignored it.

“Wait, Yoner, it’s getting late.”

“!”

At Lee Han’s words, the junior’s eyes brightened.

“So let’s all split up, figure out what Eandurde needs, and regroup to save time.”

“……”

Eandurde sighed a hole in the earth, then glanced around for a chance to escape.

“Oh, and Deorgyu, you’re with me.”

“Why, Lee Han? Not going to the armor shop?”

“Nope. I just want us in teams of two, in case junior tries to run.”

“…!”

Eandurde was aghast.

Could this senior read his mind?!

• * *

While their friends split up, Lee Han, Deorgyu, and Eandurde started browsing around.

“Hmm. I want to get something for Fongrif.”

“The principal always confiscates stuff brought in from outside, though.”

“Yeah, true.”

Deorgyu thought Lee Han was uncharacteristically sentimental.

Even if they couldn’t bring them in, the thought would reach his horse.

“I guess I’ll have to start thinking about smuggling things in…”

“…”

Deorgyu was floored.

“S-smuggling? You were going there already?”

“Of course. Weren’t you?”

“No… Isn’t that weird? Isn’t that, uh, something nobody else would even think of?”

“Moradi was thinking about it. Salko even asked in a letter if I’d considered smuggling methods.”

Deorgyu was floored again.

‘Is… is it me? Am I the strange one!?’

“Hmm. I guess the safest way is to stash it in a village nearby and bring it back during an outing, but who knows how many weeks that would take… And the principal’s keeping an eye on me these days.”

‘If I were him, I’d keep an eye on you too,’ Deorgyu thought.

This friend had been at the center of every incident in their year.

“Eandurde, what do you think of that pony?”

“Looks tasty.”

“What about that bird?”

“Looks tasty.”

“And that snake?”

“Looks tast—”

“Got anything else besides ‘tasty’?”

“The meat looks tender…”

“Guess we’ll visit the exotic animal stables later, then.”

Lee Han decided he’d better save the rare Imperial animal section for last.