Episode 814

While the two whispered, Yukveltire looked satisfied by himself and reached to pull out an item.

He opened the mouth of a medium-sized blue silk pouch embroidered with a dragon, and from it emerged an object much larger than the pouch itself.

‘A space expansion spell.’

Lee Han looked at his senior from the same tower, full of envy.

Spatial expansion magic itself was difficult, but making it semi-permanent in an item was far more challenging.

Baldrogard students could buy such things at auction with their allowance, but an Einrogard student had no such option. If you wanted one, you had to make it yourself.

…Or steal it.

‘I have to get my hands on one of those someday.’

As someone who moved around a lot, Lee Han felt the need for a spatially expanded backpack more than anyone.

His pack was always heavy with just-in-case supplies. If Lee Han hadn’t trained in physical strengthening with Kimsool and magic power, he would’ve collapsed long ago.

Thud!

While Lee Han was lost in thought, Yukveltire revealed what he’d pulled out.

It was a bronze golem the size of a person.

“??”

Seeing an item different from what he expected, Lee Han was puzzled.

“Um, Senior. Weren’t you researching artificial dimensional artifacts?”

At the junior’s question, Yukveltire stared back at him with blue eyes.

No matter how interested in artificial dimensional artifacts he was, to jump in with so little patience and ask straight away…

But Yukveltire decided to be generous. After all, he was a pretty competent junior.

“Impatient, aren’t you. Did you want to see the artificial dimensional artifact that badly?”

“Unbelievable…”

Muttering beside him, Direte made Lee Han think.

Lee Han was originally talented at enduring nonsense from his elders.

Not only the Mad Clone, but he had also endured the nonsense from the Skull Principal or Professor Voladi.

That applied to the Einrogard seniors as well.

Because they were essentially like gods, he’d put up with a lot, even when he wanted to lash out at times.

But seeing this evil senior from Blue Dragon Tower, he felt a bit differently.

‘…Maybe I don’t have to endure it with him?’

He put up with the nonsense of the Mad Clone or Professor Voladi out of fear, but not Yukveltire.

Plus, he wasn’t close to other seniors, so even if Lee Han acted rude, there’d be no rumors like, “Wardanaz has gotten so disrespectful lately, hm hm.”

He’d been careful since starting 2nd year, but being bullied by all these crazy mages lately had changed Lee Han’s thinking a bit.

Maybe you had to draw a line with people where a line was needed.

And besides, this was Professor Verdus’s disciple.

Maybe it was right to treat him the way he would Professor Verdus.

“Senior.”

Lee Han raised his hand and spoke with a firm face. Yukveltire tilted his head slightly.

What’s with him?

“I’ll be honest. I’m really not interested at all in the artificial dimensional artifact you’re working on. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“……”

Yukveltire was frozen. Normally his face was icy and emotionless, but now he looked like a statue made of ice.

After a brief moment, Yukveltire started moving again and spoke.

“But you said you’d help, didn’t you?”

“You’re my senior in the tower, and Direte is helping, so I’m just helping too. I truly have no interest.”

“Is this sarcasm or a rhetorical device…”

“No, I just have none. Senior. Just like Professor Verdus has no interest in his students—I have none.”

“……”

After a pause, Yukveltire finally opened his mouth.

“Well. If you don’t recognize its value, that’s your loss.”

With that, he turned and started fiddling with the item he’d taken out.

For some reason, his shoulders seemed to droop just a little, and Direte made a complicated expression.

Lee Han whispered cautiously.

“Did I go too far?”

“No. Someone needs to be firm with him. If you just give in out of pity, you’ll end up like me…”

As she was speaking, Direte was suddenly struck by self-doubt and stopped.

“…Anyway, you did nothing wrong, junior. The bad one is the one who never listens and does things his own way. Don’t feel sorry for him. Imagine he’s Professor Verdus.”

“Yes. I didn’t feel sorry for him at all. I’ll always treat him like he’s Professor Verdus.”

“……”

Direte thought she could understand—just a little—why the Mad Clone had chosen this Wardanaz boy as a disciple.

Then she suddenly jerked upright in alarm.

‘What am I thinking!?’

“Yukveltire, then what’s with that bronze golem?”

Direte called out to her friend in a voice about half an octave higher than usual.

“It’s the spell I’ll use to win over Lagesa.”

Yukveltire began explaining the bronze golem.

There are many ways to power a golem, but as a skilled enchanter, Yukveltire had used enchantment magic.

“Mobility spells in the arms and legs. Flex and bend spells in the joints. Voice absorption spell in the head…”

“!”

Normally, unless a mage directly controlled a golem, it would only follow one simple command.

The more autonomous functions you programmed, the exponentially harder it was to make.

But Yukveltire, to create a high-performance bronze golem, had incorporated dozens of different commands.

It was truly an acrobatic feat of completion.

Direte asked in a surprised voice.

“Is there a reason to put this much effort in?”

“It’s for servant use.”

Not as a gatekeeper or for repelling enemies, but as a bronze golem that could obey diverse instructions—a servant.

That was the magic Yukveltire had built.

Lee Han, amazed, asked.

“Can I try giving it a command?”

“Do as you wish.”

Curious, Lee Han began issuing various commands to the bronze golem.

-Come over here.

-Bring me the -Empire Lich- magazine from the library.

-Brew some tea.

-Can you clean up here too?

-Can you do copying work as well?

And to his astonishment, the bronze golem passed every test.

‘Amazing!’

“Why did you pick this over an artificial dimensional artifact?”

“For demonstrating to outsiders, simple and intuitive is better…”

“But if you want something that can do complex, varied jobs, isn’t it better to summon and make a contract with an extradimensional being? Like a demon.”

“……”

Lee Han, impressed by the bronze golem, paused at his senior’s words.

Suggesting summoning a demon for chores was oddly natural to him.

“Extradimensional beings can be neutralized or banished in certain situations. By contrast, a purely magic-powered bronze golem is far more stable.”

“True… It’s labor-intensive, but very useful. How long did it take?”

“A day.”

“Took longer than I thought.”

“Because weird rumors cropped up in the middle.”

Trying to switch topics, Lee Han applauded in admiration.

“Incredible. Not only does it handle such varied commands, but you made it in a day.”

“Are you saying that even though you’re really not interested?”

‘He’s my friend, but he’s unbelievably petty…’

Direte closed her eyes in shame at her friend’s behavior.

If you got rejected and kicked out for forcing magic on a junior, you should reflect, not sulk instead.

But even Direte was still underestimating her junior.

If Lee Han could emerge unscathed from the Mad Clone’s lair, such petty bickering didn’t faze him at all.

“I am interested in this. It’s well made.”

“The artificial dimensional artifact is even better…”

“No, that I have no interest in.”

“The artificial dimensional artifact is far superior…”

“I get it, but I’m not interested.”

“…Just infuse mana.”

“Yes.”

Yukveltire turned around briskly again.

Direte felt conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, a good impulse to keep the two apart…

And on the other, a wicked hope that if she kept her junior beside this evil friend, maybe he would pick up some lessons!

• * *

Lee Han diligently took notes on the magic inscribed in the bronze golem.

While helping with optimization and stabilization, Direte tilted her head.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh. I thought I’d try making one in the dorm myself later. It’d be nice to have in the student lounge.”

“That’s what you think when you see this?”

“W-wouldn’t anyone?”

Wardanaz’s junior asked, a bit flustered.

Surely anyone would want such a high-performance golem butler.

Especially for Lee Han, swimming in mana, making just one would be immensely useful going forward.

“No, nothing.”

Direte laughed lightly and changed the subject.

Most 2nd year students would think “amazing” seeing such a bronze golem—but “I’ll build one myself” was rare.

Even 3rd years wouldn’t feel that…

Direte shook her head. Her junior’s skills seemed to be improving to an astonishing degree without her noticing.

“Yukveltire, it’s ready.”

“Looks good.”

Yukveltire reviewed the bronze golem.

One of them might have made clueless comments about the value of an artificial dimensional artifact, but the skill was praiseworthy.

“The junior did this.”

“……”

Yukveltire’s eyelashes quivered slightly. Clearly, he’d thought Direte did the optimization, so Lee Han’s work surprised him again.

“Not bad, right? What do you think?”

“Not bad…”

“Say it’s good.”

“But it’s not as g—”

“Say it’s good.”

“…It’s good.”

Only after being jabbed three times in the ribs did Yukveltire praise his junior.

Lee Han, seeing him clutch his side in pain, was puzzled.

“Are you unwell?”

“…A rude magician attacked me. Next is Duke Ikaldoren. I heard he got caught trying to steal Einrogard’s treasure.”

“I see. So that’s why.”

Only now did Direte realize why the duke had come.

No matter how much he relied on his title, that was recklessly bold.

“Don’t know why such types keep showing up. There was one when we were 1st years, too.”

“Incredible. Unbelievable!”

Lee Han feigned amazement.

Yukveltire nodded silently, then spoke again.

“We don’t need to persuade Duke Ikaldoren. We’ll just kidnap him.”

“Well, that should be fine.”

“……”

Lee Han was taken aback.

He wasn’t surprised that Yukveltire would suggest a kidnapping.

He was Professor Verdus’s student, after all.

But he was a bit surprised that Direte instantly agreed.

“Uh, is that really okay?”

“He’s an external criminal, junior. The principal probably let him in for that, too.”

“…Okay…”

Not noticing her junior’s uneasy look, Direte and her friend plotted the abduction.

“Other students are probably targeting him too?”

“They must be…”

“Better be ready for a fight. Got anything good?”

“I can deploy three combat golems. Eight artifacts.”

“That’s plenty. You’ve got energy-type magic? Lately, lots of students in Einrogard are using that class of defense magic, so we should be ready.”

Lee Han listened in awe to the seniors’ wise conversation.

“This should be enough. Let’s go.”

When the conversation ended, Yukveltire called Lee Han.

Not understanding at first, Lee Han asked:

“Where to?”

“To kidnap the duke. Or is it a hearing curse…

“That’s not it. More importantly, am I allowed to go too?”

He’d assumed only the two 5th years would go and he’d be left behind.

“You’re necessary as battle mage firepower.”

Direte, about to nod at her friend’s words, met Lee Han’s eyes staring at her.

“…D-do you want to wait here?”