Episode 853

“To whom?”

“To the Baldrogard student.”

“Aha.”

Gainando nodded and explained for the other friends.

“He’s probably writing a threat letter.”

“…That’s not it.”

However, the friends had already found Gainando’s theory convincing.

“Gainando, don’t be stupid. If anyone asks later, we have to say it’s a letter.”

“Yeah, everyone keep that in mind. It’s a letter.”

“……”

Lee Han covered his ears and quickly wrote his reply.

Thank you for your letter. Thank you for the invitation. The weather in Einrogard is also nice… (abridged)… The students are happy… (abridged)… I’m glad to hear you enjoyed telekinesis magic last time. With that, I recommend these books… (abridged)… Don’t just accept these books as ‘oh, so these exist,’ be sure to actually read them. I’ll check the next time we meet.

Yoner, who was sitting beside him, thought to himself.

‘Does Gainando have a little brother or something?’

If it wasn’t a mysterious Gainando sibling even Yoner didn’t know about, Lee Han had no reason to write a letter like that…

• * *

“Thank you for your hospitality, everyone!”

“Wow! Please come back again!”

“Hahaha! Of course!”

As the stormy week ended and the weekend arrived, the guests who had come to visit began to leave one by one.

Those who visited and stayed honorably, like the master baker Golradek from the city’s baking guild, were happily sent off by students and were satisfied.

But not all guests were like that.

Some, looking for valuables or causing trouble intentionally or by accident, left cursing after some misfortune.

“This damn magic school! I’m going to report you to His Imperial Majesty and have this place shut down!”

“Wow! Thank you!”

“Do I look like I’m bluffing?! I really will!”

“We really are grateful, sir!”

“Sir! Please do send that report!”

A noble guest, furious while holding his freshly torn, newly tailored purple leather coat, was bewildered by the students’ reactions.

How could they be so unfazed by such threats?

“Damn it. Just you wait! I know a lot of nobles in the capital!”

—I apologize, sir. Speaking about or reporting the magic school is prohibited.

“What? What kind of insane nonsense is this!”

—You signed before your visit…

The Death Knights, looking troubled, took out the contract.

Several clauses had clearly been added that weren’t visible at the time of signing, but the outraged noble guest didn’t notice.

“W… when was this added… You think I’ll just take this lying down!?”

—Sir. There’s a magical prohibition, so you won’t be able to speak of it anyway…

“…This insane magic school! Curse you! I’ll never return!”

After finishing sorting his backpack, Lee Han also watched the departing guests in the village on the seventh floor with his friends.

The teahouse -Hot Water and Cold Water- became popular among second-year students lately, thanks to its affordable white tea.

His friends, having set their cups on the table, clicked their tongues and criticized the guests.

“They only stayed a few days and what a fuss.”

“Yeah. It’s just a torn coat. A lot of students live without one.”

“Honestly, after adapting to Einrogard, it’s not so bad.”

‘Are these really the same kids who used to whine so much last year?’

Lee Han thought inwardly.

Of course, he didn’t wish for his friends to suffer, but just remembering the first-year juniors who had to pawn their staves for food made him a bit…

“Oh. It’s a magic criminal!”

“What?”

Lee Han turned around, startled.

With outsiders present, a magic criminal just showing up?

‘What kind of lunatic is this? Could it be Antagondals?’

No matter how you looked at it, the only magic criminal who might show up at Einrogard in this situation screaming “kill me” was Antagondals.

Either he was tormented and fled from his mad clone, or maybe he was sent by the mad clone…

“It’s the Baldrogard students…”

Lee Han was speechless.

But his friends were confident.

“They’re halfway to being magic criminals anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

—Get out of here! Don’t ever come back!

—You guys probably think this is a tourist spot! When you get back you’ll just say, ‘If the Einrogard students have no bread they could just eat cake or something!’

The seniors also jeered vigorously.

The Death Knights solemnly issued warnings at the scene.

—Silence, everyone!

—Get out at once! Get out at o…

A clueless third-year muttered one more word and was promptly seized by a Death Knight and dragged away.

—To the punishment room!

—Argh! It’s unfair! Baldrogard bastards! Do you see this! This is all because of you!

“……”

“Sniff. I feel bad for that senior.”

Gainando choked up. The other friends fell silent in respect. Lee Han alone was perplexed.

‘Wasn’t that clearly the senior’s fault?’

Just then, Jandanni passed by in a carriage and waved at Lee Han.

“Wardanaz! Don’t forget the gift I gave you!”

“……”

The seniors and others nearby were shocked.

“That guy… Did he threaten a Baldrogard student for their stuff??”

“There shouldn’t have been any openings. How on earth did he do it?!”

Given all the surprising ambushes from Einrogard students, Baldrogard visitors took a lot of precautions, usually staying only in the -Visitor Lodging- village or hiring guards.

As seen this visit, so how and when did it happen?

“Is that Wardanaz? The one taking all the other courses?”

“The rumors were true…”

“How did he threaten that Baldrogard guy without him even realizing it?”

With the misunderstanding spreading, Lee Han hurriedly shouted to the seniors.

“I didn’t threaten anyone, I just got it because we became friends!”

“Right, right. Wardanaz, we get it.”

“Of course you didn’t ‘threaten’ anyone. We know, too!”

The seniors smiled and nodded at Lee Han’s protest. But none looked like they really believed him.

Lee Han swore inwardly.

‘These cold, close-minded mages, seriously.’

Mages were supposed to be the most free-thinking, unbiased people!

Tap tap—

“?”

As a paper bird tapped on his shoulder, Lee Han curiously opened it.

‘Surely no one’s sent a blackmail letter for being friends with a Baldrogard student…’

Come help out

Bible Verdus

‘A threat letter would have been better.’

Receiving a paper bird from Professor Verdus made Lee Han’s mood instantly plummet.

If a single sentence could control a person’s heart, wasn’t that real magic?

“I’m going to go see the professor for a bit.”

“Professor Baegrek?”

“No.”

“Professor Garcia?”

“No.”

“Thunderstep? Lightningstep?”

His friends guessed every professor they could think of—even the skeleton headmaster.

“Huh, is it a professor we don’t know?”

“I’m going to see Professor Verdus.”

“…Why???”

• * *

‘Actually, it’s a fair question.’

Lee Han knew better than anyone why his friends asked that.

If they said they were going to help Professor Verdus, he’d have asked, ‘Why?’ too.

Maybe even checked if they were under an illusion spell…

But he felt a bit guilty after receiving the black obsidian and staff last time, so he couldn’t exactly refuse this time.

‘Just this once, then I’ll ignore future requests…’

As with his last visit with Professor Garcia, Lee Han headed to the attic of the Magic Tower, rather than Verdus’s actual workshop.

Because of grudges with some outside guests, Professor Verdus was hiding in the attic.

“Professor! I’m here!”

Clank-clank!

As before, the clattering sound of chains being undone echoed. Professor Verdus was disengaging the protection spells.

—Come in!

When Lee Han climbed the trapdoor to the attic, he raised his brow at Professor Verdus keeping his distance.

“Why are you all the way over there?”

“I got betrayed by Professor Garcia last time.”

Naively trusting Professor Garcia and getting physically overpowered, Professor Verdus was now even more cautious.

Lee Han smiled wryly.

“Professor, look. I’m human. I don’t have close combat abilities like Professor Garcia.”

“True, that does make sense…”

Thinking his student made a fair point, Professor Verdus nodded and drew closer.

Lee Han’s eyes glinted craftily out of sight. One day, this carelessness would be what brought Professor Verdus down.

‘Hehehe.’

“So, why did you call me here?”

“Ah. I need help to finish something urgently.”

“Don’t you always say everything needs to be finished urgently, Professor?”

In Lee Han’s view, Professor Verdus simply claimed everything was urgent if it interested him.

Yet he’d put off artifacts for the skeleton headmaster (which needed to be finished by tomorrow) because he found those boring!

“This really does need to be finished urgently!”

“What is it?”

Lee Han glanced toward the back of the attic.

It was a small, strangely-shaped sailboat. The streamlined body was sleek, and on the protruding mast, instead of a sail, there were… artifacts?

“It’s an airship. Small, though.”

“!”

And now he noticed—the body wasn’t made of wood but metal. Not just any metal, but magic-treated metal.

Lee Han cried out in surprise.

“Is this the one you tricked Dame Lagesa with, professor?”

“No! I never tricked anyone!”

Professor Verdus flailed indignantly.

“I never scammed anyone!”

“Yeah, yeah. All con men say that, professor.”

“People who didn’t scam anyone say that too, you know?”

“I’m honestly surprised, professor. You never finish anything like this for other investors to show good faith.”

“What are you talking about? I do!”

Professor Verdus was baffled by his disciple’s suspicions.

One of the common rumors in the Empire’s magic circle was that “Einrogard’s Professor Verdus takes investments and sponsorships and then skips out with no conscience.”

But Professor Verdus himself was proud.

He had never siphoned off a single penny.

“I’m still working on it. Just moving a little slowly.”

“While starting other projects, too?”

“They’re fun. How could I not? Wouldn’t you?”

Professor Verdus asked, full of conviction, as if Lee Han was the irrational one.

Thankfully, Lee Han wasn’t swayed at all.

“Anyway, professor—isn’t this just an excuse to finish something before Dame Lagesa leaves, to soothe her anger a little and maybe reduce the bounty on your head?”

“That’s roughly it.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll help.”

Since Lee Han owed both Dame Lagesa and Professor Verdus, he accepted readily.

Professor Verdus, expecting Lee Han to leverage some dirt and demand far more than usual, was instead delighted.

“So you really do find this fun, too!”

“No. If you keep talking nonsense, I’m leaving.”

“W-wait. But it is fun—”

“Because of you, even Senior Yukveltire keeps having weird misunderstandings. People in the Empire’s magic community keep thinking everyone likes and enjoys their own research.”

“???”

Professor Verdus tilted his head in confusion at a criticism he couldn’t comprehend.

Why, exactly, was that his fault?

“And everyone likes and enjoys my research… why are you putting your hand on my shoulder?”

“Haha, it’s nothing. There was just a bit of dust.”