Episode 876

Episode 876

After brushing the soot off his collar, Lee Han checked again.

No matter how he thought about it, he felt there must have been some extra provocation.

“Professor. Do you see this staff? Actually, this staff is…”

Lee Han summarized and explained the story related to this staff, that is, that Yukveltire had suggested it first and wanted to make it.

Having heard the whole story, Professor Verdus thought for a while and then cocked his head.

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Weren’t you forced to make that staff because Garcia made you? I even said Yukveltire wanted to do it, but Garcia didn’t listen.”

“……”

-I thought Yukveltire wanted to do it.

-I told you not to mess around, didn’t I?

-Argh! Ah! I-I wasn’t messing around!

-How do you know that Student Yukveltire wanted to do it. Professor, you don’t know what your student wants.

-I mean, that’s true, but this time Yukveltire really wanted it.. Argh! Ah!

Because Lee Han was also there, he was able to recall the memories. Lee Han’s face stiffened.

Oblivious to the inner thoughts of her student, Professor Verdus continued.

“So, it’s Garcia’s fault? I should tell Yukveltire!”

“What are you talking about? I don’t recall that at all.”

“Huh?”

“I have no memory of that. Did Professor Garcia really say such a thing?”

“Uhhhh?”

Professor Verdus was flustered.

“He did! Right there! He even broke my collarbone!”

“Professor Garcia couldn’t even kill a bug. There’s no way he would’ve threatened you. He’s such a gentle giant, you probably just misread his body language.”

Professor Bendozol, who had been listening, chimed in to support Lee Han.

“If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Professor Kim couldn’t possibly make threats. If he was that kind of person, why would he do your petty errands? He’d just crush your head.”

“H-He really did, though…! I’m serious!!”

“Professor. That’s not the point. What matters is that Senior Yukveltire is angry.”

Lee Han quickly shifted the subject. Professor Verdus nodded obediently.

“That’s true.”

“We need to resolve that.”

“Should I go and scold her again not to act irrationally?”

“…Absolutely don’t do that. Just apologize.”

“Will it really blow over with something that trivial? I don’t think so.”

-Wouldn’t it be better to just present it as a gift?

Unable to stand it, a few demons gave careful advice.

• * *

“Sen…”

Bang!

“…ior…”

Bang!

“…!”

Bang!

With each syllable, Lee Han defended and dodged as he called for Yukveltire.

Catching sight of Lee Han’s face belatedly, Yukveltire threw a suspicious glance. The other seniors whispered among themselves.

-Isn’t that Professor Verdus disguised?

-No. The professor could never observe enough to imitate a student.

Once convinced it was actually her junior, Yukveltire asked sternly.

“What is it? Why are you here?”

“I came because I thought there was a misunderstanding.”

Before the attacks resumed, Lee Han hurriedly explained.

Professor Verdus had retrieved the artifact, and would soon go to apologize to Professor Paselete…

“And he says he wants to apologize to seniors too!”

“A trick, huh.”

“A deception.”

“Isn’t Wardanaz being fooled?”

The club’s seniors were cold.

Professor Verdus could cast thousands of spells, but apologizing was definitely not one of them.

Quickly!

Joulin smacked Professor Verdus’s back with a front paw. She was afraid the angry students would attack Lee Han.

“I will apologize!”

“!”

Professor Verdus, now hanging from the attic entrance, shouted, startling the students.

“As a professor, I couldn’t help you properly!”

“Is he mad??”

Despite the students’ shock, Professor Verdus earnestly began her apology as just memorized.

At first, the students sat with their arms folded, intent on hearing what she had to say, but as the apologies kept coming, their expressions began to soften.

When someone who never apologizes does so, it is always more effective.

Professor Verdus’s apology was so powerful that it even warmed the hearts of the cold, Enchantment Magic club students.

“Hm…”

“Hmmm…”

Seeing the stern expressions of the arms-crossed seniors begin to loosen, Lee Han quickly urged her on.

“Hurry, apologize to Senior Yukveltire as well.”

“Alright! What was I supposed to say again?”

“…About the staff.”

The person who remembered every single nail in her own airship couldn’t recall a simple apology, which made Lee Han want to hit her.

“Yukveltire, I’m sorry! Let me apologize! I went ahead and made the staff you were supposed to make.”

“!”

Upon hearing an apology she had not at all expected, Yukveltire’s eyes widened slightly.

The students in the back whispered.

-She never helps when asked but went ahead and made what Senior Yukveltire was making?

-It’s obvious. She probably made it herself because it looked fun.

-Shouldn’t we just subdue her now and turn her over to Professor Craer?

As the mood started to turn nasty, Lee Han jabbed Professor Verdus’s back once more.

Like a golem receiving orders, Professor Verdus dutifully added to her apology.

“I truly apologize!”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about. I really don’t care though.”

At her answer, Professor Verdus glared at Lee Han.

“See! She said she doesn’t care!”

“Just shut up and keep apologizing.”

“…Sorry! Uh… It’s not my fault I’m more talented than you!”

“???”

Lee Han was horrified.

After his repeated prompting, Professor Verdus began spewing nonsensical apologies.

For someone with no experience apologizing, being forced like this was almost inevitable.

Having run out of memorized lines, Professor Verdus had to make up her own apologies on the spot.

“Professor!”

Lee Han tried to stop her in haste, but Professor Verdus misunderstood and kept apologizing.

“I’ll let you do it next time! Uh… Until then, keep practicing magic!”

“……”

Yukveltire’s eyes, always cold, now grew even icier—practically the dimension of Frost Giants.

Behind her, Joulin and Eandurde whispered.

We might as well push her down now…

“I agree.”

• * *

Surprisingly, Yukveltire accepted the apology.

She herself didn’t want to get overly emotional over the staff theft incident.

“I don’t act like that. Understand?”

“…Yes…”

Lee Han nodded, looking at the seniors and siege weapons gathered behind her.

It already seemed like too much, but he was scared that if he said so, those siege weapons would be aimed at him.

“Still, thank you for accepting it.”

“You’re also a Wardanaz junior and Direte’s close junior, and you’re going to help with my research during the break.”

Professor Verdus, listening at the side, remarked curiously.

“Huh? In that case, you might as well help with my research…”

“Shut up. Please.”

Professor Bendozol dragged Professor Verdus away and tossed her to the back. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to relax until they returned the item to Professor Paselete.

‘Amazing. With the two of them together, Professor Bendozol seems normal by comparison.’

Lee Han named this the -Professor Madness Conservation Hypothesis-.

It seemed he’d discovered a new hypothesis, following the -Animalian Personality-Cuteness Inverse Hypothesis-.

Determined to send a thesis to Einrogard alumni someday, Lee Han hurriedly led the party away.

Joulin, not understanding, asked a question.

Lee Han. Joulin has a question.

“Please, Your Highness.”

If they need to return the artifact to Professor Craer, then shouldn’t Professor Verdus go alone…?

He didn’t understand why the whole party had to go with Professor Verdus to return the artifact and apologize.

“There are a few reasons for that.”

Ah! Joulin gets it! There must be students who don’t know the bounty on Professor Verdus has been lifted!

Joulin shouted with glee, feeling like a great detective named Toberis.

‘To be precise, it hasn’t been lifted just yet.’

“That’s right, Your Highness. But there are other reasons as well.”

What is that?

“Professor Verdus might disappear again and not return the artifact halfway through.”

Joulin cracked up at what sounded like a joke.

However, everyone else was completely serious. Even the demons were serious.

…That’s not a joke?

“Yes.”

……

Joulin looked at Professor Verdus with dismay.

• * *

Professor Paselete Craer of the Craer family was a banshee half-blood, and had multiple personalities.

Currently, the most ill-tempered one was in control.

Since a certain professor, instead of simply bringing the promised artifact, had made up an excuse like “someone stole it!” (which wouldn’t fool even an Einrogard student), this was natural.

“Verdus! With the headmaster not even present! Don’t think anyone here can protect your life!”

“…Professor Craer is truly furious.”

“No wonder my fortune told me today would be unlucky!”

The Divination Magic club students hurriedly averted their gazes and fled the workshop.

Though Professor Paselete was a bit eccentric, she was usually kind. But when her wrathful persona surfaced, she was to be avoided at all costs.

“Um… Professor…”

“Who!”

Professor Paselete paused mid-outburst.

The visitors were entirely unexpected.

Not only Professor Verdus, but Professor Bendozol, demon slaves, a dragon and students…?!

Professor Paselete halted her anger and asked.

“What’s all this?”

“Professor. Professor Verdus’s lost artifact has been found.”

“…It really was lost, then?”

Professor Paselete asked suspiciously. Joulin wagged her tail and said,

It’s true! Joulin can vouch for it!

“Your Highness. I trust your word, but don’t trust Professor Verdus. Do you know what she said last year instead of bringing the promised counting sticks for divination? She asked why I was angry when she was making a better version.”

T-That’s a bit different…

“And the year before last, I told her to make and bring a divination tortoise shell, but she used it herself and said there was none left. Even the headmaster had to make up a story about it being lost. And before that…”

Completely defeated, Joulin lowered her tail and hid behind Lee Han, though it wasn’t very effective because of the size difference.

“…Still, Professor. This time, we truly came to return it.”

“Hmph.”

Though Professor Paselete was angry, she softened a bit as the student handed it over.

It was Professor Verdus’s fault, so what fault could her student have?

Besides, that student was the most pitiable one in all Einrogard.

“Fine. I’ll lift the bounty. Still, it’s well made…”

“If I’d had just a bit more time, I could’ve added user protection.”

“Then why didn’t you do it to begin with!”

Professor Paselete’s retort blasted Professor Verdus’s eardrums. She staggered, losing her balance.

Lee Han thought to himself.

‘So all those struggles were because she didn’t have user protection magic…’

Had Professor Verdus simply focused on safety magic before obsessing over useless features, it would’ve been fine.

Thinking that made the anger flare up all over again.

As Professor Paselete examined the -Star Guide-, she suddenly asked Lee Han,

“You didn’t use it without permission, did you?”

“Uh…”

“Well, even for you, Wardanaz, it would’ve been hard to use. I’ll teach you how to use it at midterms, so no need to rush. Look forward to it! Finding stars is a delight.”

“And contracts, too. I look forward to that.”

“No contracts. What are you talking about?”

“……”