Episode 1055

“P-please. I’m telling you, it’s an evil god cultist! Really! Compared to that, I’m nothing—”

“You be quiet.”

Giselle drew frosty light from her sword hilt and held it to his neck. Feeling the chill touch, Toman shut his mouth.

“Hey. Doesn’t Wardanaz seem a little off to you?”

The elf friend whispered, and Gainando tilted his head.

“How so?”

“…He usually wasn’t like this.”

Normally Wardanaz was always composed.

Whether facing a duke, or a monster from another dimension…

Of course, some credit went to his naturally calm, statuesque features, but it couldn’t be just that.

But something about Wardanaz now seemed off.

‘He seems weirdly excited. Come to think of it, he also seems to be spying on Professor Baegrek.’

At first, he thought Wardanaz had a lot of interest in bounty hunting and so followed Professor Baegrek around like this, but began to suspect otherwise.

“Lee Han was always like this, though?”

“……”

A flicker of contempt appeared and vanished in Giselle’s gaze.

‘This guy is even more useless than Alpha.’

She suddenly felt grateful toward her other tower friends.

But instead of showing her true feelings, she feigned admiration.

“Indeed. Now that you say it, Prince, it seems that way. You really are Wardanaz’s best friend.”

“Moradi, I always thought you were the smartest and most insightful one in White Tiger Tower.”

Gainando’s face lit up and instantly changed sides, so easily that even Giselle was shocked.

‘Is this kid acting or something?’

While Giselle was winning over Gainando, Lee Han was turning things over quickly in his mind.

‘Damn. Why are evil god cultists so diligent? Why here of all places…’

The reason Lee Han cut off the dwarven mage and told him to shut up was simple.

1. Listen to the mage all the way through.
2. Giselle and Gainando go downstairs and report, “Professor! There’s something called an evil god called the Fair Steward.”
3. With his eyes flipped, Professor Voladi beats up Lee Han and rushes off to catch the evil god cultist.
4. Skull Headmaster shows up and mocks him.

…That sequence seemed all too likely.

‘All info related to evil gods must be blocked. Whatever it takes, I must keep him quiet.’

“Toman.”

“?”

The terrified dwarven mage turned at the summons.

The statuesque Einrogard mage was quietly addressing him.

“You idiot. Because of you, I almost lost my achievement. You should’ve told me alone, in secret.”

“…!”

Toman’s eyes widened.

So, now…?

“If you want a deal, don’t ever mention it to the others. Got it?”

“Y-yeah, I get it…! But you guys, aren’t you Einrogard mages? If we came from the same place, why—”

Toman, of course, had heard of Einrogard.

Wasn’t it one of the Empire’s twin pillars of magic academies?

“What did you say, punk?”

“Huh, what? No, nothing!”

“…That’s not important. Whatever.”

Lee Han was about to ask another thing, but let it drop.

It wasn’t important, and even if he heard, it would probably only annoy him.

“I thought you were fellow mages from the same school…”

He thought they were close colleagues, but now they were suspicious and guarded. Toman didn’t understand.

Lee Han replied coldly.

“Hmph. One day, they’re just rivals to trample and climb over.”

‘Terrifying!’

Toman was chilled to the bone.

The seemingly friendly mages actually hid knives behind their backs, competing fiercely.

Maybe every magic academy was like that.

“Kuh-kuh. I am from a great noble house. If you betray our deal, I’ll destroy you.”

“O-okay. I get it!”

At this threat from an evil great noble, Toman surrendered at once. Lee Han felt a wave of fatigue.

‘Damn evil god cultists… I’ll never forgive them.’

Lee Han sent a paper bird to Professor Garcia, reporting the discovery of an evil god cultist.

Unless the target was a fool, hearing the commotion from Toman’s room he’d have already fled, but Lee Han had to report it.

Then he called Professor Voladi, who was waiting downstairs.

“Professor! We got him!”

“Oh, are we not supposed to tell the one downstairs?”

“No, idiot. Do you want to taste the cruel revenge of a great noble house? Hm?”

“O-okay! I get it!”

Toman trembled in fear.

Even the teacher who taught him was secretly keeping the upper hand.

Einrogard was a truly frightening place.

• * *

Professor Voladi was waiting under the window outside the inn.

Rowdy mercenaries passing by almost picked a fight when they saw a mage in odd finery, but as soon as he met their eyes, they bowed quickly and moved on.

‘Strange.’

The original plan was as follows.

1. Lee Han’s group knocks on the door.
2. The suspicious Toman escapes out the window.
3. Professor Voladi catches him.

If things went awry, a fight would break out in the inn hallway. Wanderers in such places didn’t like people prying.

But Professor Voladi wasn’t worried.

His student’s skill was enough to subdue everyone in there with one hand, and call for backup with the other if needed.

But events took the most unexpected turn.

For some reason, Toman opened the door without resistance and was captured without a fight.

The height and distance were considerable, but Professor Voladi used echolocation magic to check the inside situation.

‘Why hasn’t he reported in?’

Professor Voladi wondered if something had gone wrong inside.

If anyone was injured…

‘Probably the prince.’

Lee Han and Giselle weren’t the type to get hurt, so it had to be Gainando. Perhaps there was a mishap during the takedown.

-Professor! We got him!

Pop!

Professor Voladi flew through the air and came in through the window. Toman, gagged, was laid out among the students.

“Toman. You are under arrest for stealing corpses from the western cemetery and stealing fourteen horses from a ranch. The imperial court shall judge you.”

“Mmph mmph!”

“?”

Professor Voladi felt puzzled once more.

The captured Toman was reacting oddly.

Normally, he should be showing fear or regret, but instead he was glancing at Wardanaz as if signaling.

‘Deal?’

You couldn’t fool a battle-hardened mage so easily. Professor Voladi quickly surmised Lee Han and the dwarf mage must have struck some deal.

Not surprising. This bold student always wanted tougher trials than what was given.

After all, he had secretly joined an expedition chasing a monster from the void dimension. Even if you tried to stop him, you couldn’t.

If he got confidential information from a dangerous criminal and planned to go after one himself…

Professor Voladi glanced at Lee Han. He might have to be monitored for a while.

‘Don’t tell me he noticed.’

Lee Han felt uneasy inside.

There was something off in Professor Voladi’s gaze, different from usual.

“Bring him down.”

“Yes, sir.”

The professor let Lee Han go on first, then asked the weakest among them, Gainando.

“What happened?”

Gainando explained everything as it happened.

The door opened, and Lee Han and Giselle beat up the pitiful dwarf mage…

“He kept talking, so Lee Han told him to shut it and got angry.”

“I see.”

Professor Voladi felt his hypothesis gaining strength.

If he were trying to monopolize information, that reaction made sense.

“Did you not find it strange?”

“It was a little odd.”

“Not strange. Lee Han’s always like that.”

Giselle and Gainando gave different answers.

Professor Voladi hesitated at their reactions. Apparently, Gainando was closer to the student.

“Is that so.”

“…Professor. You’re not actually listening to the prince, right? Wardanaz was acting strange, it’s obvious.”

“Moradi, what did you whisper?”

“I told him your words were persuasive.”

“Thanks!”

Gainando grinned goofily.

His friends had said so much about the northern elf leading White Tiger Tower, but it must have been a misunderstanding after all.

At that moment, Lee Han returned. Professor Voladi stared at his student and said,

“Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t do anything dangerous.”

“…???!”

Lee Han was utterly flabbergasted.

What was that supposed to mean?

• * *

Not good news.

The Skull Headmaster let out a sigh after confirming the captured dwarven mage and inn employees that Professor Garcia brought in (in truth, she hadn’t captured them—just asked, and they’d accepted, trembling).

It was a coincidence, but even taking that into account, it was clear the number of Sengguiros worshippers was rising fast.

“Please spare me! Spare my life! Please!”

Must be your first time seeing a floating skull head. It’s not always an omen of death. Sometimes it’s a symbol of good luck.

The Skull Headmaster tried to comfort the young servant.

It was understandable to be frightened by the sight of a polished undead skull if you were inexperienced.

“N-no, Demon Commander! I saw the Demon Commander enter the capital two years ago! Please don’t feed me to that troll monster, I beg you!”

“……”

Professor Garcia felt wrongly accused.

She had kindly asked, after all!

Hey.

‘Oops.’

The Skull Headmaster’s voice turned chilly, stirring fear in Professor Garcia.

That really was a sign of danger.

If you want to leave this mansion alive, watch your tongue. If you say something like that again, I’ll tear your soul to shreds and feed it to the hounds of hell.

“Hey, come on. What’s the matter, Headmaster?”

Carve letters into that guy’s forehead and tongue. So all the capital can see. Should have hung that count bastard up for longer last time. These fools already forgot their lesson.

“Don’t really do that. He’s just a kid.”

The servant looked at Professor Garcia with grateful eyes.

He’d thought she was a scary monster, but it turned out she was the kindest one in this creepy magician’s mansion.

Kid? He’s old enough to kill. Then old enough to die.

“Okay, okay, so the old stablehand disappeared, right?”

“Yes, yes!”

“If he shows up again, don’t hesitate to call us. He’s a dangerous, suspicious criminal. Not like the mercenaries who stay here.”

“Yes, yes!”

Apparently still annoyed, the Skull Headmaster scanned everyone from the innkeeper to the workers with blue glowing eyes and declared:

Call the guards. Lock up everyone.

“Oh, please! From now on, we’ll only take properly identified guests!”

“Headmaster. This isn’t our house. Please don’t go overboard… Weird rumors will spread in the capital.”

Professor Garcia thought of her student’s reputation.

Even now, her student carried dangerous and bizarre rumors—not a good idea for another incident at this villa.

Word would soon spread that it was a terrifying mansion…

Well, it’s Wardanaz’s house anyway. What’s he up to?

“He’s out with Professor Baegrek for the remaining bounty hunt.”

Jeez. He sure loves bounty hunting.

“…You’re the one who told him to go, Headmaster…!”