Episode 1125
by Cristae‘True, maybe the Headmaster needs something to do, too.’
On second thought, having him cover illusion department work wasn’t a bad thing.
There’s a saying that when people quit working, they suddenly get old.
Of course, the skeleton Headmaster was a grand magician far from aging, but still, everyone needed proper pastimes.
He did keep grumbling about the Inspector’s visit…
‘If he gets busy, maybe he’ll forget about having his authority taken away by Prince Uman.’
Or he might burn with even more resentment, but at least he’d direct it at Professor Kirmin.
That wasn’t a bad thing for Lee Han.
“Thank you, Professor.”
“It’s nothing at all.”
“By the way, Professor, will you also give extra lectures when you go out?”
“What do you mean? …Wait, have other professors done that when they accompany you outside?!”
As for Voladi, that was expected, but Garcia too?!
Professor Kirmin was stunned.
…Had he picked up that habit from being around them?!
‘That’s not something you should copy…’
He worried his good-hearted junior was turning wild from bad friends.
The request Lee Han chose next was assigned by a church.
It wasn’t because the reward was particularly high. The empire’s churches weren’t all that powerful financially.
In terms of sheer money, great noble families, royals, or merchant families were much wealthier.
But Lee Han didn’t turn down the church’s request. He still had a little conscience.
‘I did wind up joining all these orders and freeloading on their holy magic, after all.’
He hadn’t taken the holy magic by choice, more by coincidence, but it did leave him feeling a bit responsible.
Meanwhile, the commission from the royals was just too… suspiciously tempting.
They offered this and that just for showing up, but who knew what might happen if you went? Lee Han figured he might end up having to greet every relative of the royal family.
And then the next day, the imperial paper’s headline would read: -Lee Han of House Wardanaz publicly supports royal A… Shocking!-
Compared to that, the church’s request seemed trustworthy. They made it clear it was okay if you couldn’t come, and their purpose was earnest.
Solving drought and heat damage in the western region? That sounded like an honest, upright request if he ever heard one.
The problem was…
“…Why are you all here?”
“W-we’re priests too, you know, Wardanaz.”
Priest Siana answered, flustered.
Of course the church would send priests on a church job!
“I see…”
Lee Han realized he’d overlooked one thing.
His friends could go out on assignments, too.
‘I let my guard down.’
He’d assumed only he would be going, not that it might become a group job like with Moradi.
But it made sense that churches wouldn’t leave any spare hands idle for these sorts of tasks. They called people in as needed.
“Is there a reason we shouldn’t go together?”
Siana gave him a suspicious look.
Wardanaz’s reaction was a little weirder than usual.
Of course, Wardanaz was always a little strange, but still…
“Well… hmm.”
Lee Han looked around at his priest friends. Priest Nigisor and Priest Tijilling stared back with curiosity.
“Right. I shouldn’t hide this. The truth is, I’m currently in a feud with a certain evil cult whose name I can’t disclose.”
“Is it the Phragal cult?”
“No.”
“The Kshaksarigol cult?”
“No.”
“Then…”
“I said I can’t say the name.”
Lee Han glared at his friends in disbelief.
What was this, “Guess which cult I’m in a feud with” quiz hour?
The priests whispered in disappointment.
“I thought we could guess…”
“Maybe he’s just pretending not to admit it. Wardanaz is good at that sort of thing.”
“I think it’s probably Kshaksarigol…”
Lee Han irritably thumped his staff on the floor. The loud sound made the priests shut their mouths.
“Anyway, I’m in a feud with this cult, and I’m worried you’ll get caught up in it.”
If it were the White Tiger Tower kids, he wouldn’t mind so much, but these kind and upright priest friends were another story.
Siana raised her hand and asked,
“I have a question.”
“Alright. But you can’t ask which cult.”
“That’s not it. It’s just… didn’t you used to get caught up in trouble even without having any feuds?”
Siana’s sharp question made even Tijilling and Nigisor go “Gasp.”
It was a bit too cruel to ask their friend something like that.
“N-no, but that’s a little much…”
“That’s right. It’s not like Wardanaz ever meant for those things to happen.”
“S-still, someone should say it.”
Despite some rebuke, Siana stood her ground.
You couldn’t travel with Wardanaz if you worried about every little thing like that.
Besides, evil cult aside, Wardanaz already had hordes of enemies.
Anti-magic fanatics, magical criminals—there was a queue.
“……”
Lee Han fell gloomy. Siana realized her mistake from the look on his face.
“Ah, wait, I wasn’t blaming you!”
“That’s why I said it was too harsh!”
“Someone cheer him up!”
“I wasn’t blaming you! Would you like a cheering-up potion?”
Siana brought out an ice cream float she’d been saving. Ever since the Inspector’s prohibition, just possessing this bottle could land you in the punishment room.
“…That’s not the point.”
‘She changed the subject.’
‘She changed the subject.’
‘She changed the subject…’
“Even if we’re going together, just be careful with these cultists.”
Lee Han narrowed down his goal.
Now that he thought about it, these priests weren’t the type to hold back just because he asked, and he’d feel guilty telling them not to go because of him anyway.
At the very least, he had to stress safety.
“If you run into anyone suspicious whispering evil outside, don’t approach—just report to me immediately.”
“Is it an evil god of fire?”
Nigisor asked with a hint of hope.
If so, he intended to double-cross the cultists and steal their flame.
“…No.”
“Maybe something related to alchemy…”
“Guys, you don’t think every evil god is a peddler of goods, do you?”
Lee Han glared at his friends.
The priests quickly shook their heads and cried,
“We’ll never be swayed by suspicious whispers. We’ll keep our distance from any outsiders!”
“I will too! Now, Priest Tijilling, your turn!”
‘I never had any intention to get involved anyway…’
Tijilling felt a little wronged.
He’d never wanted to get mixed up with cultists in the first place!
“Ah, it’s Professor Garcia!”
Among the professors, Garcia was the first to arrive and greeted the students cheerfully.
“Good to see you all. Oh, Lee Han. The Headmaster mentioned there’s some news, and said you should hear it directly.”
“Huh? From me?”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s because someone sent the Headmaster a letter asking him to watch over the illusion department for a while?”
“…Aha.”
Lee Han quickly finished reporting about the Sengiros cult.
And that his name was on their list.
“The Ghoul King, maybe? Or the Frost Giant King? The anti-magicists? The magical criminals? Or maybe because of your contract with Prince Joulin…”
“…Professor, aren’t you surprised at all?”
‘Ah.’
Professor Garcia realized too late.
He should have shown a “How dare those evil cultists threaten my student! I’ll never forgive them!” reaction.
“R-right! I’m shocked! Those evil villains. If I catch them, I won’t let them go unpunished!”
“…Thank you.”
“By the way, is Professor Ku coming to lecture, too?”
Garcia asked, as if it was perfectly natural.
If a professor accompanied them, it had to mean another lecture.
“No.”
“Why not? Is there something wrong?”
“Professor… You don’t have to lecture every time you accompany a group, you know…”
“…?!!!”
Professor Garcia’s eyes went wide.
Really…?
Oh, that’s right?!
The party traveled by two carriages, flying along the road.
Whether out of shock from their earlier conversation, or as an act of kindness to let Lee Han spend time with friends, Professor Garcia dragged Professor Voladi to the carriage behind them.
-Professor Baegrek. You can always catch up on your lectures in free time!
-That’s right, Professor Baegrek. Let the students chat!
Lee Han glanced at his friends in a new light.
He never imagined the power of friendship would be so great. Maybe if it grew even stronger, they could even take down evil gods together.
“Wardanaz.”
“What is it, Priest Nigisor?”
“I heard you recently defeated a powerful fire spirit…”
“Koff, koff.”
Lee Han coughed on the cheerful ice cream potion Siana had given him.
A question he never expected.
How on earth…?
“W-what do you mean?”
“Wasn’t the mission at Water-Hemlock Tower to subdue a spirit?”
Nigisor sounded genuinely confused.
Why would you be embarrassed about a mission like that?
To Lee Han, the situation was just bizarre.
He was shocked the rumor had already spread…
…And it was obvious why Nigisor was asking!
‘Whatever their reason, I’ll never tell them.’
Whether it was to be introduced to General Hwacheon or some other goal, Lee Han was determined not to go along with it. He played innocent.
“No. The Water-Hemlock Tower job was just…”
“Just?”
“…They wanted to look good for me. It was a banquet, a meal, that sort of thing—to recruit me after graduation.”
“……”
“……”
Good-hearted Priest Tijilling nodded faithfully, but the two trickier priests exchanged skeptical looks.
‘Sounds like a lie.’
‘I think so too.’
No matter how exceptional Wardanaz was, would Water-Hemlock Tower really stoop to petty attempts at seduction?
That tower only invited mages by proven results, not luring them with sweets.
Nigisor probed further.
“What sort of events did they hold?”
“First they threw a banquet, then they brought in famous imperial musicians for a recital, and after that, a lakeside meditation retreat…”
“……”
“…You don’t believe me, do you?”
“N-no, we believe you!”
“How could we ever doubt you, Wardanaz!”
Seeing Siana and Nigisor’s obviously unconvincing responses, Lee Han regretted not bringing Joulin.
‘Should’ve brought him.’
“These things really happened. If you doubt me, ask the tower later—wait, they’ll deny it. Or ask the adventurers or knights… No, forget that.”
If they asked, they’d definitely hear about General Hwacheon. Lee Han hurriedly waved it off.
“Right. Ask the professors once we arrive.”
“……”
“…Siana, you don’t think I’d bribe the professors too, do you?”
“Gasp. H-how did you know?”