Episode 1142
by Cristae“……”
“……”
For a moment, Lee Han thought Professor Garcia had used a time stop spell. Suddenly, everyone in the classroom had paused.
But it was not so. The frozen people were all staring straight at the entrance of the classroom.
Sensing an ominous future, Lee Han turned his gaze. And was appalled.
“Professor Verdus!”
“Indeed. Looks like I can finally be on my way.”
Yukveltire immediately reacted. Lee Han glared at this fifth-year senior, tempted to hit him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Now that the professor’s been released, I’m free too, right?”
“If you’re going to talk about freedom, you shouldn’t have joined the Enchantment Magic School. No, you shouldn’t have even come to Einrogard. Once you’re in, there’s no such thing as freedom, so stay put.”
“What kind of nonsense is that…”
Yukveltire tried to object, but the junior didn’t listen.
The visiting stonemason guild people, bewildered, were pointing at Professor Verdus.
“Why is Professor Verdus here now…”
“There’s a reason for that.”
“And why is he crawling on all fours?”
“…There’s a reason for that, too. Actually, that’s Professor Verdus’s own sign of apology.”
“Professor Verdus, you say?!”
The stonemason guild members were more surprised at the fact that Professor Verdus was trying to apologize than at his crawling.
At this, Yukveltire looked a little regretful.
He didn’t have the urge to boast in front of people he considered beneath his level, but defeating Professor Verdus was an exception—he almost felt like telling everyone he met.
‘I’m the one who made him kneel.’
“How much harm has the professor caused you all? And how rudely has he behaved?”
“Thinking of it, I still want to throw a hammer at his face. Honestly, I spend every night debating whether to put a bounty on this guy or not.”
The stonemason guild members, who were laughing heartily just moments ago, suddenly turned serious, and Lee Han shrank back a little.
They were all so big and hardened by work, their energy was no joke.
“…This apology cannot pay back even a ten-thousandth, but I’d appreciate it if you accept it as a gesture.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised and can’t quite believe it… Still, it doesn’t feel so bad. To think Professor Verdus might change…”
Lee Han and the stonemason guild members continued their conversation, leaving Professor Verdus, who was crouched on all fours at the door, alone.
Lee Han quickly whispered to his senior.
“Senior Yukveltire, please keep the professor from saying any nonsense.”
“Got it.”
Yukveltire nodded unexpectedly readily.
The only command this fifth-year senior was always happy to take was to attack Professor Verdus.
“…You’re trying to attack me!”
Professor Verdus, truly a master wizard, sensed the ill intent from his approaching disciple.
The artifact in his hand was the -Instrument of the Silent Ascetic-, a powerful artifact that, once worn, seals the tongue and vocal cords.
For a wizard, there was hardly anything more troublesome than an artifact like that.
Though most of his artifacts had been confiscated while he was in the punishment room, Professor Verdus tried hurriedly to summon one from the air.
Grab!
Just then, the Death Knights grabbed both of Professor Verdus’s arms, stopping him.
-Put it on.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
With the help of the knights, Yukveltire easily fastened the artifact. With the gag on, Professor Verdus struggled defiantly, seeming frustrated.
-Calm down, professor. We’ll let you go once you have to lecture anyway. But for now, please stay still while the heir explains the situation.
“Mmmph!”
-Should have had that on you even in the punishment room.
Thanks to the knights’ help, Lee Han breathed a sigh of relief.
At least the sudden appearance of Professor Verdus had been handled somehow.
“Professor, since they’re understanding, please take off the artifact now and proceed with the lecture.”
Seizing the chance as the stonemason guild members stepped back, Lee Han spoke quickly.
Professor Verdus nodded in resignation.
“Mmmph.”
-Wait. Let’s not take it off yet.
-Why? Of course, I’d like to keep it on as well, but…
-You think I’d suggest that for such a petty reason? Well, partly, but also, we need to know what the lecture was about so far.
The knights did not trust Professor Verdus even a little.
He said he’d proceed with the lecture, but there was no guarantee it would be any kind of proper lecture.
If they let him loose, he might turn the mood cold by saying, ‘Come up with a building design yourselves.’
At the very least, Yukveltire and Lee Han needed to update him on what had been taught so far.
-I see. So, how have you been teaching?
“I haven’t been teaching; my senior has been.”
-Yeah, yeah. Let’s skip the trivial details.
The knights gestured as if they’d heard it all before.
It wasn’t the first time they’d seen this heir talk like that!
‘Strangely, I feel like punching someone.’
Maybe it was lingering resentment about Yukveltire earlier, but for some reason Lee Han found the Death Knights irritating.
Lee Han concealed his displeasure and started talking.
“So, the way this -Magical Architecture and Its Materials- lecture started was…”
Yukveltire, who was taking over Professor Verdus’s class, fiercely resisted the newly assigned lecture.
“I absolutely can’t agree. I’m going to complain to the headmaster.”
“Currently, all real power lies with His Highness the Inspector.”
“Then I’ll complain to the Inspector. Wardanaz junior, you help me too.”
“How am I supposed to complain to His Highness the Inspector? The Inspector is a tremendous tyrant and a wicked evil dragon. Even a single misstep in speech before him and I’d be devoured.”
At Lee Han’s words, Yukveltire looked puzzled.
It was quite different from what he’d heard.
“He didn’t seem that kind of person. Even among the royal family, he has a good reputation, and when I saw him at the banquet…”
“That’s all a cunning deception.”
“I heard Wardanaz junior has major influence on the Inspector, how is that?”
“That, too, is a misunderstanding. I’m just being dragged around and threatened. I only do what I’m told.”
Without changing his expression, Lee Han told a bold-faced lie.
He figured Yukveltire probably wouldn’t meet with the Inspector separately anyway.
“But maybe, unlike me, you could convince that wicked and powerful tyrant and evil dragon. Would you like to assist as my deputy?”
Yukveltire immediately refused.
“I refuse. That, I can never accept. As it is, I’ve already got extra busywork because of the Inspector…”
The recent case of evil spirits appearing in Nightmare Echo Woods was a good example.
Normally, that sort of thing was not a fifth-year’s responsibility.
It was only people like Direte, who were odd or overly concerned about juniors, who would get involved—nothing to do with Yukveltire. But then a letter came straight from the Inspector.
A directive specifically naming Yukveltire.
“Cough, cough.”
Suddenly, Direte, who was nearby, started coughing, as if something had gone down the wrong way.
“Are you okay, senior? Here, have some cocoa.”
Lee Han took the cocoa cup that had been in front of Yukveltire and handed it to Direte.
“Th-thank you. I…”
“?”
“…Nothing at all.”
Direte tried to say something, then gave up.
How could he admit he’d suspected his junior of abusing the Inspector’s power?
If Yukveltire and his junior were trying to use each other for their own gain, Direte could only side with the latter.
Especially because, as a senior, he was the one being helped.
“Looks like you’re coughing because of the bad environment in Yukveltire senior’s magic research lab. Why not go back and do your own work, senior?”
“What nonsense are you spouting? That’s the first I’ve heard of anyone calling my lab ‘bad.’ Name the exact spot that’s bad. Even a tiny mistake and it doesn’t count.”
“I’ll just finish this and you two can stop fighting now…”
Direte tried to calm the two down. Lee Han shot his senior a disapproving look.
He’d distributed work using Professor Mortum and senior Yukveltire, and now here they were, helping out!
But character can’t be changed. Lee Han gave up and spoke.
“Anyway, senior, you should get back to preparing your lecture. I’ll help you.”
Normally, he wouldn’t care, but since he’d dumped a load of extra work and classes on this senior lately by abusing the Inspector’s authority, Lee Han did feel a bit responsible.
The other seniors in the Enchantment School would never help, even if the sky was falling…
“Yeah. Good thinking.”
Yukveltire nodded as if it were only natural.
Lee Han cursed him inwardly for that aggravating attitude.
‘Shouldn’t have volunteered to help. Should have just dumped the lecture on him.’
“Wait. Where did my cocoa go?”
“What cocoa?”
“The cocoa my Wardanaz junior made for me. I hadn’t even had a sip, was saving it for after work.”
“Perhaps you’re mistaken?”
“I’m not the type to mistake—”
“That’s not important right now. Let’s go. If you’re not ready for the lecture, His Highness the Inspector will burn and devour you.”
-That cocoa looks delicious.
“Do the knights drink cocoa, too?”
-We can hardly taste sweetness, but we do feel the mana. As you know, if the heir brews it…
-Oh, stop the idle chatter. Did you really help Yukveltire prepare the lecture? You’re so generous.
Since Lee Han had omitted the details, the knights could only admire.
“Mmph?”
-What’s he saying?
“I think he’s asking why you helped with something that wasn’t your job.”
“Mmph mmph!”
Professor Verdus nodded brightly in affirmation. The knights looked at him with contempt.
“Ignore him. Anyway, I went to Professor Knighten…”
“If Professor Verdus had come himself, I’d have thrown him out, but I can’t treat you all that way. Here’s all the material covered so far.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“As usual, people from the capital’s stonemason guild will probably come. They’re practical, like to discuss and experiment; let the atmosphere be free and let students debate. But…”
“Yes?”
“…Why is Wardanaz helping prepare the lecture?”
“He’s my junior, sir.”
“…?”
The elderly professor tilted his head.
If you think about it, Yukveltire had dozens of juniors, but he’d never heard of any of them helping prepare lectures.
“At any rate, please take care. Some here have had buildings collapse thanks to Professor Verdus, so be extra careful.”
“……”
“I understand.”
Lee Han looked at his senior in disbelief.
And it turned out it was a famous incident!
‘Already dreading this meeting.’
But the response from the capital’s stonemason guild members was completely different from what Lee Han expected.
The first thing they said in their rough voices upon meeting him was this:
“Who’s the magician that beat up Count Buyong?”