Episode 1170
by Cristae“Ah, about that…”
Lee Han explained about the tablet and the Old Hag.
He and his friends had excavated Baquantalana’s ruins on the way…
“That’s right, we went together.”
“As you know, magicians ought to be protected by knights.”
Seizing the opportunity, the White Tiger Tower students spoke up.
They felt awkward after being exposed for doing no preparation earlier.
“Enough. Be quiet.”
Ziderf, unable to keep up his usual polite façade, waved his hand wearily.
Even a steel-blooded patriarch couldn’t keep perfectly calm after such a shocking declaration.
The Empire’s prominent black magicians were insisting the North should be sealed and thoroughly searched to solve the crisis, and now it was already resolved?
“That tablet must have been an otherworldly mark.”
“Oh, then was opening the ruins entrance maybe the cause of the northern anomalies?”
Angrago asked, eyes wide with surprise.
Otherworldly powerful objects could disrupt order just by existing.
It was fine when the power was completely sealed in Baquantalana’s ruins, but if the ruins’ gate was damaged enough to open, it wouldn’t be strange if the power leaked out.
Lee Han widened his eyes even more.
“Angrago…!”
“Wh-what? Was I wrong?”
“How did you realize that all on your own?”
“……”
“Magicians from Einrogard, can we return to the main topic?”
“Sorry.”
At the lord’s chastisement, Lee Han returned to the point.
Anyway, while analyzing the tablet, he met the original owner, returned the mark, and resolved things through conversation, so the anomalies should die down soon…
“Summon the black magicians.”
Barely maintaining his composure, Ziderf ordered the attendant at his side.
Catching her eye, Giselle blurted out awkwardly,
“…Wardanaz is always amazing, isn’t he?”
“……”
The black magicians staying in the lower part of the stronghold all rushed in after being summoned.
Among them, those of Ahrak’s descendants came with faces full of anticipation.
“To be called again so soon… there can only be one reason, right?”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t play dumb. The lockdown. The lockdown.”
There was a phosphorescent glint of expectation in the mischievous black magician’s eyes.
“I already told you before, sealing the North is impossible.”
“Shouldn’t we just send this kid back to Kalarogard? What do you think?”
“Grkkk(I’m not sure)…”
“?”
Ahrak’s descendants were puzzled by the Legion of Oondorgu undeads’ odd manner.
They looked away and hesitated, like kids hiding some mistake.
‘What’s with this?’
“What’s wrong?”
“Grkkk(Nothing).”
“Doesn’t look like nothing… You didn’t go badmouth me to the northern knights for apologizing in front of Gonadaltes, did you? I didn’t cry, I said!”
“Grkkk(I didn’t mention that).”
As they arrived at the top of the stronghold, they saw other magicians coming up from the opposite side.
It was the Einrogard professors.
“…Uh.”
Guilty as they were, Ahrak’s descendants hesitated.
Luckily, it wasn’t Mortum of the black magic school, but there was no way seeing the professors here could be pleasant.
“What? Why are they here?”
“They said Einrogard students were here for a commission. Of course professors accompany them.”
Taswhan explained and greeted the professors with proper manners.
“Greetings.”
“Professor Taswhan! Long time no see!”
“Good to see you. Glad you’re in good health again.”
Professors Garcia and Kirmin greeted him warmly.
Though Taswhan might be treated as a rookie monster among these black magicians, he was still the senior to these two young professors.
After so much bullying from ancient monsters, getting such respect nearly brought tears to Taswhan’s eyes.
Truly, among Imperial magicians, you could only rely on your fellow schoolmates.
Professor Garcia gave Ahrak’s descendants a sidelong glance. The faint chill of killing intent made them freeze.
‘What the? Did I just feel killing intent?’
The Black Obsidian Tower magicians looked back at them blankly.
The indifference made Ahrak’s descendants click their tongues.
“Asking you lot was a mistake. Never mind.”
The Black Obsidian Tower magicians ran perhaps the only properly managed black magic tower in the Empire.
In other words, these black magicians were a bit…
…peculiar, even among Imperial black magicians.
Cold, calm, calculating—almost like Enchantment magicians!
“Stop talking nonsense about killing intent, and help persuade the patriarch.”
“Lockdown?”
“You agreed with the Kalarogard black magicians earlier, didn’t you? Let’s compromise on increasing the search numbers instead of fixating on the lockdown.”
“Why did you even join the black magic school? If you like compromise so much, why not switch to Enchantment?”
The black magicians argued to the very end as they entered the reception hall.
‘What is this?’
The mood inside the hall felt strange.
Given the Northern chaos, it was natural for things to feel strange, but this wasn’t quite desperate or urgent—more awkward, as if something was out of place.
Why this awkward atmosphere?
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s get straight to the point. Black magicians, is the extra-dimensional entity suspected as the source of the Northern anomalies possibly the Old Hag?”
“!!!”
The black magicians were shocked.
They’d discussed otherworldly beings, but had never named the Old Hag to the lord.
The reason was simple.
If they went around spreading speculation about an unconfirmed entity, it would only increase their rivals.
‘How did he know? Did the Einrogard professors tip him off? But even they shouldn’t have figured out the Old Hag’s identity so quickly.’
There were many possible otherworldly beings black magicians might suspect.
Even those here had only concluded it might be the Old Hag after gathering clues and speculation in the North. How would the newly arrived Einrogard professors know?
“Th-that is correct.”
After some thought, the black magicians decided to admit it.
No matter how greedy one was for magical secrets, lying to a Northern knight family was tantamount to suicide.
Black magicians weren’t that stupid.
“Hm.”
“?”
Ziderf hesitated briefly, making the black magicians wonder.
Why would this cold, unfeeling knight act like that?
‘Is this really about a lockdown?’
“We’ve already found and recovered the Old Hag’s mark.”
“……”
“……”
A chilling silence swept the room.
Not only the black magicians but even the Einrogard professors were stunned into silence.
Who, when, how…?
“Wha… wha… what are you talking about?! Lord, someone must be deceiving you! Who said that?!”
Lee Han hesitantly raised his hand.
There were several unfamiliar black magicians present, so he was nervous.
“You?! Liar! Reveal the traces of the Wisdom’s mighty one!”
The third of Ahrak’s descendants began casting a spell.
The Wisest and Most Cantankerous Hag’s magic was notorious even among countless dimensions for its strangeness.
Within their organization, a spell had been developed specifically to track this magic.
No matter how subtle the trace, it could be found with this advanced magic!
Flash!
A soft white light shimmered over Lee Han’s hair. It was the residue from getting hit by the staff several times.
Thud!
Shocked, Ahrak’s descendants collapsed where they stood.
They were more stunned than any other black magicians.
They had collected hearts and fresh blood from all sorts of monsters to bribe her, flattered her day after day, and still been ignored.
Yet this rookie stood here, having spoken to her face to face.
The other black magicians seemed to be thinking the same thing and murmured.
“Grkkk(How did he talk to her)?”
“Is this some Einrogard black magic secret?”
“I… I’ve never heard of such a thing…”
The third descendant barely managed to stagger to his feet.
In a hoarse voice, he asked Lee Han,
“Y-you… you had a conversation with her?”
“Yes. She asked for the tablet back, so I returned it.”
“You crazy brat! Why would you just hand it over like that?!”
Ahrak’s descendants shrieked.
Of course, it was an unfair accusation. They’d planned to return it themselves. If you wanted to resolve the situation, you had to give the mark back to its master.
What mattered was whether black magicians would get any words of wisdom; the tablet ultimately had to go back.
Bang!
The magically reinforced stone floor of the reception hall cracked.
It was the sound of Professor Garcia slamming his fist in anger.
“What’s that about? Say that to my student again. Are you Ahrak’s descendants speaking officially?”
“…N-no, that’s…”
Only now did the descendants remember there were professors present and shrank away.
Everyone knew the Einrogard rule: harass a student and the professor comes, bother a professor and the Headmaster comes.
“What do you mean, no! You excluded and shunned the Einrogard black magicians—now you insult us too?”
“Grkkk(What bad people)!”
The undead immediately took the professors’ side. Their lack of conscience seemed to have left them along with their flesh; Ahrak’s descendants were appalled.
‘Th-these bastards!’
No wonder they’d been acting so shifty earlier!
“We… we apologize, Professor Garcia. We truly are sorry. We misspoke because we were so startled.”
“You seem to make a lot of mistakes—weren’t you the same in front of Duke Gonadaltes?”
The Black Obsidian Tower magicians muttered and were met with killing glares from the descendants.
Not even offering help…
“So, it was fine to return the tablet, right?”
“Yes… yes, it was…”
Inside, the descendants were weeping blood.
It was not fine at all.
Remembering all the sacrifices, praises, spell development, and work that went into wooing her; it was enough to make anyone cry.
No matter how old you get, that kind of sorrow is something a magician can never grow used to.
“Did you… have anything you wanted to ask the Old Hag?”
Seeing these unfamiliar, nearly tearful black magicians, Lee Han felt a little sorry.
As a fellow magician, he could relate.
What would it feel like if someone else finished what you had searched for so long?
“We did…”
“Well, I’ll be meeting her again soon, so would you like me to ask for you?”
“!!!”
Ahrak’s descendants were shocked again.
To have a follow-up appointment with that cantankerous being!
The sheer fact was astonishing, but the chance to ask a question made them forget all else.
“If—if you would, we’d gladly take you on as a new Ahrak’s descendant!”
In fact, among themselves, they had been thinking it was time for some new magicians.
When they’d all lived for over a century, you got tired of seeing the same faces.
“I’m fine… But I have something I want to know, too.”
“What is it?! Ask us anything!”
Now, Ahrak’s descendants became as kindly as grandfathers.
“What do you mean you shunned the Einrogard black magicians and didn’t invite them?”
“……”
“……”