Episode 1181
by CristaeEpisode 1181
Lee Han picked up the box containing the cloth that scattered pitch-black darkness after sending his friends ahead.
Because he went out several times more than other students, it was inevitable that he would attract the professors’ attention. He had to give gifts while he still could.
“But this cloth—what is it? It feels like some composite material…”
“Right? I don’t think it’s something sold on the market, so did they take it out with the intention of using something students made here at Einrogard? Other than the Black Magic faction, there aren’t many places that make shadow cloth like this.”
Direte seemed to share the same thought and looked puzzled.
In the School of Enchantment Magic, they sometimes enchanted cloth in this way, but the dark element was considerably foreign among the elements.
Unless it was the Black Magic faction, there weren’t many who bothered with it—so why?
‘Is it some cloth made and left behind by former graduates?’
“I don’t think it was made by previous graduates, though.”
“Why not?”
When the junior naturally contradicted the thought he had just come up with, Direte was surprised and asked again.
“If the graduates made it, they would have used it for sure. I doubt the Black Magic faction would leave something they made just lying around when resources aren’t abundant.”
“…W-we could leave things behind sometimes too, you know…”
Direte protested, but his voice unconsciously grew quieter.
To be honest, things were probably harsher when the seniors were around, rather than better off.
‘These bratty younglings!’
The Ninth almost shouted in the box without realizing.
To think that the black magicians, who were supposed to lead Einrogard’s Black Magic faction, behaved with so little boldness!
He wanted to scold them loudly right then and there.
A true black magician, upon bumping shoulders with a passerby, should be able to brazenly slap their cheek and dig up corpses from their family’s cemetery with pride.
He just couldn’t understand why kids these days were so timid and weak.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll soon deliver a lesson myself.’
The Ninth prepared to reveal his true colors the moment he was left alone with the youngster of the Wardanaz family.
He had never imagined he would end up entering Einrogard, but a great black magician knew how to make the most of coincidences.
“But junior. Don’t you want to use this cloth yourself? There must be plenty of uses for you.”
The Ninth nodded his nonexistent head in satisfaction.
Who made this cloth? He himself did.
In a way, it was only natural such reactions would arise.
“That’s true, but I think it’d be improper to return from outside and visit the professor empty-handed.”
“I see… Wait, what? What are you talking about?”
Direte tried to let it go, but reacted intensely for a moment. Lee Han gave Direte a flustered look at his senior’s outburst.
“Did I make some kind of mistake?”
“Mistake? Other than joining the Black Magic faction, no mistake at all. But why are you worrying about appeasing the professor? Hand it over. Cancel the gift for the professor.”
Realizing his junior wanted to give the present for such a ridiculous reason, Direte snatched the box.
Lee Han hurriedly tried to grab it back.
“No, that’s not the only reason. Also, I don’t have an immediate use for it.”
Direte snatched it again.
“Then you can think of what to use it for now.”
Lee Han quickly reclaimed the box by channeling his mana the way knights did. Then he said,
“If I need it later, I’ll ask for it. The professor just said he needed this kind of cloth, right?”
“Liar. …Hey. Only use magic! Not those knight tricks!”
Direte was angry that his junior dodged with a knight’s technique.
The Ninth cursed both of them internally as he was shaken back and forth.
‘To think black magicians quarrel over such pathetic reasons.’
Fortunately, the quarrel soon ended; Direte eventually conceded to the junior’s stubbornness.
“Don’t give it all to the professor—you should keep your share.”
“……”
Lee Han thought to himself, ‘Shouldn’t you be keeping that in mind, senior?’
“You just thought, ‘Why doesn’t the senior just mind his own business,’ didn’t you?”
“?!!!”
“…I’m telling you this so you’ll do well, since I didn’t!”
Direte exercised his privilege as a senior.
It was an arbitrary imposition directed at his junior. Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
He vowed to repay this to his future juniors in exactly the same way.
“Professor. We’re here—”
“Cough, come in.”
“……”
“……”
When Lee Han and Direte opened the first-floor door of the Hall of Darkness, they were at a loss for words at the lavishly decorated interior of the tower.
The surreal scene of lights shining everywhere like a festival, and tables piled high with all sorts of food, was truly otherworldly.
Of course, if you looked closely, you could tell it was still the Hall of Darkness.
The lights were from candles stuck in the skulls that usually rolled around, and the round table, now burdened with food, was so dark and stained that it was evidently the table where all sorts of poisons used to be stacked to risky heights.
“Did you, Senior Direte, say you’re transferring to another faction?”
Lee Han asked, not understanding the situation.
What money could Professor Mortum possibly have to afford this?
That question set Direte off.
“…It’s you! You! It’s you, junior! How could I, a fifth-year, transfer to another faction? Who changes factions in fifth year!!”
“S-sorry.”
Direte caught himself belatedly.
He was the one who had done something embarrassing up north, yet he was angry at his junior.
“But senior.”
“…Why?”
“Even if another faction is impossible, you could join another black magic organization.”
“……”
“Cough. Wardanaz. Direte won’t do that because he feels a responsibility to carry on Einrogard’s Black Magic faction.”
“Oh, if the offer’s good, anyone would go. I hear the Obsidian Tower has so much money.”
Lee Han replied without batting an eyelash.
Among kindhearted Black Magic faction students, there was a tendency to want to help others escape, even if they couldn’t escape themselves.
Professor Mortum, wary that such a mindset might cost him current talent while trying to retain future talent, quickly interrupted.
“Cough! Our faction isn’t that different from others anymore!”
“Oh, what nonsense… If that was true, the Gainando family wouldn’t be that much richer than a beggar’s household.”
‘And you claim you want to make a good impression on the professor…’
Direte thought to himself.
He was so brazen for someone who had brought a gift to impress the professor.
But with many regrets deep down, Professor Mortum opted for praise instead of anger, no matter what Lee Han said.
“Cough, your sense of humor’s become as sharp as your black magic.”
“I’m not joking—”
“What is this?”
“Oh. I brought something left over from outside. I thought you might need it, professor.”
“I see. Cough, I’ll store it in the basement vault myself.”
As Professor Mortum personally took the box, Direte was impressed.
A man who coughed whenever heavy lifting was required now carried a box himself—it really felt sincere.
“How pretentious…”
“Junior. Never let yourself be fooled.”
Of course, the juniors didn’t buy it. Direte reflected on himself a little.
Having worked so long under Professor Mortum, he’d come to overrate every little action.
Creak—
Pretending not to hear his disciples’ harsh criticism, Professor Mortum quickly went into the basement vault.
The demon Orlakh greeted the professor warmly.
“Oh! Magician! Was everyone satisfied with the meal? What did the young master say?”
Lee Han didn’t know, but it was this very demon who had prepared today’s banquet.
Surprisingly, he went to Inspector Uman to get ingredients (the reason—serving Lee Han—was a big factor in winning approval), then kindled the oven fire himself and worked hard to cook everything.
It, of course, wasn’t out of affection for the black magicians of this tower—it was for Lee Han.
If only he could be recognized by the Wardanaz family’s star, he would gladly prepare such a banquet thousands of times over.
“Cough. Hm? Oh, right. He praised your skills.”
Professor Mortum dodged the question.
True to a black magic professor, he had no conscience.
Normally Orlakh wouldn’t have been fooled, but blinded by his obsession, he jumped and cheered.
“R-really! How, specifically?!”
“He wants to take you as his personal chef. Cough. But that’s not what’s important. I have an important task for you.”
“What is it?”
“This chest is actually a very wicked black magician transformed. You must never allow him to come into contact with Lord Wardanaz.”
“!”
-!
The Ninth was horrified at having been found out and tried to revert to his original form.
But thanks to Professor Mortum’s spell (applied at who knows when), his transformation would not break.
‘You… you little brat!’
“Is he—an assassin?!”
“Cough, assassin? …Yes! Assassin! You can think of him as an assassin.”
“Understood! I’ll make sure no one gets through to him!”
Orlakh used all his demon powers to promise to thoroughly imprison this wicked assassin.
All the Ninth could do was curse as he was dragged off, box and all.
Such was the ruthless world of the black magician. One slip, and you could never recover.
After returning and finishing the accounting and checking the knights’ guidance, Lee Han dove into exam prep.
What he had declared to Professor Garcia had not been an idle boast. He meant to finish everything needed before midterms and then go out on patrol with the knights.
“Hm…”
Looking at the course list on the table, agonizing over what order to pre-study, Lee Han drew wary glances from the Blue Dragon Tower students passing by in silence.
Just glancing at that course list threatened to infect their minds with Lee Han’s madness.
“So many.”
“……”
“……”
Yoner’s brow twitched as he studied nearby.
Gainando gestured silently to Yoner, mouthing, “Shouldn’t we snap him out of it?”
Yoner shook his head.
He wanted to say something, but this was still normal Lee Han.
“I wonder if I’ll be able to finish this and get out.”
“……”
“……”
Adenart scribbled on a piece of paper, “Shouldn’t we stop him?” Gainando clicked his tongue in disapproval.
‘What the…!’
Adenart was about to explode at his rude younger sibling, but then Lee Han stood up from his seat.
The Blue Dragon Tower students all bowed their heads and pretended to read their books.
Luckily, Lee Han, instead of glancing at his friends, muttered to himself and headed up to his personal room. He seemed very focused.
“Whew…”
-Gainando. Don’t read your book upside down.
“……”
Gainando wore a terrified expression at the voice from upstairs.
Sometimes, even if he was his friend, he was scary.
“Master.”
-Ah. Long time no see, disciple.
The young prince, reading a book inside the picture, greeted Lee Han warmly.
“If it’s all right, could I ask a few questions about magic—?”
-Disciple. Rather than bothering me with trivial questions, it saddens me more to see you acting so courtesly and keeping your distance. Please feel free to ask anything. I wouldn’t even mind if you asked what I should have for lunch.
Neither the Skull Headmaster nor the Mad Clone was easy to pester with useless questions, but the young prince was so kind he suffocated people with it.
There was some pressure that you must never annoy a person like this with trivial questions.
-Did you bring that building plan to ask about it?
“Huh? Oh.”
Lee Han looked at the thick book forced onto him by the black magician seniors. It was so heavy, it was practically a book in itself.
“This is garbage I got forced to take. Please don’t mind it.”
Lee Han tossed the book into a corner. He wanted to ask about the lecture, not hear about the black magicians’ useless spells.
-Seems like a decent magic though. You’re not hiding it out of embarrassment, are you, disciple?
“Absolutely not.”
-If you say so.
With a wave of his hand, the young prince moved the book into the painting. He planned to read and evaluate it later.