Episode 1204

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t the kind of murderous intent you’d expect in a normal situation.

“Why are you asking that, student Lee Han? Isn’t it natural to ask where Professor Ku is, considering what’s ahead?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Lee Han felt pressured by the even thicker bloodlust. Hamster whispered from beside him.

-Back away. This seems dangerous!

‘I’d like to tell you not to talk nonsense, but it’s hard to deny this time.’

Truthfully, Lee Han wanted nothing more than to reveal Professor Kirmin’s whereabouts and act like he didn’t know, but he couldn’t sacrifice his professor and play dumb so cold-heartedly.

Besides, this was probably all Lee Han’s own fault.

“A-actually, Professor Garcia. If you’re mad that Professor Ku left without a word… well, I’m the one who did it.”

Tch—

Professor Garcia, who had been about to use magic to track Professor Kirmin, froze in place.

Then, slowly turning only his gaze, he looked at Lee Han. Lee Han felt a terror greater than when facing the evil god.

“Why, student Lee Han?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why did you tell Professor Ku and not me?”

There was a deep sense of hurt in Professor Garcia’s voice.

Profess— no, even as someone who dutifully covered the chores of other professors without complaint, Professor Garcia had one pride he couldn’t give up.

That was his closeness with students.

At least among the professors of Einrogard, he prided himself on being the closest to the students.

Especially in Lee Han’s case, being effectively a direct disciple who learned extremely rare time-space magic from Professor Garcia himself, yet now being left out like this…

‘Urgh.’

Lee Han felt deep guilt at Professor Garcia’s expression. Honestly, the fear might have been preferable to this.

Would’ve been better to have offered up Professor Kirmin after all?

The real reason was that Professor Garcia would have worried too much, but that seemed only more hurtful.

“Student Lee Han?”

“P-professor, you…”

Pushed into a corner, Lee Han spoke before he could even think.

“…Since you aren’t a combat magic specialist, I didn’t call you.”

“……”

-……

The Death Knights passing by looked at Lee Han as if he’d lost his mind.

‘Has the heir finally gone mad?’

‘Shh. Think of the things he’s been through this year. Wouldn’t be strange if madness came for him soon.’

Even so, no one expected someone to say to Professor Garcia that he seemed too weak.

Even for the seasoned knights, it was shocking.

Professor Garcia, too, blinked in disbelief.

He thought Lee Han would call him overprotective or too much of a worrier, never expecting this kind of answer.

“I-I mean… I didn’t get any combat magic training…”

“That’s right. I trained with Professor Baegrek, and Professor Ku is also a dueling specialist. I thought only trained specialists should participate.”

Resolved to go down with the ship, Lee Han decided to brazen it out.

At this point, insisting with a straight face was better.

“So, what you’re saying is… I can’t join because it’s too dangerous, but Lee Han can?”

The Death Knights’ eyes silently asked, ‘Are you really going to answer that?’

Lee Han replied without changing his expression.

“Yes!”

Professor Garcia honestly started to get confused.

He couldn’t tell if his student was speaking from the heart or just being stubborn.

There was not a single crack of emotional wavering or embarrassment on that perfectly sculpted face.

‘…Did I really seem that weak!?’

Professor Garcia suddenly reflected on himself.

Thinking about it, from Lee Han’s perspective, the mages he usually saw were people like Professor Voladi, Professor Kirmin, and the headmaster.

Compared to such mages, Professor Garcia, as a non-specialist, must have naturally seemed a little unskilled.

But still—isn’t not being called at all a bit much?

He would have thought he contributed at least his share…

While Professor Garcia was lost in confusion, Lee Han quickly slipped away.

Probably he’d have to dodge like this until the expedition was over.

---

Hand me the key, disciple of Osu.

Lee Han handed the blood-red key to the Yaksha King. The Yaksha King gripped it and opened a gate to the dimension.

“Are you sure it’s not a trap?”

If the being was that rational, he likely wouldn’t have spoken with you in the first place, disciple of Osu.

With a creak, the dimensional rift widened even further. The Yaksha King’s strength was so impressive he could pull space itself apart.

Beyond it, the scene was truly ominous and unstable.

The blackish-red sky swirled constantly, twisting with strange weather, and below it was a forest of ruined temples.

Some temples tried to rebuild themselves from broken relics, only to collapse again into ruin. The dead nearby screamed in anger at the sight.

As expected. The being cannot control its own power.

Entering the dimension, Lee Han stood quietly by the professors, intent to listen and just keep up as best he could, surrounded by so many experts and strong people.

But the Yaksha King always knew best what Lee Han hated most.

Disciple of Osu. Come to the front. Why are you hiding in the back?

“I’m not hiding, it’s just…”

If you’re harboring grievances over me pointing out how much you respect your master, you’re mistaken.

“I’ll come right away!”

Lee Han hurriedly ran up to stand by the Yaksha King’s side.

Dragging this out seemed sure to lead to some even more ludicrous comment that would drive him crazy.

The Yaksha King stretched out a large finger sheathed in blazing golden gauntlets and began his explanation.

A climate this irregular is a sign that the realm’s master is unstable, disciple of Osu.

“Ah, yes.”

Look at those ruined temples. It’s a sign that the realm’s master has suffered significant loss recently.

Unless the master enjoys ruin for its own sake, such scenes of destruction usually follow a recent defeat.

In actuality, those temples tried to rebuild but kept failing—surely because their losses were not insignificant.

“Indeed.”

And the dead are the same. Unable to support them properly, the master leaves them wandering like vagabonds. Just these simple observations let you discern a realm’s master.

“Impressive.”

There will be more situations like this in the future, so don’t forget to practice.

“Y…yes??”

Giving a hollow, perfunctory answer, Lee Han recoiled in shock.

Disciple of Osu, your double affirmation shows just how motivated you are.

Seizing the opportunity, the Yaksha King immediately began analyzing Lee Han’s psyche.

The Yaksha King was ever curious, exceptional at unraveling the labyrinthine psychology of mortals.

You must feel this too. As with your family’s karma, surely you will face adversaries from other realms in the future…

“My second answer was just to clarify, not to agree.”

Indeed.

The Yaksha King nodded. Lee Han was startled to find the other party backing off so easily.

He wasn’t someone who’d usually back down like this…

But disciple of Osu, if you had a question, you could have just asked immediately… The fact that you said ‘yes’ first shows your subconscious motivation.

“…That’s right. Just explain it already.”

In the end, Lee Han resigned himself.

The Yaksha King, one who utterly overwhelmed in both power and status, was unassailable—like being crushed by a rolling boulder.

The Death Knights gave him sympathetic looks.

For an ordinary mortal, maybe, but the Yaksha King was such a big shot that even they couldn’t act forceful before him.

It was only because the heir caught his attention that he was even speaking so amiably; normally there’d be no conversation at all.

The Yaksha King was not such a garrulous being.

Now, disciple of Osu. How do you plan to attack this realm?

“…?!”

Lee Han was taken aback by the unexpected question.

In this expedition, Lee Han’s position was only a notch higher than the thief Ivinta, who’d been dragged along as a servant.

Knights, professors, angels—all were stronger or wiser than him.

And now he was being asked for his attack plan?

‘Did the headmaster call me here specifically to handle the attack in the first place?’

It was absurd, but ignoring the question could bring even worse trouble. Lee Han did his best to answer.

“First, I’d look for the place where the enemy’s power is strongest—if not, then wherever the magical energy is most dense…”

Having also taken summoning magic, Lee Han possessed quite a bit of knowledge on dimensional studies.

There were set tactics for acting in unknown dimensions with no map or intel.

To attack a dimension: go where the enemy is greatest; to escape a dimension: go where the enemy is weakest.

Hmm, hmm. I see. Then which place seems strongest to your eye?

“That ruined temple over there looks the strongest, I think…”

Good. Go take care of it.

“???”

Lee Han looked around in confusion.

Of course, there were no others in sight. The Yaksha King had given his order to Lee Han alone.

“Just me?”

Correct.

“…May I ask why?”

Because you’re the one who faced the evil god, disciple of Osu.

The Yaksha King spoke gravely.

Lee Han alone had received the key from the evil god, and that was no light matter.

If the evil god had invited only Lee Han…

Then there was no need to provoke it prematurely. It would be better to placate it until they had mapped the dimensional paths and located the enemy’s core.

“……”

Lee Han always found it most miserable when he had no magical way to refute the argument.

Why is it that the most insufferable guys are always magically correct?

-Truly enviable, O King of Wisdom. May I at least accompany him?

The angel Apazragon, unusually for him, showed emotion.

This seeker, walking the path of the ancient mage, truly seemed born for such fate.

He himself could never get even a whiff of ascetic enlightenment no matter how hard he tried, yet hardship seemed to flock to this mage on its own.

No. Be grateful for your fortune, celestial. You have already received blessings in abundance.

-My apologies, O King of Wisdom. My thoughts were shortsighted.

‘I swear, when I become Archmage, I’ll beat all of you up.’

Lee Han steeled his resolve and trudged off.

A Death Knight, watching the distant retreating back of the heir with pity, spoke up carefully.

-Your Majesty, may I speak?

What is it?

-By no means to slight Your Majesty’s wisdom… but given the evil god’s present state is irrational, and if handling a powerful being via a mage’s subordinates does not show skill, isn’t that itself a contradiction?

The knights wanted to offer their support, at least.

If the Yaksha King or professors got involved, it would be too obvious, but as summoned beings, their role was less clear.

The Yaksha King gave a heavy nod at the advice.

Hmm. I see your point.

-What do you think?

Let me consider for a moment.

The Death Knights looked on nervously as the Yaksha King paused. Eventually, he spoke.

It’s over.

-What decision…?

Not my decision, but the fight over there—it’s over.

At the Yaksha King’s words, the knights whipped their heads around. Off in the distance, Lee Han was already trudging back, looking utterly exhausted.

‘He’s already finished them all?!’