Episode 1232
by Cristae-It’s really not like that…
The hamster protested miserably, but still squeaked an explanation.
It wasn’t that he ambushed the Young Prince and destroyed the drawing—rather, the Young Prince had sacrificed himself and used up all the drawing’s power.
“You’re still so shameless, you little—!”
Furious, Lee Han began filling a basin with water. The hamster didn’t know what he intended, but trembled instinctively.
-If you don’t believe me, ugh, ask the spirit in your staff…!
It was humiliating, but the hamster started from scratch.
To explain it properly, he’d have to go back to the moment he’d been enchanted by the evil god.
Normally, he wouldn’t have succumbed so easily to the evil god’s temptations, even if obsessed with magical secrets, but inhabiting a hamster’s body weakened his resistance.
Annoyed that the Wardanaz brat had locked him in the basement so quickly, yet grudgingly admitted it was the right call—
“Hmph. That’s what happens to people who constantly lust for power.”
-……
“All that nonsense about seeking the pinnacle of magic beyond law and order… So this landed you sneaking into Einrogard, getting caught, and thrown in a cell?”
-……
The hamster realized the Wardanaz magician had been holding back all this time. Now unleashed, his tongue was as venomous as a dagger.
The worst part was, every word of it was true.
He wanted to claim sneaking into Einrogard was a worthy risk to gain the wisdom of the ancient thought-entity, but the more he tried, the more pathetic he’d seem.
-Yeah. I admit—I’m ashamed I let such a lowly thought-entity enthrall me. Satisfied?
“Not yet. If you’re really ashamed, get in here.”
Lee Han pointed at the water-filled basin. The hamster ignored him, pretending not to hear.
-The point is what happened after entering the basement. The drawing’s thought-entity kept watching you fight. He intervened at the crucial moment to help.
“……”
Lee Han was struck by the hamster’s sincerity.
So the Young Prince had been watching that chaos all along.
He’d thought it was luck, but there’d been a reason.
“Wait. You’re saying Master sacrificed himself to help the staff’s spirit?”
-Yeah.
“…Then why is this guy keeping his mouth shut?”
Feeling Lee Han’s murderous intent, the hornbeam staff spirit, Saratan, answered in a panic.
-I just, just didn’t get the chance!
Saratan was always casual in tone even when suffering, but now he spoke politely, sensing that if he backtalked here, Lee Han might snap his staff in half.
“What do you mean, no chance? You and that damned hamster weren’t plotting something, were you?”
-That’s insane…
“What was that?”
-N-nothing, hehe.
“You think this is funny?”
-……
Saratan wanted to cry.
‘He should’ve just let me get smashed up instead of reviving me…’
If only he’d let himself get broken fighting the evil god, he wouldn’t have to deal with this humiliation!
Now Saratan felt cheated for stepping in to help.
He’d held out for the magician, and yet gotten no credit for it.
-There’s no way I’d ever be friends with that foolish, evil magic criminal. I’d rather not even deal with him.
“That’s true.”
-……
The hamster was dumbfounded.
That shriveled stick spirit was just flapping his mouth with reckless abandon.
-It’s just—I… thought my seal had broken and my powers had returned because of the contract’s resonance.
When his power returned in a pinch, Saratan thought it was due to resonance with his contractor.
It was a bitter pill, but after all he’d experienced with this contractor, he couldn’t rule it out completely.
Even the other spirits who sealed Saratan had said as much: learn something from traveling with a magician.
So Saratan had thought, ‘Ah, so it was the resonance with my contractor,’ until—
—but after hearing the hamster’s explanation, he realized that hadn’t been it.
How could he have gotten so close to such a wretch?
“So you didn’t know?”
-…Yes.
“Then why didn’t you say so right away when you just heard about it?”
‘Argh.’
As if there had been any time gap!
Trembling under Lee Han’s relentless grilling, Saratan stammered,
-It was just so shocking—and moving—I was speechless with emotion at the Great Magician’s blessing.
-……
The hamster looked at the staff spirit with contempt.
He couldn’t be sure which kind of spirit Saratan was, but judging by his groveling, he must’ve been nothing special even before being sealed.
Anyone that petty and pride-less would be pathetic even before being sealed.
“Hmph. Alright, then.”
‘That actually worked!?’
Seeing Lee Han calm, the hamster was even more at a loss.
How could such an obvious bit of flattery work?
Saratan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried on.
-If you give me a chance, I’ll remember the Great Magician’s grace and devote myself to your cause!
“Good. For now, I’ll let it go.”
-Thank you!
That “for now” gnawed at Saratan, but he exclaimed with joy.
He’d survived, one way or another!
Lee Han turned to the hamster. The latter cried out hastily,
-The staff spirit admitted it, so now you know I was telling the truth, right?
“Then why didn’t you help?”
-What?
“You might have helped Master and lessened his burden, but you just stood by. Did you secretly have evil intentions?”
-……
The hamster thought,
If only this magician had been born a thousand years ago, he’d have made a brutal tyrant!
‘You maniac!’
-How could I help, trapped in this rodent body and drained of all magic?! I was enthralled by the evil god at the time!
“Even if your magic was gone, you still had your wisdom. If you didn’t come up with any plan to help, isn’t that suspicious?”
Lee Han stepped forward. The hamster suddenly became very aware of the water basin nearby.
-I really was enthralled! Don’t do this! The thought-entity even said: after a second meeting, there will surely be a third!
“!”
Lee Han, staring at the basin, froze.
“Did he really say that?”
-Yes!
“You didn’t just make that up?”
-Think about it. Could I make up something like that?
‘True enough.’
Lee Han had to concede.
It would be impossible for a hamster to say something so stirring.
SPLASH!
Suddenly, Lee Han threw him into the basin. The hamster shrieked.
This young tyrant, after hearing the truth, still intended to offer him up as a blood sacrifice!
-I told you it’s not a lie! Don’t do this! A mage would rather die than be humiliated!
“I’m just washing off the blood. You’ve still got stains from fighting the evil god worshippers.”
Lee Han replied blankly.
The hamster felt very awkward.
-I thought you were threatening me with the basin.
“That was a threat.”
-……
Scary brat!
“What do you mean, there’s no bulhacho?”
Professor Thunderstep paused at the first-year students’ words.
Bulhacho wasn’t a commonly used reagent among alchemists. It was an herb from the undead side, mostly used by necromancers.
So Thunderstep had never paid much attention to the supply…
But for it to run out this semester, of all times.
“I’ll go find it!”
“Pengerine. You’re a fine magician and your fur is lovely, but you’re still not ready. First-years shouldn’t be the ones fetching these herbs.”
The dwarf professor stroked his beard.
This penguin-beastkin student had great magic skill, iron will, and adorable appearance; all the department professors wanted him.
Professor Thunderstep was strict but wouldn’t send first-years into the undead zone to gather herbs. Even the best students included.
“I heard Senior Wardanaz went to fetch them in first year.”
“…That’s probably just a rumor. Don’t believe everything you hear.”
Thunderstep kept a straight face, though inside it sounded believable.
Wardanaz was surely a model senior, but there were a few things juniors shouldn’t emulate about him.
One was pure madness. Thunderstep sincerely hoped Pengerine wouldn’t pick up that trait from Wardanaz.
“It’s not a rumor; I saw it…”
“Enough!”
“……”
Alhidle fell silent.
She still respected her professor, so this scolding worked. Thunderstep felt proud.
He hoped it would last a long time!
…Though surely, once they started hanging out with seniors next year, that dewlike innocence would vanish overnight…
“I should ask Wardanaz to find some bulhacho… Oh.”
Thunderstep finally realized his student was in the professors’ punishment room.
“Hmm!”
You can’t miss something until it’s gone—without such a talented student, things really were inconvenient.
‘How did we manage before Wardanaz?’
Bulhacho was normally managed by the necromancy school; he’d have to ask them.
Of course, if he asked Professor Mortum, he’d just go, ‘Cough, are you mad? Have you been drinking potion?’ and if he asked a student, they’d look at him with, ‘Is this guy crazy? When were we ever friends?’ eyes.
But Wardanaz was different.
He could get it himself, and if he just went to the necromancy school’s storage, students and professors alike would greet him with affection.
He was like one of those magical legendary staves.
“Hmmm. Hmmmm.”
Thunderstep tried to remember if any alchemy students had connections to the undead or necromancy schools.
But even if there were, such students were never easy to deal with.
-Would you fetch some bulhacho if I let you plunder the cabin pantry?
-Are you insane? I’ve got to graduate. Get lost. And if you see me after graduation, don’t talk to me.
…A student as competent and mercenary as Wardanaz was a very rare thing.
After some thought, Professor Thunderstep went looking for Professor Garcia.
“Ahem. Professor Kim.”
“Ah, Professor Thunderstep!”
Professor Garcia greeted him warmly. Thunderstep was relieved inside.
After some time, it seemed the young professor’s anger had somewhat cooled—a truly good sign.
“What brings you here? Let me make you some tea.”
“No, no. I’ve brought tea leaves, so let me brew you a cup.”
“?”
Professor Garcia looked puzzled.
It was a bit like how a royal chef still threw together meals at home; a great alchemist never made tea for others, much less Professor Thunderstep.
“Do you have a favor to ask, perhaps?”
“No! How could you say such a thing? Kim, with the friendship we have, is that how you see it if I offer you tea?”
Professor Garcia just smiled. A ‘I see right through you’ sort of smile.
“I know. But still, just in case, if you need anything, just tell me. I’ve learned a lot from you, after all.”
“…In that case, just one favor!”
Thunderstep seized the opportunity.
“What is it?”
“Well, Wardanaz is doing assignments even in the punishment room, so could we just bring him out for a bit to—”
Thunderstep’s instincts screamed.
‘I’m going to die here today.’