Episode 03

For a moment, Gainando thought Lee Han was joking.

How could anyone live on nothing but hard black bread and cold rice balls?

How could anyone wear such rough and shabby cloaks?

But Lee Han didn’t look like he was joking at all.

‘The Wardanaz Family… must be a terrifying family…!’

Gainando was appalled.

The noble families of the empire possessed tremendous power, each with their own unique customs and traditions.

And the Wardanaz Family, Lee Han’s family, was among those with the least known information.

It was because they focused solely on magic research and did not actively participate in politics…

Thanks to that, Gainando couldn’t help but misunderstand.

The Wardanaz Family must raise their bloodline like that!

‘Isn’t that too much? No matter what, they wouldn’t treat even slaves like that… Who knew the Wardanaz patriarch was such a cruel person…’

Gainando looked at Lee Han with a sympathetic expression and patted his shoulder.

“Come visit my mansion sometime. I’ll be sure to treat you properly.”

“Uh… thanks?”

Lee Han didn’t know why Gainando was acting like this, but nodded anyway.

• * *

After the skull principal’s stormy speech ended and the students dispersed, Lee Han had a chance to talk with Yoner again.

Lee Han asked what he had been curious about earlier.

“Why do you hang around with Gainando? Even if you’re cousins, the Meikin Family doesn’t need to care about a mere royal.”

“Oh. Because of Gainando’s mother.”

Yoner replied calmly.

Lee Han asked, curious.

“Did you owe Gainando’s mother a favor or something?”

Lee Han imagined for a moment.

A much younger Yoner attended a banquet at the imperial palace and made a huge mistake.

Everyone stared at Yoner with scorn, and she, frightened, was about to cry, when one of the emperor’s wives—Gainando’s mother—appeared and said warmly:

-It’s alright. Anyone can make mistakes.

If that was the case, it would have been a touching experience.

Even if Gainando was a nobody among the royals, she could treat him with proper royal courtesy…

“Huh? No? Gainando’s mother is incredibly rich. If you get close to Gainando, she gives you a lot of money.”

“…!!”

Lee Han was appalled.

So that was the secret?

‘I’d better get close too!’

• * *

At the magic school Einrogard, anyone with talent was accepted, from royalty to slaves.

Of course, the wizards knew that simply gathering sensitive and sharp-tempered boys and girls in one place would lead to trouble.

That’s why Einrogard’s dormitories were divided into four based on background.

The Arrogant Blue Dragon Tower.

Royals and children of high-ranking noble families entered here.

As a member of the Wardanaz Family, Lee Han was automatically assigned here.

“Ugh. Priests. I hope they don’t start preaching.”

“Shh. Don’t pick a fight.”

There was grumbling nearby.

It was complaints about the freshmen from the ‘Eternal Burning Phoenix Tower.’

The Eternal Burning Phoenix Tower.

Priests from the empire’s various orders entered here.

Surprisingly, the priests of the empire did not shy away from using magic.

They considered magical power a blessing from the gods.

So it was not strange for various orders to send their priests to Einrogard, the empire’s top magic school.

‘They do stand out.’

The royals and nobles hadn’t changed into their uniforms yet, so their clothing varied, but all the priests wore simple priestly robes.

The noble boys and girls, who had grown up listening to sermons from priests who visited their families, frowned as if recalling those memories.

Clank, clank—

But as the next group entered, the students’ expressions darkened even more.

The White Tiger Tower That Bites Lightning.

Children from the empire’s knight families entered this tower.

It might sound odd for knights to attend a magic school, but even knights needed magic.

From telepathy to healing, there was nowhere magic wasn’t used.

These were those determined to walk both the path of the knight and the wizard.

Gainando grumbled, displeased.

“Do we really have to accept those who insult the glorious and pure path of magic like that? Just hire a street wizard as a tutor, that would be enough.”

Lee Han, listening nearby, felt a bit guilty.

Others might have come to pursue the pure truth of magic, but Lee Han had just come to succeed through magic.

“If you’re going to learn, you’d want to learn from the best.”

“What… Why are you taking their side?”

“Gainando.”

Lee Han was now even more generous toward Gainando.

Because he’d heard that Gainando’s mother was rich.

“A noble person doesn’t despise those beneath them.”

“…That’s a pretty strict requirement…”

Still wanting to be noble, Gainando closed his mouth.

After the knight family students passed, the last dormitory students appeared.

They wore the most diverse and unique outfits here.

The Black Turtle Tower That Sees Past and Future.

This dorm had the most diverse composition.

Commoners, servants, slaves, jesters, beggars, merchants, newly risen low nobles—all sorts were gathered here.

They seemed to know they had the lowest status, as their expressions looked intimidated.

‘I’d like to get close if I get a chance.’

Unlike others who looked at them with disdain, Lee Han wanted to build relationships if possible.

What’s the best way to make money?

Business, of course.

And the best people to do business with weren’t folks like Gainando next to him, but those who had real experience in the field.

“They’re looking over here?”

“Don’t make eye contact. Nothing good will come of it.”

“Unlucky bastards…”

Of course the Black Turtle Tower students knew about the disdainful stares from the Blue Dragon Tower students.

There was nothing to gain from starting a fight here, so they avoided eye contact and moved on.

“Do we really have to accept such vulgar people? This is too much.”

One of the murmuring voices was especially clear.

The Black Turtle Tower students heard it too and their expressions grew fierce.

‘Oh.’

Lee Han instantly realized this was an opportunity.

A chance to build relationships with the students from that tower!

‘I’d better step in now.’

• * *

The Black Turtle Tower students couldn’t help but feel intimidated, no matter how hard they tried not to.

Even the more assertive students hesitated in the face of this unfamiliar atmosphere and the whispers.

At that moment, the one who stepped up was Lee Han, a boy from the Blue Dragon Tower.

A boy with bold features and a dignified, sculpted appearance slowly opened his mouth.

“The vulgar ones are you. Didn’t you all leave everything you had behind before coming to Einrogard? Forgetting that and flaunting petty pride is pathetic.”

He radiated both pressure and a strong presence.

A noble aura that only those born of great blood, proud of themselves, could display.

Other Blue Dragon Tower students seemed to agree.

“He’s right.”

“Isn’t he from the Wardanaz Family? He’s got that Wardanaz air about him.”

The one who had mocked before was too embarrassed to speak and kept his mouth shut.

The Black Turtle Tower students also reacted.

“Wardanaz Family??”

“That wizard family…?!”

“Don’t make eye contact, you idiot! They’re a dangerous family!”

“Aren’t they the family whose patriarch is a dragon? Is he a dragon’s descendant?”

“I thought they were descended from an ancient spirit, not a dragon…”

“……”

• * *

At first, Lee Han thought things were going well.

All the students seemed convinced by his words.

‘Not bad.’

If only the Black Turtle Tower students would just thank him…

“Wardanaz Family??”

“That wizard family…?!”

“Don’t make eye contact, you idiot! They’re a dangerous family!”

“Aren’t they the family whose patriarch is a dragon? Is he a dragon’s descendant?”

“I thought they were descended from an ancient spirit, not a dragon…”

“……”

But the reaction was different from what Lee Han expected.

Instead of building relationships, the students only looked at him with fear!

Seeing their reaction, Lee Han realized something was going wrong.

He’d expected a thank you, but…?

Yoner spoke in admiration beside him.

“That was really impressive, what you just did. Yes. Any noble who enters Einrogard should act like that.”

“…Yoner. Do I look scary?”

“Huh? No? You look dignified, like a noble.”

Yoner didn’t understand why Lee Han was troubled.

His looks were the very definition of “noble.”

Strong lines, a square jaw, tightly closed lips, and sharp eyes.

A presence so overwhelming that commoners wouldn’t dare approach—it was a trait admired among nobles.

In fact, the Blue Dragon Tower students all looked at him favorably.

Lee Han sighed at their response.

‘It’s going to be impossible to fit in like this.’

• * *

Each dormitory was located far apart in the cardinal directions around the main building.

Lee Han and the other students walked along the path toward the distant blue tower.

‘It really is huge.’

Seeing it from the inside, it was newly astonishing.

They called it a school, but what school has a lake, forest, river, and mountain inside?

Suddenly, Lee Han remembered what the skull principal had said.

‘He told us to get things ourselves, didn’t he?’

The principal had said you could get anything you wanted at this school.

Seeing the grounds now, Lee Han could believe it.

You could hunt animals in the forest or go fishing in the lake…

“You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you?”

“Hm?”

“You were thinking what a great blessing it is to see such beautiful scenery, right?”

“No. I was just wondering what animals I could catch in the forest.”

“…Does the Wardanaz Family train you for that sort of thing too??”

• * *

The Arrogant Blue Dragon Tower was a tall, blue stone tower.

From the outside, it didn’t look that big.

But inside was a nearly infinite space expanded by the wizards of Einrogard.

“!”

As soon as he passed through the tower’s doors, all the students who had been with him vanished.

When he came to his senses, Lee Han was alone in a dark space.

[Where would you like to go?]

“??”

[Where would you like to go?]

‘Ah.’

Lee Han realized that it was the tower itself speaking to him.

“Where can I… go?”

[You adapt quickly.]

The tower wasn’t visible, but Lee Han felt as if it was smiling.

[Right now, you can go to your personal room and the first-year-only Steel Lounge.]

“Can I go to other places?”

[Yes. Some places you can go if you know the name, and others you need to know other things.]

BlueDragonTowerDormitory

PhoenixTowerDormitory

TigerTowerDormitory

TurtleTowerDormitory

“Can I go to the second-year lounge or the common lounge?”

[Yes. But not right now.]

“Why not?”

[Because the principal forbade it.]

“……”

Lee Han cursed the principal’s thoroughness. In matters like this, he was meticulous.

“Then please send me to my personal room.”

[Very well. Welcome to the academy, young wizard.]