Episode 1002

Episode 1002

‘Did I play my role as a senior at least a little?’

Lee Han felt proud.

Having received help from the seniors of Einrogard himself, it was more fulfilling than he expected to know he could pass that same help on to his juniors.

Closing his eyes, Lee Han recalled the seniors who had helped him.

Senior Direte, and…

‘…Hmm. I can’t recall, but there must be more.’

He figured the names didn’t come to mind because he’d been so busy lately. Lee Han decided to settle on that explanation.

“Then let’s take my exam.”

“Here it is.”

Professor Voladi placed a white sheet of paper on the desk, then slid over an ink bottle and a quill.

Lee Han tilted his head.

‘Does he want me to fight with the ink bottle and quill?’

They seemed a bit lacking as weapons, but not impossible to use. Lee Han calculated quickly.

‘If I make the ink inside spurt up, I could create a small Water Orb Projectile. If I’d learned a vapor attribute, I could obscure the vision. As for the quill, is it for transformation magic? Even if I transmute it, it’s too small and light to be a threatening weapon. If I use telekinesis to wield it like a dagger… but then it’d be too focused on long-range attacks.’

While Lee Han was calculating the timing for when to lunge with the ink bottle and quill, Professor Voladi said calmly,

“Sign, please.”

“?”

He checked to see if the white paper was inscribed with something like “I will not write an anonymous letter accusing Einrogard if I get seriously injured in this duel” in invisible script, but he sensed nothing from the paper.

“What sort of signature?”

“A signature that says you took the final exam.”

“…Wait, Professor, you too?!”

Once Lee Han realized what Professor Voladi meant, he was shocked. So shocked he almost jumped out of his skin.

He could understand Professor Garcia or Senior Direte passing him. They both had such good souls they could let him pass for his sake.

But Voladi too was going to just pass him?!

“Is it really okay to let me pass like this?”

“Even if you ask, there’s no test.”

Professor Voladi said firmly, lifting his eyebrows slightly.

No matter how optimistically he calculated it, his student needed a little more rest at the moment.

Even though the student himself might want a much higher-difficulty magic battle, as a teacher, he couldn’t allow it.

“…I didn’t mean it like that at all… Eh, what does it matter. Either way, thank you.”

Lee Han tried to argue but gave up.

Any attempt to persuade now would only make Professor Voladi think, “My student’s just acting shy and pretending otherwise.”

Rather, he was just grateful for the caring gesture of being passed so easily.

‘Maybe it’s just me, but Professor Baegrek has a surprisingly kind side.’

“By the way, Professor. I have to go persuade creditors with the headmaster—do you have any advice?”

At Lee Han’s question, Professor Voladi fell into thought.

“Hm.”

Then he thought a bit more deeply. Lee Han regretted asking.

“…I didn’t mean it that seriously. It’s okay if you don’t give advice.”

“Wait.”

Professor Voladi made his student wait, then fell into final contemplation.

A long time passed. (Lee Han, unable to tolerate the boredom, pulled out a baby basilisk to play with.) At long last, the professor spoke.

“It’s not easy to abduct the empire’s powerful. But it’s not impossible.”

‘I asked about persuasion, though.’

Lee Han instantly understood why the skeleton headmaster wouldn’t take Professor Voladi along to meet the creditors.

• * *

Yukveltire, unable to tolerate someone who ignored his paper birds, eventually sought them out in person.

“???”

And then, shoving a thick wad of paper at a baffled Direte. It was a petition densely filled with his recent grievances.

Used to his friend’s antics, Direte responded calmly. While reading the petition, Direte tilted his head.

“Wait. Small World? You didn’t ask me about that.”

“..Didn’t I?”

Yukveltire hesitated.

In the petition, it was written, “Direte hid the junior’s Small World magic from Yukveltire himself,” but in truth, Yukveltire had never actually asked.

Stealing a page from Professor Verdus’s playbook, Yukveltire replied shamelessly.

“Even if I didn’t ask, you should’ve told me.”

“No. I called you, though?”

“What?”

“I called you. Back when we were leaving the underground area. The junior asked about the Small World, so I called you.”

-Yukveltire. The junior has a question about magic.

-You answer it. I have things to do.

-What’s so busy? You’re just answering a question.

“……”

Come to think of it, he recalled ignoring their call in order to secretly observe the Small World magic from behind.

With a face a bit gloomier, Yukveltire retrieved the petition and tore out the Small World hiding section.

Direte spoke triumphantly.

“See? I told you several times, treat your juniors well.”

“Don’t use this chance to make groundless leaps in logic. More importantly, where’s the junior of the Wardanaz family?”

When the junior had approached and mentioned it, he’d lost his head in shock over the misunderstanding that Direte had hidden the truth, but if the Small World had been cast in front of him, he couldn’t fail to check it himself.

And even more so if Direte hadn’t hidden the truth and they’d both sought Yukveltire’s wisdom.

Yukveltire was very generous. Especially in matters of magic.

While reading the ‘Why shouldn’t Direte get angry at Yukveltire?’ section, Direte looked up.

“Junior? He won’t be at school now.”

“…What do you mean? There should still be one week until vacation.”

Starting tomorrow, Einrogard students would endure grueling finals week, followed by a long, dull summer vacation.

Yukveltire looked accusingly at Direte, as if suspecting he was being deceived once more.

“You’re not trying to trick me again, are you? Like last time.”

“…That was three years ago…”

Direte replied in disbelief.

That was back when the two of them were in their second year.

Yukveltire had holed up so much and utterly neglected eating and drinking to research magic (Professor Garcia had even pleaded with Direte, unable to stand by), that Direte finally lied, “Yukveltire, this week is the Marshmallow Candy Festival—you have to participate with dignity,” just to get him out.

Kind seniors created a festival mood with fake marshmallows and candies, and as a result, Yukveltire’s research got delayed by about a week.

If Yukveltire hadn’t been generous, he would never have forgiven such a heinous crime.

“You sure enjoyed the melted marshmallows, though…”

“What?”

“Nothing. Anyway, the junior really is out of school. He finished his finals and agreed to help the headmaster.”

“……”

Yukveltire’s face went paler than usual when he realized his friend was telling the truth.

“Don’t worry. It’s not anything dangerous, just assisting with negotiations… Ah. You’re not worrying about the junior but brooding over your research, are you.”

“Yeah.”

Direte spoke with a mischievous sense of satisfaction.

“What can you do. He can’t help you over break. Blame the headmaster.”

“That’s fair. Thanks for the advice.”

The 5th-year student from the Blue Dragon Tower finished his calculations and resolved himself quickly, then turned on his heel.

Direte realized too late.

“…Wait! Yukveltire! I don’t know what you’re planning, but calm down first! Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not good! Come back!”

• * *

Statistically, the time when Einrogard students immersed themselves most in magic—the dawn of the new week when exams began.

A single carriage quietly rolled out of the school.

“……”

The skeleton headmaster in human form was so focused, he didn’t even glance at Lee Han sitting in front of him. Paper, letter paper, sealing wax, quills, and ink bottles floated chaotically, swirling about the inside of the carriage.

“Headmaster.”

“……”

“Headmaster!!”

“I hear you. I hear you.”

The skeleton headmaster replied as if he barely heard, all the while muttering the contents of his letters.

‘He does have a point… Professor Verdus isn’t intentionally failing to finish his piece, he’s just so busy with his students… I’ll harshly reprimand him, please understand… If you wait just a little longer, the gold coins you invested, I’ll make sure to…’

‘Seriously. Can he just lie like that so brazenly?’

Lee Han was flustered.

Even if you lie, there’s got to be a line.

Saying Professor Verdus was too busy with students to finish his work? An easily exposed falsehood.

After about 30 minutes, the skeleton headmaster finally came to.

He glanced at Lee Han and nodded slightly.

“You finished your finals?”

“Yes.”

“Personally, I hoped you’d study the 5th circle spells more and build your foundation before entering a standard Small World… But you’ve entered one anyway, so well done.”

Magic like the Small World Basilios was a different type compared to other Small World magics.

Not only was it ancient magic, the biggest difference was that it used a succession system with strict requirements regarding owner and qualifications.

Compared to the Small World Pentagrammaton that Direte learned, the difference was stark.

Pentagrammaton could be learned by any dark mage as long as they sealed five high demons, but Basilios couldn’t be handed down unless you were the Mad Clone’s disciple.

The skeleton headmaster had hoped that, rather than such detours, Lee Han would improve his overall magical skills like other 5th-year students, then learn the Small World magic currently in vogue in the empire.

It was more stable and had higher versatility.

But what could you do at this point.

“You can learn the 5th circle spells in the second semester.”

“……”

Lee Han was dumbfounded but accepted it for now.

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s a first. I expected you to grumble.”

“I promised Master, so the least I can do is try.”

“…Go take the driver’s seat.”

The skeleton headmaster, with a look of irritation, sent Lee Han to the driver’s seat. The Death Knight holding the reins looked at the student with pity.

“-You’re working really hard.”

“You just leave because I told you to? Get back here, now!”

At the headmaster’s voice from inside the carriage, Lee Han returned. The skeleton headmaster grumbled.

“You act like you’d die if I ask you to do anything…”

The Death Knights whispered among themselves outside.

The headmaster promptly sent the knights to the punishment room.

“What did they say to get reverse-summoned?”

“One said, ‘When I ascend, wouldn’t I work hard if Skeletonaz asked me to?’ Just joking.”

Lee Han was amazed by the Death Knights’ nerve.

That was some serious boldness.

“Why? You want to joke too?”

The skeletal headmaster in human form looked at him as if to say, ‘Go ahead if you want.’

Lee Han quickly changed topics.

“What about the creditors we have to persuade?”

“…They fall into a few categories.”

The skeleton headmaster sighed lightly. You could feel how much he detested the very thought.

“First are the bureaucrats. These bureaucrats took imperial gold and funded us.”

“Oh.”

“The problem is, I threatened them quite roughly.”

“Oh…”

“Next are the noble families. They gave us all kinds of support too.”

“Ah. Because you had students enrolled from their families at Einrogard?”

“No. Because I threatened them roughly.”

“……”

Lee Han began to get anxious.

…Did he really solve everything just by threats?