Episode 1005

“No, but what good does sending out letters like these do? All it does is attract wicked types to Her Highness’s side.”

“Her Highness Joulin barely goes out, so that’s not an issue. And it’s not as if these were broadcast to the entire world.”

The skeleton headmaster was already in high spirits thanks to the erased debt.

Seeing his disciple jumping with agitation only made him happier.

“Only the heads of reasonably scaled families receive these letters. As for the palace bureaucrats, they’re all bound by oaths of silence, so the news won’t spread. No need to fret.”

‘That’s absolute nonsense.’

If noble family heads and bureaucrats know, that’s far more than enough to worry about.

At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if everywhere Lee Han went people said, ‘Ah! You’re that mage who contracted a dragon, aren’t you!’

It was moving that even dragons Lee Han hadn’t contracted with would help look after him, but more importantly…

‘…From now on, whenever I do anything suspicious, I’ll have to wear a disguise and use a fake name.’

Sensing he’d be using his -Stedal Nago- identity for the foreseeable future, Lee Han thought to himself.

-Indeed. Did our master predict even this? Surely the palace bureaucrats won’t dare treat the new dragon contractor coldly…

“Hmph. It was only one reason among many.”

-As expected of our master!

Happily celebrating Death Knights and their headmaster earned a grumble from Lee Han.

They were all so happy while he was left unsettled—he wanted to hit them from behind.

• * *

Haiden—a member of House Dalkard and Ahsan’s elder sister—was currently staying in the imperial capital.

She was there because of guests from various noble houses across the Empire.

“No matter how devoted Lord Gonadaltes is to the Empire, this time he’s gone too far.”

“That’s right. We can’t just let this go.”

…To be accurate, they were closer to victims from various noble houses.

The houses whose treasures had been taken by the skeleton headmaster banded together, meeting in order to accurately calculate the damages for their claims.

Each came with impressive representatives—some had brought their lord or lady.

That’s why Haiden had traveled from the east to the capital herself.

“We trust in your ability, Lady Haiden.”

“Since House Dalkard was also affected this time, please ensure things are settled fairly.”

The various nobles looked to Haiden with eyes full of expectation.

As a member of House Dalkard and an affiliate of the Eastern Bronze Dwarf Bank—approved even by those critical dwarves—Haiden was a recognized prodigy.

If anyone could coldly and accurately calculate the losses this time, it was Haiden.

The losses had come so suddenly, most families weren’t even sure how much to claim.

“Still… isn’t your younger sibling in Einrogard? There’s a reason for the old saying, ‘Blood is thicker than water’…”

One cautious house spokesman raised the point.

Anyone with family studying at Einrogard might side with the skeleton headmaster.

But the other nobles actually scolded the questioner.

“Please watch what you say. Lady Haiden may be family, but she would never show favoritism.”

“When Lord Daihal of House Dalkard visited the Bronze Dwarf Bank, Ms. Haiden turned him away without even showing her face. Even if it’s family, she’ll cut anyone off if it’s not advantageous.”

Sounded a little insulting, but Haiden was rather proud.

The twins, Daihal and Haiden, had always pursued rationality above all.

For them, to botch something for family or clan sentiment would simply be unforgivable.

When Haiden rejected Daihal’s request, Daihal hadn’t resented it one bit. If anything, he might have despised Haiden for accepting.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Oh, and I hear your younger sibling Ahsan has excellent magic potential too.”

“Still a long way to go. He needs to become at least half like his friend.”

‘How humble she is.’

Haiden meant it sincerely, but those around her took it simply as modesty.

Just entering Einrogard was impressive, and Ahsan was even performing quite well.

No one guessed she was comparing him to the school’s top scorer.

“Please submit lists of the goods and reagents you lent. I’ll calculate damages.”

While Haiden collected the items, Yoanen grumbled quietly to Lady Kraha,

“Why do we have to do all this?”

“Yoanen, don’t complain so much. Someone has to get it done.”

Itemizing and pricing the thefts from each house wasn’t an intellectually demanding task.

Plus, House Dalkard’s people were handling all the practical work.

But the task still needed responsibility.

Since discussion and final decisions would be made here, it really required someone with full authority.

If not the lord or lady, then at least a first-line family member.

Lady Kraha answered with poise.

“I heard House Meikin lent out many precious treasures as well.”

“I don’t care. They weren’t even my treasures.”

Yoanen was indifferent.

For nobles with a strong sense of family, maybe it mattered. But high-level mages rarely cared about their family’s pride.

Whether her family’s goods were gone or not, tomorrow’s reagent stock for her workshop was far more important.

“By the way, Lady Kraha, weren’t you always generous with Lord Gonadaltes?”

Yoanen tilted her head, puzzled.

Lady Kraha, for whom wealth was synonymous, was known as Einrogard’s most generous benefactor.

Yoanen had once seen the skeleton headmaster turn a noble who insulted House Kraha into a frog and chuck him into a swamp. No ordinary donation would win that kind of favor.

“That’s true. But Lord Gonadaltes borrowed treasures this time on the condition he’d pay them back.”

Lady Kraha drew the line.

She’d faithfully donated for the Empire’s sake (and still wondered if her support played a role in Gainando’s acceptance), but that didn’t mean she’d excuse every eccentric action.

“Which is why we’re entitled to repayment.”

“Purely from my calculations, I don’t think Lord Gonadaltes will be able to pay back on time.”

True to her alchemist’s keen eye, Yoanen’s prediction was sharp.

The madmen of Einrogard burned through gold as if it were air.

Factor in the Empire’s grant and scattered donations and support…

…the headmaster’s vault could never be brimming. An unexpected and massive expenditure like this crisis would be especially crippling.

“But Lord Gonadaltes must have considered that. You needn’t worry, Yoanen. He’ll come prepared with solutions.”

“…I just dread a lengthy stay.”

Yoanen sighed in frustration.

No doubt the headmaster would bring some plan, but Lady Kraha and that pitiless Dalkard debt collector would never go easy.

Since the skeleton headmaster wasn’t the generous type, the negotiation would likely become a tedious tug-of-war.

What a pointless time-waster.

‘If Einrogard were on break, I’d have asked Yoner instead.’

It was a ridiculous thought.

Even if House Meikin trusted Yoner, no one would send the youngest sibling to such a task.

‘I hope Lord Gonadaltes comes with decent countermeasures…’

“Greetings, all!”

“!”

The nobles gathered in the great hall were startled by the human-shaped skeleton headmaster’s cheerful entrance.

A few even looked hopeful.

“Surely, Lord Gonadaltes’s attitude indicates good news?”

“Yes. He must have secured compensation!”

Normally, the skeleton headmaster was always in a moderately bad mood.

This would have been reason for a worse mood, not a better one—so this cheerfulness spoke for itself.

“No, it’s impossible…”

“I heard he even borrowed gold from the bureaucrats. They’d sooner be beheaded than persuaded.”

Of course, there were skeptics too.

While everyone whispered among themselves, the headmaster began.

“Everyone, I sincerely thank you for lending your strength to this remnant spirit sealing.”

“……”

“Well, yes…”

The nobles all nodded, but their expressions were awkward.

Strictly speaking, the headmaster’s “visits” had been closer to threats, but that was behind them now.

From the noble’s point of view, it sounded far better to say they’d acted voluntarily.

“Have you prepared reimbursement for the borrowed items?”

Whether the headmaster was cheerful or not, Haiden calmly spoke up.

The arrow from House Dalkard, bane of the headmaster for generations, had landed. He sighed.

“Compensation, right…”

“I trust you, Lord Gonadaltes.”

With Lady Kraha joining in, the pressure on the headmaster increased even further.

“Of course, I know you all have a little grudge against me.”

‘A little?’

The nobles all flinched inwardly but didn’t say it aloud.

He was a debtor, yes, but also perhaps the Empire’s greatest archmage—argue too much, and you might be erased from the Empire entirely.

“I’ve disappointed you all more than once. That can’t be helped.”

“Lord Gonadaltes, to be honest, if you just hand over that scoundrel Verdus, I’d pay any price—even a whole castle…”

One grumbling lord said, grinding his teeth, but the headmaster feigned deafness.

It was a request he simply could not grant.

“But in this case, if it’s a favor for my disciple, perhaps it’s a different story? Hmm?”

The doors opened again and a cluster of Death Knights ushered in the disciple.

Ta-da!

Lee Han had to summon superhuman self-control to keep from dying of embarrassment before his master.

Several familiar faces in the crowd made it even worse.

“Couldn’t you show some mercy, at least for my disciple’s sake?”

One noble protested, bewildered.

“Lord, you don’t expect us to comply with a mere request from your disciple, do you? Are you making a fool of us?”

It was a fair question.

The headmaster couldn’t expect a yes just because his disciple asked—the man’s own pleas would barely be enough.

Other nobles looked to Haiden to speak up with Dalkard steel.

“If it’s a request from your disciple, I’m convinced. That makes sense.”

“????!??!?!”

The nobles nearly collapsed in shock.

Was that really Haiden, or a professor of Einrogard in disguise?

With their strongest support crumbling, the nobles reflexively turned to Lady Kraha.

Now, she was their only hope.

But Lady Kraha, with an apologetic expression (though veiled so others couldn’t see it), replied,

“Oh dear, what can you do? I can only comply if it’s a request from the disciple as well…”

“!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!”