Episode 1011

Episode 1011

The Death Knight sitting on the coachman’s seat quickly assessed the faces of the wizards who had come to greet him.

‘Lava Birds Tower, Snowflake Tower, Water Horse Mountain Range Tower, why are those Paragranum Guild guys here? Even Obsidian Tower…’

Even with a cursory glance, the number of magic towers participating was more than just a couple.

It looked like Erindarbel had shared the news she heard with several towers.

The skeletal headmaster seemed to realize this too, and spoke in an annoyed voice.

“If you heard about the Small World, you should just keep it to yourself. Why the hell would you spread it all over the Empire?”

From a practical standpoint, the skeletal headmaster’s point was valid.

If he had heard of the extraordinary talent of a desired wizard, the headmaster would’ve immediately moved to control the rumors.

What good would it do to increase the number of competitors?

Yet this foolish archmage shared the news with multiple towers.

-As Erindarbel is a responsible archmage, I think she felt it was something other towers’ wizards should also know—

“So, are you saying I’m an irresponsible archmage now?”

-……

“……”

With the sulky skeletal headmaster’s nitpicking, his subordinates and student fell silent.

The headmaster realized that complaining would change nothing and sighed.

“People from all over are making this a hassle…”

“What should we do now?”

At his student’s question, the headmaster nodded approvingly, as if it was a good question.

“From now on, when you go out, always wear a disguise and hide your identity. If you meet a wizard, the first thing to do is check which tower, workshop, or guild they’re from. If it’s a large enough group, just don’t sit with them at all.”

“…I meant not in the distant future.”

“It’s not some distant future. They came to see, so we ought to let them.”

“The Small World I’ve mastered is Basilios. But that’s not something I can just show to others even if I want to.”

To summon this crown inherited from his clone from the parallel dimension, it required devotion and nobility for others.

He couldn’t easily demonstrate it in front of wizards from the towers.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“?”

“Even if you leave out the Small World, just showing the other things is more than enough.”

At the headmaster’s words, the knights nodded as well.

Even if he just listed the magic and contracts he had learned in an ordinary way, the wizards would faint.

“……”

While Lee Han was reluctantly hesitating, the skull headmaster read the last part of the letter he hadn’t paid attention to earlier.

…Yukveltire is planning to sue Your Excellency in the imperial court for being forced out of priority in your research…

“Do you know what this means?”

“I had promised to help Senior Yukveltire with her research during the vacation.”

“Ah. I see.”

The headmaster smirked and burned the letter.

“…Uh, she said she’d sue you in court, is that okay?”

“Tell her to do her best. That kid still has a long way to go.”

The merciful skeletal headmaster thought to give a lesson to his foolish student.

If you wanted to work with a wizard on research, you had to keep hold of them well.

If you acted complacently, relying only on promises, you’d get your priority snatched away like this.

“Tut tut. Seeing what her professor does, and still not getting it.”

As a disciple of Professor Verdus, yet failing to understand this obvious principle, the headmaster felt pity.

Some wizards just could not be bound by the Empire’s laws.

When dealing with such wizards, you had to seize by force yourself!

• * *

Lee Han was a bit worried that he couldn’t show his Small World, but the headmaster and knights were right.

The wizards from the various towers were satisfied enough even without seeing the Small World.

“If it’s advanced magic of the lightning element, perhaps -Wardanaz’s Lightning-…”

“Gasp!”

“Are you talking about celestial magic? I’ve made a contract with a star, but…”

“Gaaaaaasp!”

“Um…”

“Gaaaaaaaaasp!”

“…I haven’t actually said anything yet.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Wizards, now quite used to being surprised, found themselves startled preemptively and felt awkward.

Since they were so often amazed, it had become instinctive to react with awe.

“What were you about to say?”

“Ah. It’s nothing much, I was just wondering how much longer I should keep casting magic.”

“Oh dear! We’ve failed to consider the young talent. Let’s stop here.”

The wizards smiled apologetically.

Of course, Lee Han hadn’t meant to stop. It was just a question.

He hadn’t even brought up the headmaster’s debts yet.

“I can keep going if you need me to.”

“No, no! That’s not necessary.”

“Right. Einrogard might work their wizards hard, but in our Snowflake Tower, we don’t treat them like that.”

“Anyway, Einrogard is a harsh and evil place. Isn’t that so?”

“?”

Lee Han caught some strange hints in the wizards’ conversation.

What’s this?

“Uh… It’s tough, but as for being harsh and evil… well, you’re not wrong…”

“See! If you stay in a place like that for too long, you’ll be all twisted up inside. If memory serves, Professor Verdus is also there, isn’t she?”

“That’s right! Professor Verdus is there. Haven’t you considered that staying there too long will turn you into a wizard like Professor Verdus?”

“……”

Lee Han could hardly believe it.

So, right now…

Were they having this conversation to invite him to their own tower?

‘No way. Would imperial wizards really act this obvious?’

“Are you trying to make me have a negative impression of Einrogard right now?”

“Wh-what?”

“No, not at all? We were just discussing some obvious facts about Einrogard.”

“Did you know, statistically, wizards who graduate from Einrogard are more likely to become magical criminals?”

“Let’s not be so tacky, folks.”

The skeletal headmaster suddenly stuck his face in and interrupted.

The wizards were startled as if they’d encountered an evil lich deep within a dungeon.

“If you’re wizards, you should honestly invite him with your magic. What your tower’s magic is like, what vision you have…”

At the wise archmage’s advice, the wizards from the towers responded enthusiastically.

“So is that why you locked up Professor Kim in Einrogard?”

“Only certain wizards have the right to talk about fairness.”

“Why not at least let Professor Verdus out?”

“…I wasn’t the one who locked up Professor Garcia! He chose it himself!”

Although the headmaster couldn’t refute the other points, he strongly denied the first accusation.

That was pure malicious slander.

“Hah. If you say so.”

“The students at Einrogard are all joyfully doing magic purely of their own will, aren’t they?”

“I bet you locked them in the punishment room and threatened them.”

“……”

The headmaster realized that saying any more would only get him nowhere with these fiercely sarcastic wizards.

Ever since his scam involving Professor Garcia, this had been an inevitable backlash.

“…Still, for my student’s sake, you’ll grant this request, won’t you?”

“Of course. We’ll even erase your debt.”

“The artifact you asked for last time, shall I send it to you even now?”

“Haha. No need.”

The headmaster discreetly nudged his student on the back.

He’d gotten everything he wanted, so now he should slip out quietly.

Accustomed to dealing with wizards burning with madness, Lee Han nodded and backed away silently.

His stealth was so perfect, the wizards didn’t even notice the student had vanished while they chatted with the headmaster.

-Good job.

The knights, who had been watching nervously, breathed a sigh of relief.

-We were worried that the wizards might go insane and try to kidnap you.

“Even so, seeing as they’re all officially affiliated with the towers, they wouldn’t go that far, would they?”

-Back in Professor Kim’s days, they actually raided your master’s villa and burned it down…

“…Earlier you told me how I should act, right?”

Lee Han realized he should remember the advice he had so casually dismissed before.

When going out, wear a disguise, hide your identity, check the interviewer’s tower or…

-But don’t worry too much.

“Right? The official imperial tower wizards wouldn’t go that far…”

-Oh. That’s not what I meant. I meant that since the successor is an excellent combat wizard, even if they tried to kidnap you, you’d be able to handle it well.

“…Wow… That’s really comforting.”

At the successor’s reply, the knights all smiled contentedly.

Apparently that was somewhat reassuring.

As he walked down the tower’s corridor with the knights, a wizard he’d never seen before appeared ahead.

She had silver hair and blue eyes. Lee Han whispered to the Death Knights.

“Is that Lady Erindarbel?”

-Yes. She looks like your friend, right?

The knights naturally assumed Lee Han had recognized her by her facial features.

“Ah. You’re right. She does look similar.”

-Pardon? Then how did you tell?

“The staff magic structure she uses is similar to Senior Yukveltire’s…”

-…It’d be better not to say that in front of the other tower wizards.

“???”

Lee Han was puzzled by the knights’ reaction.

Did his guess just now constitute some sort of mistake?

“Greetings, Wardanaz. Welcome.”

“Hello, Lady Erindarbel.”

The two wizards greeted each other courteously.

The archmage’s welcome was somehow stern and rigid.

But just the fact that she didn’t badmouth Einrogard or rave about how great it’d be to join her tower after graduation gave Lee Han some relief.

‘Maybe she’s a good person.’

His expectations had dropped a lot lately due to the wizards he’d met.

“Thank you for the magic demonstration during today’s visit. I’m sure the other wizards were deeply impressed as well.”

“Not at all. My magic is lacking, I’m just embarrassed.”

-Lacking?

The Death Knights murmured in disbelief, but Lee Han signaled them to shut up.

“By the way, I heard Senior Yukveltire sent you a letter, sorry about that. Because of the headmaster…”

“Are you referring to Yukveltire’s research?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a trivial research project, so you don’t need to help. Please focus on your own research, Wardanaz.”

“…You really are Senior Yukveltire’s mother!”

“?”

“Ah. Sorry, never mind.”

Lee Han realized that was rude and quickly recovered.

“I don’t think it’s quite that trivial. If it’s possible to create an artificial dimension even locally…”

“When researching magic, you must weigh both the potential and the utility if you succeed. To put it in Einrogard terms, it would be a failing grade. Not to mention, it’s troubling even her friends.”

“Friends? Who…”

-Black Magic Faction! She means the Black Magic Faction!

One of the knights whispered desperately. Only then did Lee Han regain his senses.

“Ah! You mean Senior Direte! She has so many other friends, it took me a moment to realize who you meant.”

“???”

Erindarbel looked at the Wardanaz wizard as if he were odd.

Did Einrogard have two Yukveltire’s or something?