Episode 103
by CristaeEpisode 103
“Angrago, what are you doing?!”
“Duke Ma, I’ll be the one to sacrifice myself.”
Angrago spoke solemnly.
“Of course, the wicked things that Wardanas did, I can never forgive… absolutely never…”
‘These guys are relentless,’ thought Ihan.
It seemed like it was time for them to let go of old grudges!
“…But if Wardanas hadn’t helped us this time, we’d still be trapped in the dungeon. I can’t deny that. I’ll concede this permission slip to Wardanas and win the next one by my own strength.”
“Angrago, your nobility makes me respect you. I’ll join you!”
Duke Ma, who was trying to stop him, was persuaded by Angrago’s speech.
If only one of these three could obtain the permission slip, it had to be the Blue Dragon Tower bast—no, the Tower’s Wardanas.
For the first time, Ihan was somewhat moved to see the White Tiger Tower guys show some conscience.
‘They do have a conscience after all.’
He thought they didn’t!
Ihan was ready to eagerly shout, ‘Well then, hurry up and get in there.’ But before he could, the water spirit hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.
“?”
The water spirit frantically gestured to stop them.
Ihan didn’t understand, but he certainly felt the spirit’s urgency.
“…Alright. Rise up!”
A water orb flew out quickly, knocking the running White Tiger Tower friends to the ground.
The two tumbled forward onto the dirt. Looking aggrieved, they shouted at Ihan.
“What are you doing, Wardanas?!”
“What was that for?!”
He’d just thrown them down on impulse, and now seeing the situation, it seemed a bit harsh.
‘If I say the spirit told me to stop you, they’ll go nuts…’
Ihan tried to think up another excuse to calm them down.
Honor always worked.
“As an heir to an honorable noble family, do you think I would accept a permission slip acquired through someone else’s sacrifice?”
“…!!!”
While the two were stunned to silence, Ihan whispered quietly to the water spirit.
“If you stopped me for no good reason, I’m locking you in there.”
The water spirit trembled as it hurriedly began to explain.
It pointed at the pillar, pointed at the students, then made an X with both hands from its watery body.
Ihan felt a flash of realization strike him.
“…Don’t tell me, it won’t open even if a student goes inside?”
The water spirit nodded.
Ihan was shocked.
He’d thought he’d gotten into the Skull Principal’s head at last, but the principal was truly unfathomable.
What kind of guy was this?
Even if they put a person inside, it wouldn’t open??
‘How has he not been assassinated by now?’
Ihan slowly walked toward the altar.
He was now sure there were no more traps in the area.
If after fighting among themselves, one got locked in and then realized the altar wouldn’t open, it made sense there should be no traps around.
“Let’s look for another way. There must be a method to open it.”
“Wardanas…”
Angrago nodded with a trembling voice.
He hadn’t yet recovered from the emotion.
Ihan poured strong magical power into the altar, as he’d done before at White Tiger Tower.
Bang!
A powerful, silent clash of magic resonated out. The water spirit ducked in fright.
“W-what’s going on?! What is this?!”
“I tried to undo the magic placed on it with my power, but it failed.”
Duke Ma was disappointed.
And then paused.
‘…Wait, didn’t Wardanas break in this way last time??’
The White Tiger Tower students still hadn’t figured out how Wardanas broke into their lounge with his friends.
How did he break the entrance magic?
But now—could it be…?
Ihan knocked on the altar, sent his magic through it to probe the structure, fired his magic to shake it, and tried all sorts of methods.
But the altar didn’t budge.
Ihan began to have his doubts.
‘Maybe there’s no defensive magic on it at all?’
If there were defensive magic as before, there could hardly be no reaction, no matter how subtle or cleverly cast.
It was just… silent.
He had first thought it was due to the Skull Principal’s superior magic or his own lack thereof, but decided it couldn’t hurt to test it one more time.
“Everyone stand back.”
“?”
Ihan conjured a mass of water several times larger than usual, then began to spin it slowly. The two White Tiger Tower students were startled.
“Better take a few more steps back.”
“???”
Not knowing much, but sensing something was off, the two stepped back.
The water spirit, even before Ihan spoke, was already much further back.
Bang!
Professor Boladi had told them not to get greedy with the spinning attribute right now, but if it was the professor’s job to torment students, it was the student’s job to disobey and rebel.
So, dutifully ignoring Professor Boladi’s words, Ihan completed a spinning water grenade once again.
It took over half an hour, but was well worth the effort.
The rotating mass of water crashed violently into the altar and shattered it.
Angrago and Duke Ma ducked in shock at the deafening noise. Even after backing away, they hadn’t expected such power.
Not only did it destroy the altar, it obliterated the surroundings as well.
‘What on earth is that magic??’
Both shuddered with chills up their spines.
They’d seen Ihan use water element magic before, but never anything like that.
They’d learned magic together under Professor Garcia, but where on earth did that spell come from?
‘Did he find forbidden spells in the library?’
‘It must be a secret technique passed down in the Wardanas family!’
Ihan staggered with a tired expression.
His magic power was abundant, but focusing on one spell for over thirty minutes had exhausted his nerves.
Of course he was tired.
Shff—
At that moment, the black book the Skull Principal had given as a gift slipped out of Ihan’s coat as if it were alive.
It opened on its own, and as before, started pouring letters onto a page.
The jolt of having knowledge hammered directly into his brain.
When that sensation faded, the new knowledge remaining in Ihan’s head was .
A 2nd-circle body-enhancement magic that gives a wizard’s hand a ghastly sharpness!
…Why now?
‘What are you up to?’
Ihan looked at the black book in disbelief, but it went right back into his coat, as if it was done.
‘Is it mocking me for smashing things instead of using magic properly?’
It was frightening that it really might be.
Ihan still couldn’t be 100% sure this black book wasn’t an evil grimoire.
“Wardanas, are you okay…?”
“I’m fine. Go retrieve the permission slip.”
Though he meant Angrago, the water spirit darted forward.
The leopard skeleton summon patted the ground in anger as it saw this.
“……”
Ihan wanted to explain the misunderstanding to the spirit, but he was too tired to bother.
Flutter—
The water spirit respectfully retrieved the permission slip and offered it up.
Though a little dusty from the altar’s destruction, the permission slip was intact.
“You did it, Wardanas! You actually did it!”
“You overcame all the traps and succeeded!”
Both cheered as if it were their own achievement. The water spirit hesitantly clapped as well.
Ihan carefully examined the permission slip. It was the same kind he’d received before.
A rectangular piece of paper stating that the next holder was permitted a one-day outing, with the principal’s signature.
“Fetch a flat rock over here.”
“Why, Wardanas? Whatever you’re doing, couldn’t you at least rest a bit first?”
“No. I’ll do it now.”
Ihan pulled out a quill pen and several ink bottles from his bag.
When he used his first permission slip, what he regretted most wasn’t that he couldn’t use a carriage or summon monsters.
What really bothered him was that he couldn’t forge a permission slip.
A fake permission slip couldn’t be made out of anything. You needed proper paper, and various colored inks.
Whenever he bought supplies outside, Ihan made sure to prepare what he needed, and what he couldn’t get, he took from Professor Uregeoreum’s lab.
So that whenever, wherever, he got a permission slip, he could forge duplicates.
“…No way?”
“Is he really—??”
Angrago and Duke Ma were horrified.
They’d denied it at first, but now there was no mistaking what it was.
‘It’s forgery, Wardanas!!’
‘What the…??’
Ihan laid out his tools on the rock with a solemn artisan’s expression.
He was so serious, the two couldn’t even speak.
“Move.”
At Ihan’s command, the quill floated. The spell used for manipulating quills had finally found its true calling.
To use more finely than a real hand took extraordinary skill, but that was old news for Ihan.
On the tip of his disciple’s quill, Professor Boladi’s combat magic class was now blossoming in the humble arena of permission slip forgery.
Watching a forged permission slip being crafted right before their eyes left the two with jaws agape.
“O bearded heavens, this is absurd!”
“Is… is this possible??”
While Ihan and the White Tiger Tower students were stranded on the island, the students of the other towers were going about their own tasks.
Among them, the Blue Dragon Tower students were in the lounge, poring over books and trying to identify the remaining potions.
“Ugh… If you give me that potion again, maybe I can figure it out. Can’t you give it back?”
“Somebody tie up Gainando, please.”
“Where’s Wardanas?”
“He went to check on the lake. Said we should make lunch ourselves.”
Ihan had already set up the ingredients in front of the lounge fire before he left.
Seeing the ingredients, the students got a little excited.
Having eaten meals prepared by servants their whole lives, suddenly being presented the chance to cook for themselves, creativity began to bubble up.
“Can I try making a pie?”
“Sure, what kind?”
“I read about it once in a book, a pie baked with fish. It sounded delicious.”
“Out.”
“Why?!”
There was a little friction, but the Blue Dragon Tower students cheerfully cooked and waited.
…But Wardanas didn’t return.
“Why isn’t Wardanas back?”
“Gainando, did you offend Wardanas somehow?”
“No, no! I did all the assignments myself!”
“Was it because you were talking too much at dinner yesterday? Should’ve eaten quietly, with gratitude…”
“Gah…”
Like children whose working parents are late home, the students grew anxious.
“This won’t do. I’m heading to the lake.”
“Me too. Let’s go together.”
So the Blue Dragon Tower students set off for the lake en masse.
But there was no way they’d find Ihan there; he’d already left.
Now, Blue Dragon Tower students began to get scared.
“Let’s look around!”
“He could’ve gone somewhere else, so ask around!”
The Blue Dragon Tower students scattered to investigate.
In the process, some heard a shocking rumor.
“A White Tiger Tower student is missing?”
“Those damned airheaded, empty-headed tin-cans?!”
“What’s wrong?”
“They say the White Tiger Tower jerks kidnapped Wardanas!”
“White Tiger Tower guys? …Wait, is that even possible?”