Episode 1042
by CristaeEven if Joulin did whatever he pleased, Lee Han couldn’t let himself behave that way. He declined firmly.
“No.”
“Really? Nothing to be done, then.”
The artist didn’t care much.
After all, she’d already won the mandragora.
It was a shame for the Horticulturist Club members, but for the artist, one mandragora was more than enough.
“By the way, can we stop by there for a moment?”
Walking out of the hall borrowed by the Horticulturist Club, Lee Han pointed to another entrance, where toys made of white bronze were being displayed.
Gathering of Toy Artisans from Flaher, Granden, and Elaenas
“…Isn’t it proper for a second-year to be content with mage cards?”
The artist looked perplexed.
To this veteran mage, second-year Einrogard students played mage cards, fourth-years moved on to chess, and by sixth year, one simply abandoned all joy in life.
Mage cards, fine—but toys?
“Oh, I’m not buying them for myself. They’re for a gift.”
“Ah, for a younger relative?”
“No, for His Highness Joulin.”
“…??????”
The lady nearly dropped her peacock-feathered hat in surprise.
Why would a dragon need toys?
‘Wait. Maybe he wants to study or analyze out of curiosity.’
After all, even Uman had inherited his mage card hobby from his ancestors.
It wouldn’t be strange if Prince Joulin suddenly wanted to research what kinds of toys the empire’s other races played with.
While the artist was flustered, Lee Han checked his gold. Thanks to the mandragora sale, his pouch was unexpectedly full.
‘A gift for Joulin, a gift for Basil… I’ll still have plenty left to buy what my other friends need.’
“I’d like to place a bid…”
“No need. I’ll just buy them all.”
The artist cut in and interrupted the exchange between Lee Han and the attendant. Surprised, Lee Han protested.
“I was going to buy these with my own gold.”
“Don’t act inefficiently, you’re an Einrogard student. If the purpose is research, the more you bring, the better he’ll like it.”
“Research? Well… I guess it’s better to bring a lot since he’ll probably break them easily.”
Lee Han imagined Joulin’s brute strength. A few were bound to get wrecked during play—but far better that it be the toys than himself.
The artist produced an emerald-studded pocket watch and checked the time.
She’d gotten the mandragora she wanted, had a chance—even if fleeting—to see art come to life… Time to return to her new hideaway and work again.
…No need to linger so long in the capital, where she might run into the mad archmage…
“Are you done?”
“Do you have an appointment? I just wanted to browse some presents for my friends.”
“You mean your Blue Dragon Tower friends. I suppose that’s fitting.”
A student ranked among the Headmaster’s school was bound to be a leader even within his tower.
Look at Professor Garcia, for instance.
“Professor Garcia what?”
“Ah, nothing.”
“Huh?”
Lee Han looked puzzled, but the artist wasn’t talking.
Fists trumped age.
“Oh, senior. But I need to pick out gifts for friends in other towers too, so it might take a while.”
“…Why????”
The artist was baffled.
- * *
After touring the auction and finishing his shopping (the artist still shelling out the money while shaking her head in confusion), Lee Han said goodbye to his senior and headed toward his friends.
On the way, he spotted a very rare race in the crowd.
No matter where they went, they drew admiring stares and whispers: the penguin beastkin.
“Alsicle! …Wait, no?”
Calling out to the rounded back, Lee Han realized his mistake.
It was the same Pengerine family, but not Alsicle—it was Alhidle.
A first-year junior from Einrogard!
“Alhidle?”
“You remember me! It’s an honor.”
“…Did you get sent to the punishment room this semester?”
Lee Han asked seriously.
Alhidle, true to his good family, was full of confidence and pride.
And he was skilled enough to back it up.
The Headmaster had said, “This Lee Han here is only average in Einrogard, try challenging him, haha,” but Alhidle was truly gifted.
For that sort of talent to now act so polite and wary—there was only one reason.
‘Those mad wardens. They’ve got no humanity, those death knights, bullying a first-year like this!’
Lee Han cursed the wardens inwardly.
Undead really had no heart.
“I’ve never been to the punishment room.”
“What? Don’t lie. You must have run away or gone exploring. Or maybe just never got caught? Impressive.”
“No, I studied in my private room in my spare time.”
“……”
Lee Han instinctively took a step back.
He felt the terrifying madness burning within Alhidle.
“But, what’s all that you’re carrying?”
“Gifts for my friends.”
“I’ll help you carry them!”
“Wa—”
Alhidle lunged to help with Lee Han’s mountain of gifts.
And almost staggered over.
‘Huh?!’
He’d been carrying it so naturally Lee Han didn’t realize how heavy it actually was.
Alhidle nearly toppled from the weight of a single boxed gift.
“Wh-what is this?!”
“I told you to wait. Are you all right? That one’s a reinforced anvil for Salko, it’s pretty heavy.”
“……”
Alhidle, Pengerine family’s prodigy and top student of the Blue Dragon Tower, looked at Lee Han with genuine respect.
‘I’ve still got a long way to go!’
“I’ll cast an enhancement spell.”
“Amazing… Senior’s magical strength must come from constant training, even in daily life.”
“What’re you talking about?”
Lee Han was baffled.
In Einrogard, whether running away or hauling supplies, you just got used to carrying heavy loads.
Lee Han started with enhancement magic, then switched to knight-style mana augmentation, then telekinesis, etc., always pushing his carrying limit.
Thanks to that, he’d earned the title of Einrogard’s best porter (though he’d never tested himself against the seniors), but that was out of necessity, not pure training.
“Eandurde mentioned it.”
“……”
‘Eandurde!’
Lee Han grit his teeth inwardly at the absent junior.
Spreading false rumors!
“That’s not training—just survival in Einrogard…”
“You have my respect. I’ll make a habit of carrying heavy loads from now on.”
“If you respect me, try listening to me for once?”
Lee Han was dumbfounded, but Alhidle was already determined.
He was planning to go to the quarry and fill his backpack with rocks.
“Oh, and thank you for the rations, senior.”
“…What do you mean?”
Lee Han feigned ignorance.
He always gave Eandurde rations for friends, but he’d hidden his name.
He’d told Eandurde specifically not to mention it, so—
“Didn’t you give it to us, senior?”
“What? Did you confuse it with something Eandurde brought?”
“??”
Confused by Senior’s response, Alhidle explained.
- Eandurde brings rations from somewhere.
- When asked, “from whom?” he says, “A senior whose name I can’t reveal.”
- The only senior he publicly mentions is Wardanaz.
- Oh, it must be Wardanaz!
“……”
‘Eandurde!’
Lee Han mentally called out to his absent junior once again.
Why not just say he got it himself, instead of making up this clumsy lie?
‘Next time we meet, I’ll have to teach him how to lie properly.’
With Gainando around, he’d have a great teacher.
“Well… fine. Can’t be helped.”
Quickly giving up, Lee Han still couldn’t resist asking,
“Wasn’t it possible it was a friend like Gainando?”
“Pwahahaha!”
Alhidle burst out laughing for the first time that day.
The joke must’ve really caught him off guard—he laughed even harder.
“Hahaha, hahahaha! Hahaha… wait, you weren’t joking?”
“…You’ve never met Gainando, have you?”
“No. All I’ve heard from Eandurde is that he always steals food…”
“……”
Lee Han put a hand over his face.
Letting your tower’s shame spread outside was more embarrassing than expected.
“It’s a misunderstanding. He’s just joking around.”
“It seemed a bit much for a joke…”
“Quiet.”
“Yes!”
When the junior fell silent, Lee Han felt bad and spoke again.
“No, it’s not your fault. So how did you find Einrogard?”
Most new students suffered culture shock after their first semester at Einrogard.
Especially Alhidle, who’d met the Headmaster privately before entry and been fed a bundle of lies.
Lee Han still felt a little guilty thinking about that.
“Incredible and wondrous.”
“Uh, wasn’t it dirty or make you want to scream?”
“That was obvious.”
Alhidle looked at Lee Han as if to say, why would you even ask?
Incredible and wondrous were one thing; wanting to curse was inevitable.
“…Sorry. And I bet you were shocked by all the Headmaster’s lies.”
The Headmaster had told Alhidle, “A mage like Lee Han’s nothing special—Einrogard is full of them.”
Lee Han worried the junior might have gotten hurt trying to chase that unreachable bar.
“No, I figured out it was a lie on the first day.”
“…Really.”
Alhidle was a clever junior after all.
On the first day, between the Headmaster’s rants and the professors’ lectures, he realized he’d been duped.
“Alhidle, come to think of it, why’d you come to the capital? That’s quite a trip.”
“There was a family gathering, and Eandurde said he’d gotten an invitation from a friend. We traveled here in the same carriage.”
Lee Han was pleased to hear that they rode together, even though they were from different towers.
Unlike their severe seniors, at least the juniors seemed to be influenced by his own group.
‘Maybe sharing rations helped them get close.’
“So you lent Eandurde the carriage to repay him for the food?”
“That was part of it, but actually, Eandurde bullied me into letting him on.”
“……”
‘Eandurde!’
Lee Han cursed his absent junior for the third time.
If he’d stayed quiet, he’d have gotten invited anyway!
But Alhidle didn’t seem bothered at all. On the great road of magic, personal slights and grudges didn’t matter.
“Wait. Eandurde was invited by a friend?”
Lee Han grew suspicious.
The only person who’d send Eandurde an invitation would be Joulin.
‘Well, Joulin is generous…’
He could see Joulin sending invitations to Lee Han, the Headmaster, or Alsicle at any time.
“…!!!”
Suddenly Lee Han realized what had been bothering him, and his expression changed drastically. Alhidle, alarmed, asked,
“What’s wrong?!”
“…I left Alsicle behind!”