Episode 1046

Episode 1046

Lee Han, puzzled, belatedly recalled the scheme Joulin was plotting.

A sinister plan to bind a magician tight.

Thinking back, it could have been Eandurde, not the Skull Headmaster, who was the target of that plan.

“By the way. Eandurde, there’s something you should know before meeting Joulin.”

Lee Han explained, with caution, what he’d heard.

After listening, Eandurde’s expression was one he’d never seen before.

She looked as if she had no idea how or where to begin speaking.

“Th… thank you for telling me…”

“If you’re bothered, should I just go? Even if Joulin invited you, losing your whole vacation would be tough.”

Eandurde shook her head again.

In her look, there was a strong sense of trust in her friend.

‘Eandurde is better than I am.’

Lee Han inexplicably felt his eyes misting.

He never would have guessed that Eandurde, who was so worried about making friends, would react this way.

“Need help picking out a present?”

“I think I’ll be fine.”

Eandurde stared firmly at Lee Han.

Feeling the certainty in her attitude, he nodded.

“I see. You already thought of what to give?”

“Yes…”

• * *

Clack!

Lee Han blinked at the handcuffs locked on his wrist.

He was now reminded that when someone is truly dumbfounded, words often fail you.

Joulin’s scheme had succeeded!

Regardless, in the middle of the cave, Joulin pounded the floor with his front paw and proudly shouted his success.

“……”

Who would have imagined a surprise attack like this after visiting Joulin’s mansion?

Even if magic criminals or anti-magic fanatics stormed Einrogard, he would not have been this surprised.

“…No way… I was the target?!”

Only then did Lee Han realize and shouted in a voice full of shock. Next to him, Eandurde nodded carefully.

Actually, there were hints from the invitation itself.

To Eandurde:

Come visit during break! Invite Lee Han, too, and once you both come to the mansion, I’ll lock you in and we can play together forever!

Joulin

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“…You said to choose your friend…”

‘Ah.’

Stammering, the junior could only explain, and Lee Han had to accept it.

I told her to!

“I never thought this was the kind of friendship you meant.”

Even thinking about it again, it was absurd.

After visiting the mansion, passing the main gate, then stepping into the huge cave chamber unique to this mansion—

Joulin, crouched in the dark, leapt out and snapped cuffs onto Lee Han’s wrist. It was difficult to believe such speed from a dragon’s massive body.

‘Truly, the dragon race!’

While marveling once more at the power of the dragon race, Lee Han checked the handcuffs.

If he poured mad amounts of magic into them to overload and break them—

“!”

Amazingly, these ordinary-looking cuffs cleanly dispersed all the magic. It had no effect at all using pure magical force.

“How is this possible?!”

Got help from my sibling! Other dragons helped make it!

“……”

Lee Han recalled the advice he’d given Joulin’s brother, Uman, and was overwhelmed with regret.

-Have you prepared for pure magical impact? Normally, people don’t, but on very rare occasions, some magicians…

He couldn’t have dug his own grave more skillfully if he tried.

While the contractor was lost in shame, Joulin crawled over quickly and snatched away his sword. She tried to take his staff as well but Lee Han, back to his senses, stopped her this time.

“Hey. Your Highness.”

You can keep the staff here.

Thinking that Joulin seemed bolder these days, Lee Han spoke firmly.

“Remove these cuffs.”

……

“Your Highness?”

……

Joulin pretended not to hear once more.

She had decided to ignore things she didn’t want to hear.

‘Why is she acting so much like Einrogard? Is it because she visited Einrogard?’

Lee Han, seeing Joulin acting like a mischievous seven-year-old, decided to ignore her for now and focused on getting the shackles off.

It seemed better to break the chain than unlock the dragon-made cuffs themselves.

‘…Did dragons really make these? They feel like feathers.’

Casting detection spells and scattering magic to sense the cuffs and chains, Lee Han was amazed anew.

Though the cuffs and chain were light and soft to the point that he hardly felt them when wearing them, once magic flowed into them, they deflected interference like a fortress wall.

There didn’t seem to be any especially rare metal used, and yet such a strong, mysterious artifact had been created.

Maybe it had been enchanted with word-magic. For a dragon, that was possible.

‘Wait. Now’s not the time to be impressed.’

It wasn’t time to be marveled at dragon magic skill—he had to free himself from the chain attached to the cuffs.

Lee Han strengthened the detection spell and expanded its range.

No matter how perfect an artifact, once made, it inevitably had points of weakness from wear and decay.

He planned to bombard the weakest spot with spells until it yielded.

Even if it was invulnerable to magical force attacks from inside, there was no guarantee it would withstand every attack coming from outside.

‘Given she took my sword first, there’s probably a physical vulnerability.’

Creep—

Feeling the movement of magic, Joulin quickly crawled up onto the chain.

She covered the chain with her own body, blocking Lee Han from attacking it. For a moment, Lee Han was at a loss for words.

“…Your Highness. Please move.”

……

Joulin covered her head with her wings and pretended not to hear. Even though Eandurde was her friend, she was so embarrassed she couldn’t even look up.

• Isn’t this a bit much?

The young Basilisk commented as it watched Joulin. Joulin pouted as she replied.

Because friends!

• I mean… that’s too much, even for friends…

But Joulin prepared presents, too!

Joulin swung her tail and pointed at the cave wall. Lined up on the shelf, packed big and cold with freezing magic, was an assortment of monster meats meant as gifts to the young Basilisk for the next meeting.

The young Basilisk looked helplessly lost on seeing those gifts. Lee Han sighed.

If you’re going to get lured in by food, why bother taking a stand in the first place!

“Your Highness. I was planning to stay at the mansion even without being tricked like this.”

Really?

Joulin perked up her ears. Her hearing seemed to return selectively only for topics in her favor—it really must’ve been the influence of visiting Einrogard.

“Yes.”

How long? 100?

“…One hundred… hours? That much, well…”

Joulin meant one hundred years.

“……”

“……”

-……

The lack of conscience was so staggering that not only Lee Han but also Eandurde and the young Basilisk were speechless.

At least they’d expected a hundred days…

“…Isn’t that too much?”

When Eandurde whispered, Joulin stuttered.

Negotiating always starts like this…

• I don’t think that’s right.

But you’re on Joulin’s side! Why would you say that!

• …Sob… Fine…

Not as brave as Eandurde, the young Basilisk drooped its tail.

Meanwhile, Lee Han walked around to check the range of the chain.

‘Does it just keep me from leaving the mansion?’

The chain extended as Lee Han moved, but as he neared the front doors, it stopped extending any further.

Joulin followed close behind to prevent Lee Han from breaking the chain in secret.

By the way, Lee Han, is that bundle you brought a present?

Without answering, Lee Han checked the window. As expected, getting out through a window wasn’t going to be easy either.

…!!!

Joulin’s eyes went wide at being ignored. She hadn’t imagined she could be disregarded like this.

‘Hm. Maybe I should break the chains while Joulin’s asleep? But she’s so sensitive, she’d wake right up.’

Lee Han thought about how much stamina Joulin had.

She’d slept a lot at Einrogard dorms, but that was just in normal times.

If she was determined to stay up, she could outlast Lee Han’s stamina easily. She was a dragon, after all.

‘Maybe persuading her is better than brute force.’

Lee Han…

Joulin called to her contractor with a teary voice. Lee Han sighed and replied.

“Your Highness. No matter what, you shouldn’t just do as you please like this.”

But this is what I learned at Einrogard.

“……”

Lee Han cursed the Skull Headmaster inwardly.

Always urging magicians to seize what they wanted by force—no wonder Joulin had turned out this way!

“That was a bad lesson. The true teachings of Einrogard are harmony, cooperation, and friendship.”

“?”

Eandurde looked at her senior as if to say, What are you talking about?

Even after a semester, there was no sign of any of those three things.

“Real Einrogard teaching is strength in not losing those values even in harsh circumstances.”

-Really?

Doesn’t seem true.

Not only the young Basilisk, but Joulin eyed him skeptically. After visiting Einrogard, she’d gotten so much smarter that she wasn’t easy to fool anymore.

“If you don’t believe me, you can ask the Headmaster. He’ll agree right away.”

If he wanted to avoid an early death, the Skull Headmaster would surely step in to stop Joulin from “carrying out Einrogard’s teachings.”

Lee Han trusted that and spoke confidently.

“Now. Your Highness, trust your contractor and release me. Even if you smash the castle someday, I’ll be the one to go with you to the dragon court.”

…Joulin would never do something like that!

Joulin complained about such a ridiculous accusation.

Why would she ever do such a thing?

Well, Lee Han. How long will you stay?

“Oh. Your Highness, I brought a present.”

Lee Han changed the subject as soon as a contentious topic came up.

He had a hunch that if he said anything less than a hundred years, Joulin would absolutely refuse to release him.

At the mention of presents, Joulin’s attention shifted. Lee Han rattled the chains and took out a toy.

“…Uh… is that really alright???”

Eandurde asked in confusion.

What Lee Han produced was a giant bone-shaped toy. It looked like an oversized dog toy.

“These cuffs? They’re fine. They’re much lighter than they look.”

“N-no, I mean…”

While Eandurde was flustered, Lee Han activated the magic of the dog bone—no, dragon bone—toy.

He’d been impressed when he saw this item at the auction. In fact, the enchanter, Gashpado, thought it would never sell.

It was originally made to train wyverns, but after making it, wyverns didn’t show any interest in it at all.

Apparently wyverns, being so wild and violent, wanted rewards that were more destructive and gory.

But Lee Han saw a different value in the toy.

-Did you make this? This is a truly outstanding item!

-R-really? I thought it was a failure…

-No! It’s a masterpiece. I’ll buy your whole stock!

-!!!

After hearing such praise from an Einrogard magician, Gashpado was shocked.

He’d never imagined a magician from Einrogard would say such a thing.

Maybe there was a hidden value in his work he hadn’t realized?

“Now, Your Highness. Here it comes!”

Whoosh!

As Lee Han threw the bone, Joulin flew after it, delighted. Eandurde and the young Basilisk wore deeply ambivalent expressions.

…Is this really okay?!