Episode 1049

While Joulin was marveling at a dungeon trap she didn’t even know existed, Lee Han quickly erased the inscription.

The dragon who had prepared that treasure chest had written to please wait another 71 years.

The reason was that only then would the gems inside regain their full brilliance.

‘Better not let anyone open it.’

Rather than have them open it clumsily and be disappointed, it would be better for Joulin to get the finished gems later.

Over there?

Now drawn to the treasure chest, Joulin pointed to a new fountain at the end of the corridor.

The fountain was built in the architectural style of the Seven Kingdoms era, and the room it stood in felt free of any real danger.

It almost looked like a sitting room from an old nobleman’s mansion.

Still, Lee Han did not let his guard down.

“There may be an evil foe in the fountain. Like a siren, for example.”

Siren! I heard they exist in Einrogard too!

“You are well informed, Your Highness. Truly wicked creatures.”

Sirens, who took professors’ requests to disrupt students’ exams, were a cunning and wicked race.

Lee Han himself had nearly fallen for them several times.

“I’ll check it out myself.”

Leaving Joulin, who was nodding enthusiastically, Lee Han approached and checked the inscription on the fountain.

Rest Area No. 21 (unfinished—must add more decorations)

ㄴNeed to add large bath for water play.

ㄴNeed to add large mana phonograph.

ㄴRaise the ceiling so one can fly…

“……”

To find a break room like this in a dungeon was absurd, but the fact that it was unfinished was even more shocking.

Suppressing a sense of stupidity, Lee Han covered the writing.

‘No. Can’t drop my guard. It’s still a dungeon. If other dragons have been tending it for Joulin, maybe they’re raising monsters to keep her happy.’

Gritting his teeth, he gestured for Joulin and Eandurde to follow from behind.

Don’t get too close to the fountain, Eandurde! A siren might come out!

“Hmph. Even if one comes out…”

Just come here!

Joulin caught the approaching, battle-ready Eandurde firmly with her forepaw.

Bubble bubble—

“?!?”

Lee Han was startled.

Suddenly, bubbles started forming on the surface of the fountain. Joulin and Eandurde raised a fuss, thinking a siren had appeared.

Of course!

The young Basilisk bristled on Joulin’s back, letting out hostile energy.

And with a spray of water, a spirit revealed itself. Judging by the powerful aura, it was clearly a high-level spirit.

The high-level water spirit shook its fluid body, getting ready for work.

First, it had to manage the rest area, check if any of the dungeon’s drinking water was contaminated, and if so, begin purification. To uphold its contract with the dragon, it had to… work diligently…

……

“……”

-……

The spirit, as soon as it met their eyes, froze. It was like a spirit of ice, not water.

Is it a hostile spirit?

Joulin asked Lee Han.

Spirits weren’t always friendly or gentle. There were plenty who were violent and arrogant.

What’s more, in closed, mana-distorted spaces like dungeons, spirits’ temperaments could grow even more erratic. Adventurers would be instantly on their guard if they met a spirit in a dungeon.

But Lee Han sensed this spirit was different from those cases.

He felt no hostility or threat—and above all…

‘It’s panicking!’

He could tell the spirit was flustered. Having learned soul recognition magic, he could communicate without words.

“…Were you summoned by a contract with another dragon to manage the dungeon?”

-!

The frozen water spirit was greatly shocked.

-Y-yes, that’s right. Did you know and come here?

“That’s not it, but…”

-…Please have mercy! I must maintain secrecy per my contract.

The water spirit pleaded earnestly.

The contract with the dragon was to manage and tidy the dungeon regularly, and if someone came later, never to be discovered.

How disappointing would it be if an adventurer exploring a dangerous dungeon found a cleaning spirit?

…Was that it?

Joulin, realizing that not only had other dragons cultivated the dungeon for her but had even gone so far as to overprotect it, grew a little dejected.

She’d hoped for an exciting adventure with her friends, but in truth it was little different from exploring her own house.

Wait. Was that treasure chest from before not a trap either?

Lee Han shuddered at how Joulin’s intelligence seemed to be leveling up day by day.

Soon, it might be truly hard to deceive her anymore.

“Before that, Your Highness, you should deal with the spirit.”

I’ll keep the secret…

Seeing Joulin turn dejected, the water spirit grew even more flustered.

She had her answer, but she still worried.

What if the dragon who hired her noticed the oddness and complained…

-Wait. Magician, are you perhaps Lee Han of the Wardanaz family? Younger brother of the Butterfly Prince?

The water spirit squirmed, looking at Lee Han. Sensing she’d guessed something, she sent that impression.

Lee Han nodded.

“That’s me. …Wait. How did you know?”

At first, he figured it was just that he was traveling with Joulin as an Einrogard magician; but actually, it was odd.

Among imperials, only a handful knew—how did a spirit know?

‘Ah.’

He soon guessed.

“It’s because of this, isn’t it.”

Among the marks Lee Han had received by contract, one belonged to Upinum, a spirit who called herself the Patron of the Great Sea and Tempest.

Since the spirit was of water, it was likely she’d recognized it.

-Oh? Is that the Patron’s Mark? I, I didn’t realize!

“?”

The water spirit was startled by the Upinum mark.

She never imagined she’d see the Mark of the Patron of the Sea and Storm here.

Rough and fierce, that spirit was a source of fear even among spirits.

“…Then how did you recognize me otherwise?”

-I could feel a threatening, overwhelming presence from your mana.

“……”

The spirit’s polite but rude telepathy made Lee Han’s face stiffen.

‘This guy…’

“Just because you felt overwhelming mana doesn’t mean it’s me. There are so—well, maybe not so many, but other monsters that…”

Lee Han…

Joulin looked at her contractor sympathetically as he rambled on.

She’d never seen her sharp contractor act this way before.

-I-I’m sorry. That was a careless assumption…

“…No need.”

With a bitter face, Lee Han cut off the apology.

Honestly, he’d have liked to write down every rumor spreading among the spirits, but he couldn’t press any further now.

-Lee Han of Wardanaz, I beg your favor. If you’d show me mercy, I will never forget this grace.

“Hmph. All the spirits will avoid me anyway, what does it matter.”

‘I’ll try to comfort him as best I can.’

Lee Han realized after speaking that he was saying the opposite of what he meant. The water spirit became even more distressed.

“Forget what I just said. Besides, Her Highness is already disappointed… Um, perhaps there’s somewhere less maintained deeper in?”

-If the dragon were to be harmed, every spirit contracted in this dungeon would suffer a gruesome fate!

The water spirit shuddered, as if the thought itself was unbearable. Even with no face, the emotion was palpable.

‘The overprotectiveness is more serious than I thought.’

Meanwhile, Joulin became more and more deflated. Eandurde was even consoling her out of pity.

I made the wrong choice…

“Oh, no. It’s not that bad!”

-Yeah! It’s nice to have such a comfortable, pleasant dungeon sometimes!

As they chatted, a “thump” was heard deep in the dungeon.

It wasn’t a physical impact; Lee Han, as a magician, instantly sensed its magical shock.

“Wait! Maybe that was an attack from a monster of another dimension!”

-No. That was just a magical pulse from an artifact charging up.

“…Are you perhaps a bit dense?”

• * *

“Professor Voladi is with him?”

“Yes.”

Having just finished his chores and gone to see Professor Garcia, the Skull Headmaster was surprised by the news.

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have worried. I thought he might try to raid the imperial palace.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.”

The Skull Headmaster waved a hand.

Maybe it was because they met in an outdoor café with tables, but several noble passersby recognized the humanoid Skull Headmaster and looked shocked—some even tried to pay their respects.

“Your Excellency, Spirit Hall!”

“I don’t know such a person.”

“…Aren’t you Thunderstep Your Excellency?”

“No idea. Who’s that supposed to be?”

“???”

The nobles walked away with haunted faces.

Once everyone left, Professor Garcia covered his face in embarrassment and said,

“…Please stop lying like that.”

“Why?”

“If you’re found out later, won’t you be embarrassed? What if you meet a donor at a fundraiser?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll just say it’s a clone I split off ages ago.”

“……”

Professor Garcia was at a loss for words. The Skull Headmaster brushed off the curiosity seekers who thought he was a new actor from the city theater troupe, then asked,

“What about Wardanaz? Is he pestering Professor Voladi for another difficult spell?”

“Oh, no. He’s gone to see Her Highness Joulin. Eandurde’s with him.”

“!”

The Skull Headmaster was shocked.

“What? Where did he go?”

“To Her Highness’ mansion…”

“Professor Garcia! How could you just let that happen!”

The Skull Headmaster scolded, for the first time in a while, as an educator.

To be chided by the most notoriously unconcerned about students in Einrogard—Professor Garcia was dumbstruck.

“Uh, but why? Isn’t that one of the safest places in the capital?”

“One of the safest, yes. But for Wardanaz, it’s one of the most dangerous. Let’s go.”

The Spirit Hall director jumped to his feet.

Joulin wasn’t a violent dragon, but dragons’ growth was famously unpredictable. Back when the Headmaster trained under dragons, he learned that lesson all too well.

A dragon playing with magician cards yesterday could suddenly announce tomorrow, “I want to change the tragic fate of the continent’s races with struggle,” and no one would be surprised.

“Are you concerned Her Highness might actually do something to Lee Han? I mean, with another dragon maybe, but surely not Her Highness Joulin…”

“Not at all. She absolutely would.”

The sheer lack of trust was impressive in itself; Professor Garcia wavered a little.

Had he misjudged Joulin?

“In my opinion, Her Highness is likely to shackle Wardanaz down and not let him out till the end of break. Hmm. Too bad we don’t have Pengerine here. Is Pengerine in the capital?”

“I-I’m not sure?”

Professor Garcia avoided his gaze.

She hadn’t returned from Petroguard yet.

“What for?”

“If I could toss in Pengerine and trade him out for Wardanaz… No, never mind. That wouldn’t work.”

Maybe the very first time, but no more could you trade one Pengerine for Wardanaz.

It’s like trying to buy gold with a slightly nice-looking pebble you found on the roadside.

“Move.”

• I knew we’d get caught…

The Skull Headmaster brushed aside the knights at the mansion gates and entered.

Inside, a familiar cave, and chains on the wall that could only have been made by a dragon…

“!!!”

“I won’t bother saying ‘I told you so.’”

‘You said it all already.’

Following the chains, the two found the gaping dungeon entrance.

Professor Garcia shouted in half-terror,

“Did Her Highness build this dungeon to imprison Lee Han?!”

“…N-no. Surely not.”

The Skull Headmaster was taken aback by his old student’s wild imagination.