Episode 105
by CristaeYou and your arrogance have made students miss a precious learning opportunity…
The Skull Principal’s rambling was cut off as the Blue Dragon Tower students cried out.
“Wardanas!!”
“You’re alive! We thought you’d been kidnapped!”
“Kidnapped?”
Angrago, who was following behind, asked back in confusion.
Who would dare kidnap Wardanas?
“Hands up! Don’t move—one step and we’ll curse you!”
Blue Dragon Tower students found Angrago and Duke Ma and immediately pointed their staffs.
“W-Why are you doing this?!”
“Such cunning… You took them all the way to the lake to avoid leaving evidence near the school!”
Gainando, ever the fan of the Empire’s popular detective series “Dogfolk Sleuth Toberis,” fired off sharp speculation. Even Asan thought it plausible.
“We didn’t kidnap him—while searching the lake together, we ran aground.”
“Oh. Was that it?”
“Makes sense.”
“Good grief. Be careful next time, will you?”
At Ihan’s words, the Blue Dragon Tower kids quickly lowered their staffs.
The White Tiger Tower students were left speechless.
‘How can they be so shameless…?’
Heirs of empire’s great noble families, and yet so brazen.
They hadn’t been like this at entrance—what on earth changed them?
“Aren’t you going to apologize? You painted us as kidnappers and just let it go?”
“But, do we really need to point fingers over who’s at fault when we’ve just found our lost friends and are so happy? Don’t you think you’re pushing it?”
“You’re worse than common thugs…!”
Some White Tiger Tower students grumbled, but most had other concerns.
“Angrago, are you alright?! Any broken bones or strange injuries? Wardanas didn’t cast a weird spell on you, did he?”
“Duke Ma, how many fingers do you see? Remember your family name? Say it for me.”
They worried deeply for their friends who’d spent the night with Ihan.
What if they’d been hit with wicked black magic…
“Don’t worry, everyone. It was chaotic, but… nothing happened with Wardanas. In fact, he saved our lives.”
“Wardanas defeated the summoning beast hiding in the sand. Without him, all of us would have been dragged below.”
Angrago and Duke Ma told the gathered students everything they’d experienced—about the Skull Principal’s evil schemes, and how Wardanas broke through.
The tale was so interesting that even other towers came over to listen in.
“…It’s too absurd; maybe Wardanas brainwashed them?”
“Still, even so…”
Some White Tiger Tower students found it hard to believe.
So the Skull Principal built a dungeon under the sand, summoned a monster, then gave the assignment just to guide students here?
It was hard to swallow.
But they soon found it was true—since the Skull Principal himself started recounting the story from behind.
Well done! Well done. Wardanas, you made others miss a chance to learn, but you did well!
“…Sorry.”
Ihan found it ridiculous, but apologized anyway.
There was nothing to gain by crossing the sulky Skull Principal.
Pettiness was a basic trait for professors.
The Skull Principal seemed so wronged and regretful he went on complaining, laying out everything he’d set up under the sand.
When the students heard what was waiting under the sand, their faces paled.
He set up all that???
“Shouldn’t someone report that man to His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Shh, quiet. Do you want to be dragged under the sand?”
After venting for a while, the Skull Principal seemed to feel better and turned to Ihan.
Still, to retrieve the permission slip alone—that must be praised.
With those words, Ihan’s broken arm was completely healed. He bowed.
“Thank you.”
Thanks to you, next year’s freshmen will face even harsher trials.
“How unfortunate.”
Of course Ihan didn’t feel sorry—that wasn’t his fault.
“And it wasn’t all me.”
Ihan pointed to Angrago and Duke Ma.
Whenever you did something illicit, you had to properly reward your accomplices.
Now that he’d forged permission slips, they were partners-in-crime.
But the two White Tiger Tower students waved it off.
“We didn’t do anything.”
“Honestly…Wardanas did it all.”
I know. Do I look blind? You were never getting any bonus points anyhow.
“……”
Even when saying the right things, the Skull Principal had a talent for infuriating you.
They hadn’t expected him to say “Your friendship and honor are admirable! Bonus points for all!” but still…
It was aggravating.
‘Just wait until after graduation.’
‘After graduation, just you wait.’
After making two more enemies, the Skull Principal turned back to Ihan.
Wardanas Ihan. You achieved what the other blockheads couldn’t—a special assignment—so you get a special bonus point. Now. Show me the permission slip.
Ihan put the slip on his palm.
A flash glinted from the Skull Principal’s eyes, and the permission slip vanished—teleported to one of the principal’s storerooms.
“…???”
“????????”
Ihan, the victim of this trick, was calm, but the others were stunned.
Even students who usually bit their tongue from fear cried out.
“Principal! This isn’t what you promised!”
“You can’t just break your word with us like this! Have you forgotten honor?”
When did I break my promise?
Instead of getting mad, the Skull Principal asked back.
The question was so brazen, the students hesitated.
Was the Skull Principal being just as shameless as Gainando?
“But Principal, you said… if we completed the assignment… we’d get permission.”
Oh boy… All of you wasted . What exactly did I say?
Here was what he said.
-There is an island in the lake. I’ve hidden the permission slip there. Work together and bring it to me.
…If you look at it, he never once said he’d give the slip.
He had only said to bring it to him!
Looking at the students’ faces, the Skull Principal smiled kindly.
Now you see how every word matters in a contract, right? You all learned a valuable lesson!
“……”
“……”
Ihan wondered how many of these students would come back to assassinate the principal after graduation.
If looks could kill, the Skull Principal would have perished on the spot.
Dragon bas—no. Wardanas. As the key party involved in this outing pass, how do you feel? Do you think I deceived you?
‘Did he just try to call me dragon bastard just now?’
Ihan was not fooled by the Skull Principal’s gentle voice.
When professors ask, “Any complaints?” the answer had to be “My only complaint is making the professor worry.”
Any more protest and he’d be straight underground.
“No, Principal. I never wanted the permission slip. Why would I complain?”
The Skull Principal gazed at Ihan with both pride and regret.
A truly remarkable student.
Not only magical talent, but non-magical talents too.
Magic talent and self-control usually work against each other—those with talent get arrogant.
Even students with half of Ihan’s gifts typically try to challenge the principal in first year.
After a few rounds in the punishment room, they learn a little humility…
But somehow, this Wardanas boy had both talent and self-control to a shocking degree.
It was admirable and mysterious, but as the Skull Principal, a bit disappointing.
No fun!
‘He didn’t bite…’
The Skull Principal wasn’t disheartened.
Time was on his side; another opportunity would come.
So, let everyone follow Wardanas’s example. Understand?
“Yes…”
“Understood…”
Even without telepathy, Ihan could hear what the others were really thinking.
Of course, the real issue wasn’t the future Skull Principal assassins.
‘I never imagined he’d pull this. What luck.’
Ihan let out a sigh of relief inside.
He honestly hadn’t expected the Skull Principal to confiscate the real permission slip.
Luckily, he’d thrown up the fake as a decoy, and the Skull Principal hadn’t noticed—it vanished just like that.
Angrago and Duke Ma stared at Ihan in disbelief.
‘Did he… actually prepare for this…?’
‘Just what are you, Wardanas…?!’
Of course, Ihan hadn’t planned the forgery for this, but they couldn’t help but misunderstand.
“Wardanas… how did you…?”
“Shh. Quiet.”
Ihan put a finger to his lips.
The Skull Principal was still nearby.
If he grew suspicious and checked his storeroom, Ihan would be off to the punishment room, not the sand pit.
“Are you sure we can accept something so precious?”
Angrago and Duke Ma deeply hid the fake pass in their robes.
It wasn’t just Ihan’s—he had even taken time to forge versions for Angrago and Duke Ma.
A single sheet of paper, but it felt as heavy as gold.
“Use it carefully. Especially never when the principal is on campus, or you’ll be caught for sure.”
“O…of course.”
“Understood, Wardanas.”
The two White Tiger Tower students solemnly took Ihan’s warning to heart and left.
Ihan wondered:
‘Will the fake really work?’
He’d made it, but wasn’t sure it would actually pass.
If they used it with another professor, while the principal was away, it might just work…
The real risk would be once they came back.
‘We won’t get a month in the punishment room, will we?’
He decided to wait and see what happened when his friends used theirs.
He still had the original, but didn’t feel comfortable using it with the Skull Principal present.
Along the path built over the lake, the students went back the way they came.
Ihan hurried to get ready. Even if the Skull Principal wasn’t likely to, he feared being left alone only for the ice path to be erased.
The water spirit waved to Ihan in farewell.
“Thank you. If not for you, we might still be wandering the island.”
The water spirit seemed bashful.
Ihan was suddenly struck by a thought.
‘Wait. Am I… actually friends with a spirit now?’
Come to think of it, this felt much more genuine than screaming at each other like with Perkuntra.
Ihan spoke up.
“Would you like to ma—”
The water spirit didn’t listen, running to Nillia and rolling in front of her as she was about to leave.
As if asking her to make a contract.
“……”
Ihan felt a deep sense of betrayal.