Episode 1103

-Iactus: I knew it! My friend with the crazy name!

Iactus’s response came up right away.

He had already wanted to get back at the dragon inspector, so finding an agreeing member was a pleasant surprise.

Normally, he found that crazy alias a bit much, but sometimes that madness came in handy.

Without some madness, who would dare take on a dragon?

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: What are you up to????

And then Ellendil contacted Lee Han directly.

Given that she knew her junior’s true identity, Ellendil had every right to be dumbfounded by his question.

Someone who’d contracted with a dragon was asking about a dragon’s weakness…

Was he planning some kind of conspiracy that would go down in imperial history?

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Wh-why are you asking about weaknesses? What for? Can’t you resolve things peacefully?

-Gonadaltes: I think there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not asking so I can take down a dragon.

Lee Han explained right away.

If his panicked senior reported him to the inspector, it would quickly become a huge hassle.

So, you see, Prince Joulin is trapped right now…

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: ……

After hearing the explanation, Ellendil fell silent. Her first thought was this:

Is this really what a dragon contractor is supposed to be like?

‘That’s strange. Aren’t dragon contractors supposed to be a bit more… dignified and noble…’

Wasn’t it supposed to be about riding on a dragon’s back across the sky, overlooking the continent, and passing down the secret wisdom of dragonkind?

But this… looked more like…

‘A nanny… No, what an impolite thing to think.’

Ellendil shook her head vigorously.

As a proper mage, judging something by outward appearances was unbecoming.

How could you judge a junior who’d contracted with a dragon just by his surface?

He might look a little like a nanny, but doubtless something much greater lay beneath.

…Probably!

-Gonadaltes: Ah. Please wait. The prince just contacted me again.

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: O-okay…

Lee Han stopped replying and focused on Joulin.

-Gonadaltes: Your Highness. Could you please type ‘Joulin’ at the beginning?

-Joulin: Okay! But why did Lee Han type ‘Gonadaltes’ at the start?

-Gonadaltes: …I kind of respect the headmaster a bit. Haha.

-Joulin: Even after going through all that trouble because of Gonadaltes?!

Joulin was once again touched by the contractor’s goodness.

How could someone be so kind?

-Gonadaltes: More importantly, Your Highness, how did you contact me? Did you find an artifact?

The artifacts connected to the Watchman Club were scattered all over the Einrogard domain (sometimes outside as well).

If Joulin had found one, then this conversation made sense.

But…

‘Shouldn’t that mean she enters the Watchman Club instead of contacting me directly like this?’

-Joulin: Not sure… I was just… frustrated, so I started writing to ask for Lee Han’s help… and it connected…

“!!!!”

Lee Han was stunned by the answer, as if Joulin was nervous about having made a mistake.

Raw magic manifested solely by will, regardless of form, rule, or theory!

‘Well… with dragon magic, even calling it ‘raw magic’ is odd. It’s essentially a word of power.’

Because Joulin was not yet fully mature, she didn’t use a wide range of magical abilities, though she could use her inherited strength and physically innate skills.

Yet, with sheer will alone, she’d managed to contact Lee Han’s artifact and open a magic channel.

It was an astonishing power. Lee Han felt a chill down his spine.

‘If she keeps this up, what disasters will… oh, whoops.’

Lee Han reconsidered.

He had to trust Joulin as her contractor; it wouldn’t do to worry about her getting into trouble already.

Granted, last time she had ambushed him, cuffed his wrist, and tried to lock him up…

-Gonadaltes: Well done, Your Highness. But why are you so frustrated? Did something happen?

-Joulin: Well, it’s just, isn’t this really too much

Once Lee Han comforted her, Joulin burst out in a flurry of text.

Lee Han was nearly overwhelmed by the indignation radiating from the message.

• * *

-Wuman!

-Yes, sister!

-I’m going to see my contractor!

-…Already? This soon?

Wuman always respected his big sister, but even he was surprised at the declaration of going to see her contractor less than a week into the new semester.

-May I ask the reason, if it’s not rude?

-Huh?

Joulin was caught off guard.

-Because it’s my contractor…? They said it was okay to visit the contractor even though it wasn’t allowed for other students…

-I seem to recall I advised, ‘But only so long as it doesn’t interfere with his studies’… You’re not saying you’re going for no real reason, are you?

Wuman sincerely believed his sister was incapable of saying anything so unreasonable.

Joulin hesitated, then blurted out:

-…Actually, Joulin was testing you, Wuman! Testing your abilities as inspector!

-Ah! I see! I’ve been had! Did I pass the test?

-…Yeah…

-It’s a great honor! I, Wuman, will always cherish your trust and give my all for this duty!

-……

Unlike her excited brother, Joulin was very crestfallen.

Looking at her thick-headed brother, Joulin gently commented,

-You really don’t have to take the job that seriously…

-No, sister. Someone has to do it. Like how a bent tree is straightened with a brace, I want to raise the Einrogard mages right.

-…Gonadaltes isn’t such a bad mage, though.

-Sorry?

-Oh, never mind…

Missing the meaning behind Joulin’s words, Wuman continued passionately.

-In fact, His Majesty encouraged this work too.

-……

This time, Joulin grumbled inwardly.

If they were going to let her go, why send Wuman too and make it a pain?

‘It’s just not fair!’

-What did he say to encourage you?

-He said if I insisted so much, to stop pestering the old dragon and go try it for myself.

-…Uh, I’m not sure that’s really encouragement…

Joulin hesitated.

No matter how she looked at it, that didn’t sound like encouragement.

-Oh. And he said something about your contractor, too.

-Really?

-Yes. Too many mages, especially Gonadaltes, are giving him way too much work, so I was told not to forget and to take special care of him. I hesitate to mention it for fear it sounds like bragging, but I think I’ve already made some progress. Looking at his schedule, he has much more free time this semester!

-……

Joulin’s little fingers trembled with rage.

So now she was suffering as well, just because of the indolent and corrupt lifestyles of the headmaster, professors, and students?

This was too unfair. Joulin was slowly starting to see how the world worked.

Even if you wanted to stand still, as long as villains exist, the harm spreads out…

• * *

-Gonadaltes: Your Highness. Your Highness. Wait a moment.

-Joulin: Why?

-Gonadaltes: Please calm down.

Lee Han quickly soothed Joulin.

Even though she couldn’t wander around the school as she pleased, he couldn’t let her get into imperial politics and start aiming for the throne.

If he let things be, it was 100% possible that Joulin would later cry, ‘Why didn’t you stop me?!’

Even the current emperor sighs that his life was ruined whenever he sees the skull headmaster…

‘The skull headmaster may have no heart to break, but I do.’

-Gonadaltes: Anyway, I get the idea. You got refused because you didn’t have a reason when you tried to visit me.

-Joulin: That’s right…

-Gonadaltes: Then why are you saying you’re locked up?

Upon hearing the story, Lee Han learned that Wuman was a dragon who genuinely admired Joulin.

How could such a dragon arbitrarily imprison Joulin?

What happened?

-Joulin: Actually, I’m not really locked up… Um… I can wander outside, but if I can’t go to the main school building and meet you, isn’t that the same as being locked up…?

“……”

Lee Han leaned back at Joulin’s hesitant confession.

Wait…!

‘When we first met, she couldn’t lie this easily. Is it my fault?’

Suddenly, he imagined a dragon court: ‘Defendant Wardanaz, do you admit to charges of corrupting dragons?’

Lee Han shook his head.

‘No. I may be partly to blame, but Einrogard is even more at fault. It’s all because of Einrogard.’

-Joulin: …Are you mad??

-Gonadaltes: I’m not mad. But you need to tell me exactly what’s going on. Otherwise, how can I make a proper plan?

If Joulin wasn’t physically trapped, it would be much easier to meet up.

All they needed was to evaded magical surveillance and arrange a meeting.

The problem was how to slip past a crazed dragon’s watch…

‘Is there a way?’

Lee Han pondered.

Even the seniors in the Watchman Club hadn’t come up with a good idea, so it was unlikely Lee Han would have one either.

-Joulin: That’s why I wanted to ask you for help, Gonadaltes.

-Gonadaltes: Me? Ah. You mean the headmaster.

-Joulin: ……

-Gonadaltes: Just joking. Haha.

-Joulin: I feel like Lee Han should just use his real name over Gonadaltes…

Joulin sounded a bit worried.

In old stories, there were always people who used aliases and ended up making mistakes.

-Gonadaltes: I’m fine. So, what do you need from me?

Joulin explained what had happened.

She wanted to meet Lee Han, but with Wuman in the way, there weren’t many people she could ask for help.

• * *

-Gonadaltes! Wuman is bothering me!!!

-What a coincidence. He’s bothering me, too.

-Shouldn’t Gonadaltes take charge of Einrogard again? Aren’t you vexed as lord?

-Ah, Your Highness…! Every time I hear you speak these days, I’m startled. Even using stratagems now? Just what has Wardanaz been teaching…

-What about Lee Han?

-Oh. N-nothing. Anyway, it’s impossible right now. The emperor wouldn’t overturn his decision so lightly. We’ll have to wait for Wuman’s failures to pile up.

-Then at least help me find a way to meet Lee Han!

-A method… Right now, Wuman is happily watching everything. I’ll speak to Professor Paselete and tell Wardanaz to go and learn a divination spell.

-No! Joulin will tell him directly!

-Huh? How?

-Last time, I just focused and somehow got connected. If I try one more time…

-…Truly incredible. At this rate, should Wuman stay another semester?

-……

-It’s a joke, a joke. Please calm down.