Episode 1113

Episode 1113

“Lee Han is indeed from the necromancy school…”

Professor Garcia answered, blushing for him. As Professor Voladi opened his mouth, seemingly to add something, Professor Garcia hurriedly stopped him.

“Professor. Please!”

Even without being told, she could guess what Professor Voladi was about to point out.

It was probably something like this:

-Lee Han takes necromancy courses, but he takes courses from all the other schools too… and if you get down to it, isn’t he closer to us than Professor Mortum?

…In fact, Professor Garcia had wanted to say the same thing for a moment.

But the world required consideration.

Professor Garcia didn’t want to pile on a necromancer from Kalarogard, who seemed to have already had a tough life.

“I knew it!”

“What?! He’s really a necromancer?!”

“Why would someone so talented…!? …No, sorry, Jute, don’t glare at me.”

Her companions apologized as they were pierced by their friend’s venomous gaze.

From their perspective, it was actually a bit unfair.

They had no reason to say, ‘Why would a talent like that become a necromancer?’ since they were so far removed from magic.

If you weren’t a mage, it was hard to know the necromancy school’s ambiguous status among the Empire’s magic schools.

They only knew one reason: because Jute had always been chattering about it beside them.

‘Talented people don’t join the necromancy school,’ ‘That’s why necromancers suffer,’ ‘Sobs, I regret going to Kalarogard, I’m so lonely,’ she’d always say, and so of course her companions came to believe, ‘Ah, great talents must just not join the necromancy school then!’

Listening to the adventurer party’s conversation, Lee Han asked in mild confusion.

“But how did you know I’m in the necromancy school?”

He wouldn’t be surprised to meet someone in the Empire who recognized him, given his growing renown, but to specifically ask ‘Aren’t you in the necromancy school?’ was unusual.

That wasn’t how rumors typically spread.

Normally, it would be ‘There’s an outstanding mage from Einrogard’ or ‘A mage from the Wardanaz family is brilliant’, that sort of thing.

“I heard from Professor Mortum at the necromancers’ convention.”

“……”

Professor Garcia’s expression faltered.

She could pretty much guess how Professor Mortum must have boasted about it.

And Professor Garcia’s guess was right.

-Cough. This new undead fusion spell is quite fascinating.

-Heh heh. Of course. Do you know how much our tower invested in this spell? Before long we might even surpass the Einrogard necromancy school.

-…Cough, the truth is, Einrogard’s necromancy school has a new student. Perhaps you know him.

He didn’t just mention it once, either.

-Did you see how our guild performed during the recent separatist incident? Hahaha!

-…Cough, actually, Einrogard’s necromancy school has a new student…

-Hey, hey! We weren’t even provoking you, so why are you like this…

With not much else to boast about, Professor Mortum just kept waving around his one precious sword.

The other necromancers thought it was dirty tactics, but there was nothing they could do. That sword really was sharp and strong.

‘Hmm. This is the first time I’ve wanted to quit the necromancy school.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

Even when he had to fill the school’s treasury with Senior Direte because the necromancy school was broke, he hadn’t thought of quitting, but after hearing about Professor Mortum’s antics outside, he felt deeply ashamed.

Why was it that the professor boasted, but the embarrassment fell to Lee Han?

While Lee Han suffered, Jute, deep in thought, suddenly stopped.

She hadn’t realized it, but another idea struck her.

“…Wait! So, then, does that mean the whole reason the Ascension Lily Magic Tower mages have been doing all this isn’t to invite the professors, but to try and recruit the student from the necromancy school here?!”

“That’s… uh… uhm… Ah… Yes… That’s right.”

Professor Garcia, who had been desperate to defend the reputation of the Ascension Lily Magic Tower, faltered and finally admitted it.

What else could she say at this point?

Everyone else—adventurers, even the knights—were just as shocked.

“What, all this for one student? Does the Magic Tower always do things like this?”

“This old knight knows little about the ways of mages, but… Isn’t this a little much? Shouldn’t you respect the individual mage’s wishes and persuade them, rather than try to entice them like this?”

Professor Garcia felt ashamed on their behalf.

Just as Lee Han felt embarrassed for Professor Mortum, Professor Garcia felt embarrassed on behalf of the Ascension Lily Magic Tower’s mages.

“Th-that’s… it’s not always like this. This time is an exception. Please try to understand the Ascension Lily Magic Tower mages.”

Jute’s companion, Illiane, said in awe,

“That mage is truly amazing. In a way, they’re trying to steal away their own student, yet she won’t stop them and even lets them go.”

“They’re not letting him go, actually.”

For the first time today, Professor Garcia instantly turned stern. Her fierce aura startled even the most seasoned adventurers and knights into straightening their posture.

“S-sorry…”

“Ah, no… I’m sorry. What am I doing…”

Professor Garcia deeply regretted it.

What a disgrace, acting so foolishly over a few murmured words by the other side.

In truth, the embarrassing tactics of the Ascension Lily Magic Tower’s mages could be traced back to the Skull Headmaster’s evil trickery.

The mages there had been fooled over two generations, so how could they not be full of resentment?

Regardless, Jute was so moved she was nearly in tears.

“A student of the necromancy school being treated this well!!”

“……”

“…Hey, Jute. Um…”

Orc warrior Illiane wanted to say, ‘I get how you feel, but immersing yourself so much in the vicarious joy of another necromancer’s success probably isn’t mentally healthy,’ but she didn’t.

Her friend was just so touched.

‘Let’s just leave her be.’

‘Yeah. When would Jute ever be this happy again?’

With things headed in an unexpected direction, Lee Han felt extremely awkward.

He supposed maybe he should have explained earlier about being enrolled in the necromancy school.

“Um… well… Is it alright if we deal with this artifact now?”

“Ah! Please do!”

Lee Han called to Apazragon, who’d been standing around awkwardly.

The angel, still slightly awkward in his lump-of-meat physical form, turned at Lee Han’s call.

“Apazragon. Do you have any advice for dealing with the spirit trapped inside?”

If it really was an angel-made sword, he’d have begun by stabbing the artifact and taking it from there, but with its true origin revealed, that approach was blocked.

Maybe the angel had some other strategy.

“I do.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Form a ring of mages and knights around. Open the artifact and draw the spirit out.”

“And then?”

“Surround and attack it.”

“……”

Lee Han stared in disbelief at the angel. Jute, who had been weeping in awe, also stared at the angel, dumbfounded.

What kind of strategy was that??

Even a five-year-old could come up with ‘let’s gang up and beat it!’

But Apazragon was confident. He had genuinely offered the best advice he could.

“…I guess that’s technically not wrong…”

Lee Han glanced at the formidable power beside him.

Professor Voladi, Professor Garcia…

“Lee Han, you’re not counting me as combat power, right?”

Professor Garcia looked a bit nervous.

Despite her size, she wasn’t confident in combat—not unless it was support.

“Oh, of course not. I didn’t count you.”

“Whew. Thank you.”

“You didn’t count her?”

Apazragon asked, puzzled.

From the angel’s perspective, it made no sense not to include a mage of her strength in the calculations.

Lee Han gave him a look to be quiet. Apazragon grew even more confused.

The actions of mortals sometimes bewildered angels.

Is this confusion the beginning of enlightenment?

“Professor Baegrek, what do you think about handling this with force?”

‘Oops. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that…’

Lee Han half-regretted it even as he asked.

Should’ve asked someone less aggressive…

“I see nothing wrong with it.”

Professor Voladi nodded coolly.

Not because he was some blood-crazed madman, but because it was genuinely a doable situation.

With the space in the Ascension Lily Magic Tower, there were plenty of places to weaken and trap the spirit.

Mobilizing knights and adventurers as well, even a king-level spirit could be subjugated.

“Then, just in case, I’ll go inform the Ascension Lily Magic Tower mages.”

“Wait, Lee Han.”

“?

As Lee Han was about to go call the mages—who were still conducting bizarre rest rituals on the lake—Professor Garcia hurriedly stopped him.

She was slightly worried he might not return if she sent him on an errand.

“Could someone other than Lee Han go?”

“…Professor…”

“What. Why?”

---

Among spirits, fire spirits were said to be particularly violent and ferocious. Considering the inherent nature of fire, this wasn’t entirely off the mark.

Among them, there was one spirit especially warlike, who wandered different realms causing countless battles.

He wasn’t just powerful—he was cunning as well, making him a source of worry for many spirits, yet he never stopped.

He kept starting fights and burning territories, and soon he was given a title by other spirits.

General of Fire Heaven (火天) Zbagni!

The hornbeam spirit Saratan, contracted to Lee Han, was a violent one in her own right, but compared to him, the scale of the damage was incomparably less.

Saratan was aggressive but at least didn’t pick fights with spirits who didn’t cross her.

If she got angry, she would smash everything nearby—but once she cooled down, she wouldn’t cause further trouble.

But this General of Fire Heaven acted as if the ‘violent’ nature of fire itself had been condensed within.

He attacked spirits even if they hadn’t provoked him, burning everything regardless of whether he was angry or not. Unlike Saratan, who was sealed, this General of Fire Heaven had so many enemies that if caught in the spirit realm, he would have simply been obliterated.

Hm?

Zbagni had a curious reaction as the artifact sealing him weakened.

Other spirits might be curious or cautious in this situation, but Zbagni was preparing something else instead.

An ambush.

If the enemy died, good; if not, it was no great loss either.

The spirit’s tongues flicked out and transformed into spears, shooting forth. Their power was on a different level from the fire spears a regular flame mage could handle.

But things didn’t go quite as Zbagni wanted. As the spears split the air, Zbagni shook off the chains of the artifact and laughed.

What, did the mages open this up just to finish me off?

“Which spirit is it?”

The mages studying the spirit tomes shouted immediately.

“Let me check… General of Fire Heaven! It’s the General of Fire Heaven!”

“General of Fire Heaven?!”

The mages in the back were in a stir at the far greater-than-expected title.

Are they surprised by how weak I am? Well, it’d be stranger if I was still at full strength after being bitten by a dragon and manhandled by an evil god! If you want, I can show you my true strength—just give me some time.

“Don’t ever let your guard down.”

Master Mage Urangdam gave an immediate warning.

His strength was much diminished, but you could never let your guard down against a spirit like this. You could never predict what they would do.

Other spirits might have chosen to yield or compromise, but not Zbagni.

Zbagni smiled like a kindly old grandfather, but threatening flames flickered in his eyes.

It didn’t matter to him whether he lost here and was banished back to the spirit realm or obliterated outright. Zbagni was determined to burn as many prey as he could before then.

…Wait. What are you?

As he prepared to fight, Zbagni started speaking to Lee Han in a baffled voice.

What kind of mage was this, covered in spirits like barnacles, commanding even the stars themselves?