Episode 1117
by CristaeSaratan, who had watched the cool-headed negotiations of the mage from within the staff from beginning to end, was impressed.
-Not bad.
“What do you mean?”
-I thought for sure you’d fall for it.
Lee Han smiled at Saratan’s words.
It certainly made sense for the spirit to think that way.
Contracting with a powerful spirit was a temptation few mages could easily refuse.
“I suppose that’s a reasonable assumption. But a spirit that untrustworthy…”
-Usually, when a spirit shows up, you shamelessly cling and beg, and I figured you’d do the same with that spirit… Aaaaaaaaagh!
Lee Han immediately infused magic. Saratan tumbled inside the staff at the sudden ambush.
-Why! Why?! We fought together!
“Do you not realize what you just said? Hm?”
-What? What did I say… Agh! Wait! Wait a moment! Give me a second to think! Please, Great Mage!
Saratan hurriedly remembered her manners, which she often forgot.
Still, she couldn’t quite figure out why her mage was angry.
He always got clingy around spirits, didn’t he?
“Never mind. There’s no point being mad at you.”
-Th-that’s right. Whatever the reason, please stop being angry. Hehe. The bad one is that General of Fire Heaven anyway.
She cursed him inwardly, but outwardly, Saratan flattered him.
“By the way, do you think that spirit really can track down wanted enemies like he bragged?”
-If it’s the General of Fire Heaven… it’s really possible.
When fire caught, it spread unstoppably. Even a single ember or a scrap of tinder would be chased to the end—that was fire.
Spirits were heavily influenced by the element at their core, but the General of Fire Heaven was extreme even by those standards.
He seemed to have inherited every destructive aspect of fire itself.
-I’ve heard a few stories of his tenacious tracking before. Rumor has it he chases his enemies by burning through the threads of fate.
“What nonsense… Why are all spirits such scammers?”
Lee Han was, again, shocked.
The innate powers of different-dimensional races always managed to surprise him.
Some could quietly follow you in invisible realms no one else could enter, and others, once they fought you, could chase you to the ends of the world forever…
‘You’re one to talk, aren’t you?’
Saratan couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
From a spirit’s view, mages’ magic was plenty broken, too.
Especially Lee Han—the power he harbored was bottomless. What mages called mana, spirits could definitely sense.
“Then maybe we can expect real results this time.”
-If he brings results, will you form a contract with him?
“No.”
Lee Han replied firmly.
Saratan felt a little sorry for the General of Fire Heaven. With that attitude, he really didn’t seem like he’d ever make a contract.
“Professor. Professor.”
“Yes, Lee Han?”
Professor Garcia, who was meticulously checking inside Joulin’s mouth, looked at her student curiously.
He was whispering as if checking if anyone was watching.
What is this about?
“When are you planning to escape?”
“……”
……
Even Joulin, mouth hanging open, was dumbfounded.
Why, why should I have to escape…?
“Your Highness, you misunderstand mages.”
Lee Han spoke as if instructing Joulin.
“Mages are greedy and dastardly, Your Highness.”
…But we fought together…?
“You can fight together with someone even if you have different motives. Just look at Einrogard—students from different towers sometimes work together if they have the same purpose.”
Before Joulin could be scarred by the dark world of adults, Professor Garcia quickly stepped in to de-escalate.
“I think I understand what you’re worried about, Lee Han. Of course, if it were you, you might get kidnapped and locked up in the tower.”
?!
Joulin was shocked.
She had no idea this visit to the tower could have been so risky!?
Lee Han was just as surprised, albeit less so.
“Professor, I wasn’t thinking it would go that far…”
“…Quiet. In any case, whatever the concerns were this time, it’s fine.”
Why? The tower lord could tempt and then shackle you up!
From her own criminal record, Joulin was the first to jump in, feeling guilty. Lee Han just shook his head.
Professor Garcia replied in a startled voice at Joulin’s extreme worries.
“Your Highness. No matter what, Urangdam is a distinguished figure in the Empire—he would never do anything so crude or rude…”
Even if they did ‘kidnap’ someone, they’d try to persuade you behind a closed door, not chain you up like in ancient times.
…Not that… Not that crude or rude…?
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s talk about this later—why is it okay this time?”
“Because Urangdam gave up.”
Urangdam, the mage who led the Ascension Lily Magic Tower, bit down on his long pipe, looking morose.
A few nearby mages glanced at each other and then carefully spoke.
“There are still some events left…”
“Enough. Just as you can’t force a dragon into captive, neither can you force the dragon’s contractor.”
He exhaled smoke in a long sigh, gazing into space as if to soothe his regret.
Urangdam had regrets, of course. How could he not, when passing on such a talent?
But he had no choice.
Blocking the assault from the General of Fire Heaven, then a dragon showing up—Urangdam’s heart nearly stopped.
He’d never imagined things would escalate so dramatically.
He could be ambitious about inviting talents to the tower, but with a dragon contractor emerging, he instinctively knew: ‘We simply cannot bring this one in.’
“Keep the people who were in attendance quiet. If word gets out that a dragon-blooded imperial is active in public, there’ll be plenty of trouble.”
Maybe it sounded cold, but Urangdam prided himself on the tower’s relatively polite way of doing things.
After all, they didn’t capture anyone by force—they just prepared events and tried to persuade.
Compare that to the imperial loyalists, who’d chase down any promising prince and try to enthrone him without regard for dignity. If it were a dragon prince, they’d risk their lives in the pursuit.
“Yes, we’ll do that. By the way, about the White Oak Knights…”
“Ugh.”
Urangdam grimaced as if he didn’t want to hear it. The deep wrinkles on his forehead grew deeper.
No mage likes being criticized, but being scolded by knights was especially unpleasant.
They’d boasted they could handle it, then let an Einrogard student get ambushed…
To the knights, it must have seemed like ‘Did the tower mages here graduate from Baldrogard or something?’
“While they say they understand that Wardanaz volunteered, they cautioned that it still seemed far too dangerous a role for him.”
“…He didn’t volunteer, what are they talking about?”
Urangdam was perplexed.
What kind of mad mage would put a second-year student on the front lines, even if he did volunteer?
Not even the infamous Duke Gonadaltes would… actually, maybe he would, but at least Urangdam hadn’t.
“Maybe Wardanaz smoothed things over?”
“…Incredible. How can so many decent-hearted mages graduate under that master!”
The old archmage sighed with jealousy.
Looking at the Skull Headmaster, the strangest part wasn’t just that his students were so skilled.
It was their honest, upright hearts.
Skill, fine—but how did they come out so good-natured?
“Send the White Oak Knights our thanks and a reward, and notify the Empire as well. If they hadn’t taken the lead, things might have gone badly. General of Fire Heaven—what a close call.”
“There are also the Guardians of the Shadow Valley.”
“Ah. Send the same to those young folks. Wasn’t their leader a Kalarogard mage?”
“Yes. Jute. Our tower even sent her an invitation once. She declined.”
“The most promising talents never join the tower, do they?”
Whenever the Empire’s magic academies reached graduation, all the towers became alert.
It was the best time to recruit great talent.
But the mage leading this adventurer party had left for Kalarogard before her invitation even arrived.
It wasn’t out of ignorance—her mind had already been made up.
“Urangdam, if I may—”
“Hm?”
“What if, without any further pushing from us, Wardanaz wants to join the tower? Should we still refuse?”
“……”
The other mages glared at their clueless colleague.
Trying to let go, and you say something like that?
“Is that a question?”
“Let it go already!”
“Enough, enough. Don’t argue. Why fight over this?”
Urangdam calmed his companions.
Then, after savoring his pipe once, he quietly said,
“If that happened, of course we’d respect his wishes and sign a contract on the spot.”
“……”
So you haven’t really given up!
“Thank you. Travel safely.”
Outside, Lee Han’s group said their goodbyes to those who had helped them.
Bamandam, knight of the White Oak Order, hesitated and then said,
“Wardanaz. If I may advise, you should stop throwing yourself at the forefront of such incidents. That’s what knights are for. Goodbye, then.”
“…What???”
Lee Han reacted a moment too late, but the knights had already vanished.
What kind of bizarre nonsense…?
“Professor. Did you tell them I volunteered?!”
“Who would say something that ridiculous? Who’d even believe it?”
‘Very logical.’
Even in his shock, Lee Han couldn’t disagree with Professor Garcia.
Who would think he’d volunteer to personally fight a spirit?
“Maybe the knights assumed it after hearing rumors? Some of the White Oak Knights have met you before…”
To the knights, it must’ve seemed less like a blunder by the Tower, more like Lee Han stepping up.
“But judging from experience, should seasoned knights judge solely by rumors!?”
“W-well, true.”
While Lee Han was fuming with injustice, the adventurers came outside. Jute looked at Lee Han with admiration.
“I’d heard Professor Mortum speak of you, but I’m truly impressed. I didn’t think you’d deliberately go up against it yourself.”
At first, she’d thought the spirit’s escape was a result of overwhelming power, but later she heard from the knights that Lee Han had apparently lured the situation.
From an anti-close-quarter mage’s perspective, this was astonishing—a true prodigy of the Imperial necromancy school.
Unable to reply in his profound unfairness, Garcia quickly stepped in.
“Thank you, truly, everyone. Please travel safely.”
“We’re the grateful ones. Thanks for letting us take the credit again.”
With the adventurers gone, Lee Han could finally breathe.
‘A fake rumor ban law needs to be enacted in the Empire.’
At that moment, his astral sight opened. A sign that Apazragon the angel was about to appear.
Apazragon opened his mouth to confirm what he’d just heard.
If he wanted to observe and learn from the pioneer, then understanding the reasoning was important.
-You really intended it? Why?
“…Just sit down here for a second.”