Episode 1126
by CristaeJust as Lee Han suspected the skeleton Headmaster’s skill with magic to be mind-reading, Siana also wondered if Lee Han’s magical aptitude was so great he could actually read minds.
“Never mind… Don’t believe it.”
“I do believe you!”
“But if they invited you for that purpose, how did you get away?”
At Tijilling’s question, the other two priests looked at him in surprise.
Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be easy to slip away from that kind of situation.
“Well… It’s just that I fit into Einrogard so well, they gave up on recruiting me.”
‘That’s obviously a lie, but weirdly convincing in certain ways.’
Siana thought to herself.
Why did the most unbelievable parts somehow always seem the most plausible and realistic?
Then, heat from a spirit pulsed across the back of Lee Han’s hand. There was only one culprit.
Lee Han pretended not to notice. At the very least, he couldn’t respond right now.
“I feel some heat.”
Nigisor murmured.
“?!”
Lee Han was startled by his friend’s sensitivity.
He’d sensed someone trying to make contact from the spirit realm.
Sure, Nigisor had the blood of spirit contractors passed down from his ancestors, but still…
“Yeah? It really is hotter.”
“It must be quite a serious problem.”
Only then did Lee Han realize he’d gotten the wrong end of the stick.
The party was out here on a church request because of drought and heat waves in the western region, so naturally, the area was experiencing unseasonable heat.
It wasn’t Hwacheon General Nigisor had sensed, but simply the outside weather.
“You’re right. Haha. You can really feel the heat.”
“??”
Lee Han’s awkward answer left Nigisor puzzled.
“Wardanaz. If you’re worried about me, don’t be. I’m not about to search for flame in a place like this.”
Though Nigisor was interested in strong fire, coming to an area devastated by heat and saying, “Ooo, maybe there’s a shred of flame here!” was going too far.
If he were the type to say that, he’d have joined an evil cult, not the Afha Order.
“R-right. Very reassuring.”
-Lee Han. Get off at the next village!
Professor Garcia, in the other carriage, signaled to him.
Looking outside, Lee Han saw several church banners flapping limp in the next village. Priests were already on-site, but the disaster zone was so wide there simply weren’t enough of them.
The professors, seasoned by now, weren’t even fazed. Garcia took charge:
“Professor Baegrek, please check the security around and be ready for any commotion. Professor Ku, soothe the villagers. Students, each of you check the village’s condition and see what’s needed. We’ll delay joining His Grace a bit.”
Originally, they’d planned to meet the church party elsewhere, but in this situation, they couldn’t just pass by.
Lee Han ignored the persistent Hwacheon General and tried to focus on his task.
‘Treat any injured with healing magic, repair collapsed structures with enchantment, fill dry wells with water… Damn, why won’t this guy quit blinking at me.’
“Wardanaz. Shall we move together?”
Nigisor slung his pack over his shoulder and asked. Lee Han quickly replied,
“No, I’ll move separately. There’s somewhere I need to check first—see you!”
“O-oh, okay…”
Nigisor was left stunned as Lee Han hurried away.
He’d never seen Wardanaz distance himself so blatantly.
From the side, Siana remarked,
“Told you not to be so suspicious.”
“You were suspicious too, Siana…”
Nigisor’s hair flared in protest as if to show his indignation.
Watching them bicker, Tijilling quietly inched away. No way was he getting caught up in that.
“You trying to get yourself killed?”
The moment Lee Han reached a secluded spot in the village, he growled.
Startled, the hamster—who had been quietly riding in the little cage hanging on his belt—squeaked back.
-What did I do?
-Hmph. That very existence is offensive.
A baby basilisk, hidden in Lee Han’s sleeve, seized the moment to snap. One cute pet per master was enough, after all.
The hamster, stunned by the random insult from the sleeve, was dumbfounded.
What the heck?
Fwoosh—
Searing heat flared like fire from the back of Lee Han’s hand, and the hamster realized he hadn’t been talking to him at all.
-A spirit? Looks powerful.
Call me Hwacheon General.
-Hwacheon General!?
The hamster was even more startled.
Even as a magical criminal, he knew that title as a powerful spirit.
How had this Wardanaz mage picked up such a spirit?
Already, this brat had several spirits, including the Thunder King!
-Amazing. You even contracted a spirit like Hwacheon General since I was gone.
Wise companions, one after another… very clever… hamster.
Hwacheon General wanted to praise the hamster, but, being bad with words and faced with a hamster, he ran out of things to say.
Indignant, the hamster retorted.
-This form is only temporary. To think a spirit would let itself be bound to a body. How pitiful.
Sorry about that. Forgive me.
Hwacheon General’s tone was extra polite—he wanted something.
The hamster felt unease at that.
This spirit was supposed to be violent; what was with the tone?
Spirits only acted out of character when they wanted something.
‘Suspicious.’
So, since you know my power, could you persuade the mage next to you to make a contract? Hmm?
-You haven’t made a contract!?
“If you two don’t keep your mouths shut, one of you is going to the spirit realm and the other to the basement.”
Lee Han’s cold voice cut them off. The hamster instantly realized—oops.
‘That damned spirit…!’
He’d assumed they had a contract and said something nice, but—turns out, that wasn’t so!
No wonder the spirit was so chummy. He wanted a contract badly enough to butter up the hamster for help.
‘…Wait, but this wasn’t my fault, was it?’
With a spirit that powerful, it would be natural to think they’d already made a contract, not that the spirit would be begging like this.
-Why haven’t you made a contract? Did the spirit make impossible demands?
What a rude thing to say! I would never do that!
Lee Han cut off communication with Hwacheon General and shook the hamster’s cage up, down, left, and right. The hamster cursed him inwardly for such childish revenge.
-I was just asking…!
“I didn’t contract him because I find that spirit unpleasant.”
-…That’s it?? W-wait, stop shaking! Stop shaking!
It was a completely irrational reason, but the hamster didn’t point it out. Any protest, and he’d just get shaken again.
-Well, violent spirits do tend to be arrogant and prideful.
“Shut up and give me some advice, while you’re at it.”
-What advice?
“How would you solve this?”
Lee Han spread his arms to indicate the surroundings.
Outside the village, everything was bone-dry, and heat poured in from every angle. Anyone could see it was a magical disaster out of season.
-…How do you think I could solve this? You just have to wait for the energy to run out.
The hamster sounded as if it was absurd.
A natural disaster of this scale was impossible for a lone mage to fix. These so-called magical disasters were a blend of hundreds, thousands of variables woven into a single mess.
If it were just some crazy spirit or an outside being running wild, that would actually be easier.
But if the local fire spirits had gathered here steadily, concentrating heat, and several burning dimensions overlapped, amplifying the effect…
If things had spiraled to that level, the best answer was just to wait out the exhaustion.
“Isn’t there something like… bring the ocean here to solve it?”
-That’s not a normal solution! And what mage would bring the ocean every time there’s a drought?
‘Shouldn’t have asked.’
Lee Han looked disappointedly at the hamster. Feeling the sting of that look, the hamster felt even more wronged.
To ask a hopeless question, and then…
“Then, Hwacheon General?”
You called! Haha.
Even after being cut off in the middle of contact, Hwacheon General cowered without a trace of anger or complaint.
The hamster shivered at that.
‘That spirit’s not normal…’
Strong spirits were naturally prideful and arrogant.
The fact he held that back to this extent and played so deferential showed how bizarrely desperate he was.
Just how crazy must he be…?
“Did you track down more candidates like you promised last time?”
Not yet, but—wait! Wait! Could you give me feedback on the info I gave you last time?
“It was worthless, not nutritious trash.”
Lee Han lied with a straight face. Saratan, if he’d been listening, would have been impressed.
Those bastards! It’s not my fault, it’s theirs! Who knew they’d abandon their shrines without an ounce of pride!
Hwacheon General denounced the evil cultists bitterly.
If only they’d let themselves be caught, his value would’ve risen and he could secure that contract! The fools!
Hold on—I’ll give you some other advice. Aren’t all these mortals here suffering from the heat right now?
“Well, yes, but…”
Hwacheon General spoke with pride.
Lee Han and the hamster instantly replied.
“You’re lying.”
-He’s talking nonsense. He probably wants to burn all the mortals and call that “ending their suffering.”
…That would work, but you’re wrong. How could you doubt my abilities so?
“Hwacheon General, this hamster may look pathetic, but was once a great archmage. If even he says there’s no way, of course you couldn’t have one, either.”
For a second the hamster squeaked in pleasure, then caught himself and felt ashamed.
‘Damn!’
A mage’s way is not a spirit’s. I know the master of the domains affecting this area—can tell just by the scent. If you want me to, I can negotiate on your behalf.
While blocking all the heat in the broader region was impossible, it would be a big help to this area.
The hamster had to admit it. Assuming the spirit really knew.
-That guy… does he really know? He doesn’t seem like a big mover…
“Might as well try… Go ahead and try.”
Wait! I’ll need an offering to start a negotiation. The other party won’t just take my call otherwise.
“What kind of offering?”
Just offer up 22 of the villagers as a burnt sacrifice.
“……”
-Hmm. About 22, I guess that’s enough to consider…
“Get lost.”
Lee Han exorcised Hwacheon General and gave the hamster’s cage a good shake.
Then he trudged off to keep working.
In magic, Lee Han wasn’t a particularly confident person, but there were a few areas he prided himself in.
One was chores. Lee Han was confident that if Einrogard founded a Chores Faculty, he could represent them seriously.
Low-circle magic that required little mana and mental strain paired well with such tasks.
After repairing the village’s facilities, filling wells, and healing the collapsed, the priests already present were moved to tears.
But the hamster grumbled to himself.
‘What a waste of time.’
Considering the size of this village—hundreds of people—Hwacheon General’s proposal wasn’t even that bad.
If you just offered up the old and sick who might die anyway, you could push back the overlapping dimensions and cool things off.
A mage with this much talent, yet so soft—what a waste.
‘…Wait, why do I care?’
His softness was actually an advantage for the hamster.
He shivered to shake off the thought.
Right then, Hwacheon General contacted him again.
I sacrificed one of my treasures to make contact! Hope you appreciate how dear it was!
“Hm. Good job.”
-…!!!
The hamster stared at Lee Han in shock.
Could it be that this mage had kicked the spirit out coldly expecting this result?!!
‘To think he could squeeze that much out of a spirit like that…!’