Episode 1135
by Cristae-Ah.
The knights who had been quietly trailing after Lee Han suddenly returned.
“??”
Count Buyong and the merchants opened their eyes wide in confusion, while the knights spoke, looking a bit sheepish.
-Come to think of it, you’re all embezzlers. We can’t just leave you here.
They’d blindly followed the heir because he was so sharp, but on second thought, they couldn’t just leave the count and merchants behind.
A mistake about the crime is still a crime, after all.
“……”
“……”
The count and the merchants were left speechless, their mouths opening and closing. There really wasn’t much to say.
It was just an overwhelming sense of unfairness.
If they’d been caught red-handed with empty relief supply stores, it wouldn’t have felt quite as unjust.
But to be arrested out of nowhere, like being struck by lightning while walking down the road…
“This is just… this is really unbelievable…!”
-Heh. Heaven’s net is wide, and though it appears loose, it never lets a sinner escape.
Normally, the count or the merchants would have scoffed or protested at such words from the knights, but now, hollowed out, they simply nodded unconsciously.
“Maybe… that’s true.”
-Uh, you actually mean it?
The knight who’d spoken was taken aback.
For crooks of this scale to agree with that line—it completely didn’t fit.
Not even the knight had expected them to agree so easily…
Yet the count and merchants nodded again.
After an ordeal like this, even they couldn’t help but be shaken.
‘Huh. I didn’t think this method would work.’
The knight was quietly impressed.
He’d thought they’d raise a ruckus over the unfairness, but now it seemed the heir’s forceful methods had merit.
‘I was worried the heir’s actions might have been too much… but if the results are good, all’s well.’
The skull headmaster usually wasn’t fond of the Death Knights causing trouble outside.
If the knights went around dispensing justice as they pleased and smacked around some noble, it was the skull headmaster who got called before the Emperor.
But seeing these results, those worries seemed less pressing.
…And to be honest, it was the skull headmaster himself who’d provoked the heir into this!
Lee Han’s party set out once again.
The difference was that now there were over a dozen carriages trailing behind them.
Any supplies from the count’s mansion that couldn’t be taken immediately were seized and stored, and only those that could be taken out came with them.
-Don’t be too disheartened, Heir. You didn’t find any evil god worshippers, but at least you secured these supplies.
-That’s right. If anything, it turned out even better.
The knights were sincere.
The western region was suffering from a disaster, so a huge amount of material (forcibly) donated like this was surely a stroke of luck.
‘Professor, please help too.’
The Death Knights winked at Professor Garcia.
Professor Garcia, who had been nervously thinking if this was really okay for a student, was bewildered by their sudden look.
‘Help with what?’
‘Encouragement, Professor. Please give the student some encouragement.’
‘…Is this really an appropriate time?’
If he praised his student for encircling and wrecking a count’s mansion, he couldn’t imagine what might happen next.
Still, as his teacher, Professor Garcia cleared his throat and spoke up.
“Student Lee Han. Don’t… don’t be too disappointed.”
“I thought I would find evil god worshippers.”
“……”
-……
Professor Garcia and the knights exchanged glances again.
‘Did you all think there would be some, too?’
‘Do you take us for cavalier berserkers?’
Sure, some people seemed suspicious, but the Empire was full of suspicious people.
Not every suspicious person was an evil god worshipper.
“Th-that’s possible. I’m sure next time you’ll find one.”
“!”
As Lee Han perked up, the Death Knights were taken aback.
‘What are you saying!?’
‘Oops, I made a mistake.’
‘Couldn’t you have erred in a less dangerous way…!’
“You think I’ll really find some next time?”
“N-no. Maybe not. Evil god worshippers are extremely stealthy, you know.”
His student hung his head again.
While Professor Garcia and the Death Knights bickered behind, Professor Kirmin quietly spoke up.
“Wardanaz. Even if there aren’t any evil god worshippers, don’t be too disappointed.”
“Hm?”
As Lee Han looked up in confusion, Professor Kirmin realized he’d misread the situation.
His student wasn’t depressed. He’d just been thinking.
“…Wait. You weren’t feeling down?”
“I was just considering methods for tracking down evil god worshippers.”
“I see. I’m glad you haven’t lost your energy!”
Professor Garcia, done arguing with the knights, asked curiously,
“What was that about?”
“It was nothing. Don’t worry. Professor Kim.”
‘That seemed odd…’
Ahem, ahem.
Spirit world.
In a rugged, secret underground fortress made of magma, General Hwacheon Zvagni’s flames undulated as he recovered his strength.
Even an eternally wandering violent itinerant spirit needed a hideout sometimes.
Otherwise, when badly injured, recovery was difficult. General Hwacheon was violent, but not foolish.
-I’ll kill you!! You damned spirit!!!
Be sure to recover your strength before coming back from the demon world, then.
Trapped in a volcanic ash prison, the demons cried out vengefully.
These were the ones General Hwacheon had captured ages ago when they invaded the spirit realm.
Normally, he’d just incinerate them, but he’d locked them up for a simple reason.
To use as fuel for restoring himself.
General Hwacheon was no archmage of the material plane—there was no reason for him to detain demons for reform.
Of course, it was a source of deep humiliation and insult to the demons.
For a spirit to burn them simply for energy recovery!
They felt it would be less humiliating if they had at least lost in a fair fight.
-I’ll remember your name and your scent. You’ll never escape me… kyaaagh!
Quiet down. It makes it hard to absorb you.
After swallowing a demon, General Hwacheon complained.
Another reason the demons were so desperate was this:
If a spirit didn’t allow them a clean death, even when they returned to the demon world, their recovery was much slower.
Devoured alive and utterly without trace…
Stay put while I finish this and get on with my business.
-I’ll ki… kyaaaagh!
After finishing his meal, General Hwacheon courteously tidied up the place. Luckily, his fortress was still intact, so he could easily recover.
He had so many enemies, and for now, he needed to be especially cautious. He wasn’t the type to avoid fights just because they were tough, but there was work to be done.
Now then…
General Hwacheon expended his restored strength to reach out to the continent again.
Tracing the presence of the would-be contractor whose traces he’d tried to contact, he warped the dimension and crossed the gap…
There!
The spirit found his target.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Lee Han but the priest, Nigisor.
Heh. There must be some spirit blood in there. He must have felt my power.
Recently, as Lee Han had begun to resist all temptation (actually, he just didn’t even seem to listen), General Hwacheon had revised his strategy.
He would tempt a nearby mage instead.
A mortal’s greatest weakness was desire. No matter how resolute, that resolve was easily shaken.
Mage, mage… You must have sensed this one’s power in battle…
General Hwacheon used his power to send his message to Nigisor.
As the spirit’s telepathic wave reached him, Nigisor replied firmly.
“I have no intention to contract. Go away.”
……
General Hwacheon was momentarily at a loss for words.
Not much could faze this experienced and fierce spirit, but Nigisor had managed.
From General Hwacheon’s perspective, it made sense.
…He really had no intention of contracting!
What… Did you mortals think you were qualified to contract with General Hwacheon?! Not for a moment! Such arrogance!
“Good. Go away.”
Nigisor shooed him off, plugging his ears.
His Einrogard friends from the same year sometimes considered him the most dangerous priest in the Phoenix Tower, but Nigisor wasn’t foolish enough to ignore Lee Han’s warning.
Even if Wardanaz was sometimes mad, he was never the type to speak nonsense.
Listen carefully: I have no intention of contracting with a mortal like you. Why would I bother? I just want to gift you a piece of my power, let you use it once.
A contract with a spirit came with great responsibility and obligation, even for the spirit.
As a contract was engraved into one’s soul and being, even General Hwacheon was no exception.
He only considered contracting Lee Han because he instinctively sensed in him an extraordinary and blood-filled destiny—not that he was a spirit who’d contract with anyone.
As for Nigisor, he had only meant to toss a few scraps of power, let him try it out.
If Lee Han watched someone use a spirit’s power nearby, perhaps his resolve would falter.
But here was this rookie shamelessly saying, ‘I won’t contract with you’, how absurd.
“I said I’m not interested in a contract! Go away!”
……
At that, General Hwacheon sensed something odd.
Are all these mages working together or something…?!
Fourth-year Baldrogard student Jandanni of House Alzadrk pounded his chest at the devastation near Bephaim City.
As a member of Baldrogard, the western empire’s magic school, he couldn’t just sit by while the west suffered disaster.
“That these gems can do nothing…!”
Jandanni slumped, staring at the gems in his pouch.
He’d intended to buy food nearby with these, but now it was impossible—there was simply no food to be found.
Gems, normally as good as currency anywhere, were now useless. He’d never imagined this scenario.
“Senior, let’s go fix the well.”
“All right… Here. Take this.”
Jandanni handed his junior a beautifully cut green beryl.
“If you throw that in, it’ll purify and repair the well.”
‘That seems a bit excessive…’
The fellow Baldrogard mage thought so, but it was rude to openly criticize another’s magic.
Since they were Jandanni’s gems, the mage said no more and accepted it.
“Supplies just arrived at the bottom of the hill! Everyone, please come help move them!!”
“What? How?! Where did they come from?!”
Not just the Baldrogard mages, but even the priests engaged in relief work were shocked.
“They said mages from Einrogard brought them.”
“W-we haven’t even gotten any yet, but how…”
“Actually, about that…”
The messenger glanced around and lowered his voice.
“There’s a rumor that they stormed Count Buyong’s mansion, confiscated all property, and got the supplies that way.”
“…!!!”
To think they’d use such a daring method?!