Episode 1219

Episode 1219

The Death Knights who arrived late whispered in confusion.

-No matter what, sending him to the punishment room after making such contributions seems a bit…

“We absolutely must send him.”

-?!

At the eerie voice of Professor Garcia coming from behind, the knights flinched.

Having just cast a great spell, Professor Garcia’s face was thick with fatigue.

But his eyes still burned with anger toward his disobedient student.

“If the Headmaster plays favorites and doesn’t send him to the punishment room, I’ll report it to His Excellency the Inspector. If His Excellency the Inspector plays favorites and doesn’t send him, I’ll report it to His Majesty the Emperor.”

-To be honest, I also think he should go to the punishment room, Professor. You can’t grow if you’re spoiled too much.

-That’s right! Sometimes you need a good, stiff switch.

The Death Knights reversed their stance again.

During this expedition against the evil god, they had sided far too much with the successor.

Before the professors exploded, they needed to appease them.

And to be honest, the successor really had acted too wildly on this expedition.

Now that it was over, they could say it—charging in as he pleased, making them follow as he pleased, using dangerous Small World magic as he pleased…

Perhaps it really would help for him to go to the punishment room, cool his head, and reflect on his actions.

‘I can say I was against it.’

‘I’ll just say the professors told us to do it.’

Indeed, the Death Knights were seasoned. Even as they agreed, they already prepared their own escape route.

Everyone fought bravely.

The Yaksha King arrived last.

The battle against the rampaging evil god had left even the Yaksha King seriously battered. The king stripped off his broken and charred armor and spit out clotted blood.

Your arm is ruined. Don’t overdo it for about a month.

The Yaksha King grabbed Professor Voladi’s shattered arm and invoked the power of healing.

Professor Voladi pointed to his disciple with his other hand and said,

“Please take care of Wardanaz first.”

“I’m fine, really. Please take your time.”

Don’t worry, Professor of Einrogard.

After finishing the healing, the Yaksha King pointed behind.

Disciple of Osu. Look over there.

“?”

Lee Han turned his head. His vision was dark and red, so he couldn’t see well.

What’s there?

Thud!

The Yaksha King neatly knocked Lee Han out with a single punch.

Unlike the professor’s injury, putting Osu’s disciple to sleep was best for recovery.

Professor Voladi’s injury was actually easier to heal.

The state of his ruined arm was horrible, but conversely, it meant only the arm needed to be regenerated.

He was an experienced combat mage, so even when pushing himself, he’d done all the calculations.

In contrast, Osu’s disciple was still immature and rampaged without thinking of the consequences.

Earlier, the Yaksha King’s healing was not complete.

And then, even so, he forced himself by casting Small World Dunamis repeatedly as if nothing had happened.

With both body and soul suffering immense strain, he should really rest for a while.

“Absolutely right.”

Professor Garcia quickly slung the fallen student over one shoulder.

Tell Osu it would be best to ban Dunamis for a while. Osu’s disciple lacks self-control.

“…You could have warned him before he used it.”

Professor Garcia couldn’t hold back from saying it.

This Yaksha King played dumb, but it was obvious he had foreseen almost every situation in this evil god expedition.

If you do that, you can’t be sure to catch the evil god.

“……”

“……”

You little—?

The professors glared holes into the Yaksha King.

They could understand now why this king was unpopular across dimensions and considered the skeleton headmaster to be his only friend.

The energy of the domain is returning. I’ll order the Yakshas to plant Udumhwa. It’ll help purify things more quickly.

Though still miffed, the professors listened to the Yaksha King and looked over the eerie scene of the domain.

With the master of the domain now dead, this scenery was something they would only see a final time now.

Professor Garcia gave thanks to his colleagues and the Yaksha King.

“It’s belated, but really, thank you all for your hard work.”

“What are you saying. Thank you for not leaving Voladi behind and sticking together, Professor Kim.”

“Thanks, everyone…”

Wait.

The Yaksha King interrupted. The professors looked at him sourly.

Why spoil a warm and fuzzy moment like this?

It’s not over yet.

“What? There are remnants?”

Professor Garcia asked, eyes wide with surprise.

Could there really be any remnants left at this point?

Hyerdan of House Wardanaz is leading a guerilla campaign with the Yaksha forces outside. Go let them know it’s over.

“……”

It was ridiculous but easy to understand.

Who else could lead the Yaksha army to ravage and destroy the domain?

There weren’t many who could do that.

“I see. Then, couldn’t Your Highness deliver the message yourself?”

No.

“???”

As Professor Garcia blinked in confusion, the Yaksha King turned to the Death Knights.

Let me entrust this to you honorable knights.

-Um… It’s an honor, but, why us?

The knights sensed a strange unease.

It was an instinctive sense only knights who had been through truly bloody battles would have.

You’re the best suited. Also, keep it secret that Osu’s disciple was injured. The moment the other side arrives, there’ll be a fight.

-……

“……”

---

The Death Knights cursed the Yaksha King hundreds of times as they flew to Hyerdan.

-That damned lunatic king bastard.

-In the old days, such a tyrant’s head would’ve been cut off.

With what confidence did he use the successor as bait and let him recklessly use dangerous magic? The answer was actually simple.

Just don’t tell the other party!

To think something like that is called the King of Wisdom—unbelievable.

-But will such a lie really work?

-Hmm.

The Death Knights knew well just how powerful the archmages were.

Lying in front of them was a dangerous gamble. If caught by magical detection, it was the same as digging their own graves.

-We’ll just have to lie without telling lies.

-Understood. We’ll have to be as brief as possible.

It sounded cryptic, but the other knights quickly understood the old knight’s words.

A lie didn’t always require saying something false.

One could lie by hiding facts and answering evasively.

“You Yakshas of the Seventh Gold Mountain, dig up all the land to the horizon and find anything hidden within. Be sure to take care of the monsters contaminated by the evil energy.”

-You mean… take care of everything up to the horizon, sir?

“I’ll give you three torches. Finish before these torches go out.”

‘This is hell in its own way.’

The Death Knights thought they saw shimmering droplets at the edge of those warlike Yakshas’ eyes.

Now that Hyerdan had confirmed the evil god’s death, she had no reason to hide her true nature. She was pushing the Yakshas to the limit like squeezing a dry rag.

What a fine-tuned cruelty—just enough work to barely manage!

With her command skills, Hyerdan surely had already determined exactly how much could be managed.

For the Yakshas, the only fate left was to work and cry.

-Hmm. Lady Hyerdan of House Wardanaz. We bring word by royal command of the evil god’s defeat.

“I see. Thank you.”

Unlike the Yaksha King, Hyerdan treated the Death Knights with respect.

The Yaksha King was a king, but the Death Knights were the skeleton headmaster’s knights.

“Any unusual incidents…”

-No, ma’am! Everything went exactly to the king’s plan!

The knight who spoke instantly regretted it. His answer had been half a beat too quick.

He should’ve answered a bit more slowly…!

Luckily, Hyerdan did not doubt further. The Death Knights were always up to odd things anyway.

“As discussed beforehand, we’ll now work with the Yaksha army to purify the domain’s contamination.”

The pollution of that far dimension seemed unrelated to the material realm, but left unchecked, it would eventually have consequences.

Moreover, in Sanguiros’ case, the evil god was a cause of large-scale incidents on the continent.

Uprooting this contamination in advance was part of what the skeleton headmaster and the House Wardanaz existed to do.

‘Saved!’

The knights breathed a sigh of relief.

The Yaksha King was annoying but truly wise. He clearly knew Hyerdan would focus on her assigned duties.

Then one of the Yakshas spoke up.

-Your younger sibling has arrived. Won’t you pay a visit?

-…!!!

The Death Knights felt their nonexistent hearts sink at those words.

All these Yakshas, from the king to the warriors—what a bunch!

‘No!’

-He’s right. You should go, Lady Hyerdan!

-Your sibling must be waiting for you!

The Yakshas tried everything to get Hyerdan to leave.

With that crazed archmage nearby, they felt like they’d barely be able to breathe while working.

Even a small mistake would be instantly spotted, so how could anyone relax?

“If I go, my sibling won’t be happy. She’ll just complain I’m trying to control her again.”

-…Have you ever tried to control the successor, ma’am?

Hyerdan answered the Death Knights’ question confidently.

“Calling it ‘control’ isn’t quite right. Doesn’t Einrogard also devise various ways to teach and help students grow? You wouldn’t call such guidance ‘control,’ would you?”

‘You did try to control her.’

The knights nodded to themselves.

The fact that she was starting to ramble meant it was 100% true. Considering her knack for commanding subordinates, it was no surprise at all.

-I see. Understood. The… successor certainly loves her independence and freedom.

The knights did their best to keep Hyerdan from coming to the site herself.

If she did, the Yakshas might have to pick a new king on the spot.

“Right. No need for misunderstandings about things I haven’t done. If my sibling doesn’t know I’m here, just say the expedition was all the Yaksha King’s plan. Hide my name.”

-Yes. We will!

Such grumbling against the Yaksha King was always welcome.

They even thought if Lee Han ever tried to attack the Yaksha King, they’d go along.

Having completed their mission, the Death Knights prepared to head back, sighing in relief inside.

Now, as long as they hurried back to Einrogard with the successor…

“Wait.”

-!

Their nonexistent hearts skipped another beat.

-…What is it?

“Take this pouch.”

-???

Hyerdan threw over a small pouch with the opening tied by magic.

“If my sibling ever becomes obsessed with learning magic, open this pouch and follow the instructions inside.”

-…Ah, yes.

It was awkward how she immediately did this after saying she wasn’t controlling anything, but the knights decided to just accept it.

There was nothing they wouldn’t take if it got them off this site.

“Wait.”

-…What now?

“Take this pouch, too.”

Hyerdan tossed over another pouch of a different color from before.

“If my sibling ever becomes obsessed with collecting gold, open this pouch and follow the instructions inside.”

-…If you have any more pouches, please just give them all now. We’ll write it down and take them.