Episode 1233
by CristaeAt that moment, the Skull Headmaster was teaching -Introduction to Magical Ethics, Advanced- to the first-year students.
The first-years felt very uneasy at the return of the Skull Headmaster.
Why had he come back from the capital so soon?
“Isn’t Professor Garcia teaching instead anymore?”
Don’t you feel sorry for Professor Garcia?
‘That’s true.’
The first-year students immediately agreed.
He’d earned the nickname Ironhead, but they had a good sense of how things worked at Einrogard.
Clearly, someone like Professor Garcia was the one working the hardest.
“We haven’t seen the Inspector Prince lately—did something happen to him?”
That guy went to the punishment room.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Does he take us for morons?!”
The first-year students were appalled at the absurdity.
What kind of lazy lie was that, even for him?
Clearly, the Skull Headmaster must have caught the Inspector in some evil trap.
“He might have been assassinated.”
“No way, not when the Emperor Himself sent him. Maybe kidnapped or at worst, locked up…”
After a year of lectures, these Ironheads haven’t changed at all.
The Skull Headmaster lamented the attitude of the freshmen.
Why were all these young mages so rough and ill-mannered?
Clatter!
“?!?!”
“What the heck?!”
The students raced to the classroom window in shock.
There, from an upper floor of the main building, a familiar dwarf smashed out the window and leapt out.
“P-Principal! There’s an enemy attack on campus!”
Calm yourselves. That’s Professor Thunderstep.
The floating skull spoke with a bored tone.
“I-I see, Thunderstep Professor… Wait! This is hardly a time to be calm!”
The students panicked even more.
If Professor Thunderstep was jumping out the window, wasn’t it even more dangerous?
A criminal, an attacker, an assassin, a debt collector out to collect from Professor Verdus by force…
A flood of thoughts raced through the first-years’ minds.
That’s not him being attacked. That’s him running his mouth and bringing it on himself. Watch and learn so you don’t make the same mistake.
“????”
The students were confused by the puzzling remark.
What did that even mean?
Fortunately, they were about to understand, because Professor Garcia stuck his upper body out the broken window and hurled bolts of magic as he swung his staff.
On the ground, Professor Thunderstep yelled, “Sorry about this!” “But I had to try asking!” and ran into the woods.
He created an obscuring smokescreen to avoid being targeted, displaying a skill the Skull Headmaster lightly complimented.
Impressive smoke work. Watch and learn.
“……”
Let’s get back to class. Now, write and read aloud: ‘Until I graduate, I will not charge directly at an evil god…’
“Why are we writing and reading this? Who would actually do something like that?”
“It’s obvious. He just wants to torment us for no reason!”
“Is that so?”
Rumors that Professor Garcia had thrown Professor Thunderstep out the window spread fast.
The truth was, Thunderstep had covered himself in smoke and leapt out to escape first, but the story always mutates like a wild magical creature.
The professors were immediately on guard.
All of them, at some point, owed Professor Garcia a favor.
“This is all because of Professor Verdus! He took advantage of Professor Garcia’s kindness and overworked him, it’s no wonder the man exploded!”
“No, it’s not that. It’s about his student fighting an evil god.”
“Wardanaz? Why would Professor Thunderstep get in trouble over Wardanaz? Wait, did he instigate Wardanaz?!”
“He would never. Of course not.”
Professor Lightningstep clicked his tongue.
This dwarf professor knew his nephew’s character well.
“He probably went to the punishment room to cluelessly ask if Wardanaz could run some errands. He brought it on himself.”
“……”
Some professors looked grim.
They too had been thinking of having the talented student run some errands from the punishment room.
As the professors chatted, the dark elf—who looked the most tired—silently poured tea over piled sugar cubes and drank it all in one go. It signaled her break was over.
“Wait, Professor Lagrinde.”
“?”
Professor Alcassis turned with extreme reluctance and fatigue.
“You’re not interested in Wardanaz at all?”
If any professor here was likely to assign work to Wardanaz in the punishment room, it would have been Alcassis.
The healing magic department was chronically understaffed, to the point that the faculty rarely showed their faces.
Plus, this semester Wardanaz had barely kept up with lectures due to all sorts of incidents and hadn’t participated in much of the healing magic department’s other activities.
From Alcassis’s perspective, she had every right to offload a backlog of tasks on her student.
And she had the guts to actually do it in front of Professor Garcia!
“His Majesty the Emperor sent someone.”
“???”
“They said to make them work in Wardanaz’s place. That’s all. Excuse me.”
Alcassis left, not wanting any further delays.
The professors left behind were shocked. Professor Mortum coughed and spoke.
“Cough, why only the healing department? The necromancy department is always understaffed too.”
“……”
‘Even among professors, this is just shameful.’
Comparing yourself to the healing school, which saves patients across the Empire, of all people!
Still, it was a surprise—the Emperor himself had sent someone to cover for Wardanaz.
True, Wardanaz had accomplished something amazing, but even so, this much royal attention seemed extreme.
Was it because he was a dragon’s contractor?
“Or maybe he’s just especially pitiful among the Headmaster’s students.”
“That too.”
Wardanaz stood out even among the Skull Headmaster’s students. Who else would fight an evil god head-on at his age and live?
Maybe it was thanks to that talent that the Skull Headmaster started overworking him so early.
The professors were well aware the Headmaster dragged Wardanaz along to squeeze every support coin out of Einrogard.
Thud!
“!?”
Suddenly, all eyes turned at the sound of someone dropping to their knees.
It was Professor Bendodol, mean-looking and streaming with tears, kneeling on the common room floor.
“I, Professor Bendodol, beg you all for a once-in-a-lifetime favor!”
“……”
The reaction was flat.
Bendodol was a notorious maniac, always saying, “Just one favor, the first and last of my life, please!” “My once-in-a-lifetime plea!” at any chance.
“What is it?”
“Please, send me to the punishment room…!”
“……”
“……”
The professors immediately looked away and ignored him. Then whispered among themselves.
“Who told him about the punishment room?”
“He probably found out himself. He is resourceful.”
“Send me there! You bastards!”
When pleading failed, Bendodol looked ready to get violent.
But the professors were not so easily shaken.
“You can’t get into the professors’ punishment room just by waving a staff. At best, you’ll end up in the deep punishment room. Want us to send you with Professor Verdus?”
“Then at least let me visit and bring gifts!!”
He was met with cold rejection. That made Bendodol even more furious.
Why did everyone else get to visit except him?
“If the Headmaster says no, it’s not our place…”
“Take it up with the Headmaster.”
“Aaagh!! Aaaaargh!!”
The Skull Headmaster was no fool.
Letting someone like Bendodol near already-depressed Uman or Joulin wouldn’t help anyone.
First, he needed to be kept away.
Professor Jorzik, observing his colleagues’ rampage with interest, twirled his mustache and spoke up.
“Everyone, as a member of the Benmalpa family, I have a suggestion.”
“I’m pretty sure this will be a mistake, but yes?”
“Let’s petition the Emperor to release Wardanaz.”
Aiming to be the next Headmaster, this professor was always full of ambition and political cunning.
Freeing Wardanaz from the punishment room had many benefits.
Wardanaz would be grateful—a huge plus when campaigning for the Headmastership later.
And all the professors here who wanted Wardanaz out would have reason to thank Jorzik for his skill.
‘Is he mad?’
‘How is this guy even a professor? Then again, they let Professor Verdus stay, so…’
Of course, none of the other professors were grateful.
The Skull Headmaster had only just returned in disgrace—they’d be risking their own hides even suggesting it.
And there was always the risk of getting hit by an enraged Professor Garcia before any answer came back. In his current state, who knew what he might do?
“If we get Wardanaz out, we’ll send Professor Bendodol in his place.”
“?!?!”
Bendodol jumped up, face full of hope.
“Are you serious?!”
“I, Jorzik of the Benmalpa family, never lie!”
“I support you, Professor Benmalpa! Let’s get Wardanaz out right away!”
Jorzik nodded, satisfied, then looked around.
“And there’s just one thing we need.”
“I’m sure it’s more than one, but what is it?”
“You all have to sign a petition together…”
At this, the professors all promptly got up and left the lounge in a rush.
Jorzik called after them in a panic but none returned.
“Everyone?! Everyone!!”
‘No matter how important magic is, they really should at least test for basic social skills before appointing professors!’
Eandurde cautiously peeked in.
Even though the Knights of Death had escorted him for a lesson, the punishment room was no easy place.
How many dangers and hardships had he, as a first-year, suffered here?
And this was the professors’ punishment room. Surely even more dangerous—
“Eandurde!!!!”
A golden cannonball shot through the air and tackled Eandurde.
He recoiled in alarm, but a dragon’s physical ability was a clear step above a gorgon hybrid like him.
“I missed you so much!!!!”
“Ugh. Uuugh.”
Pride wounded, Eandurde nonetheless did everything he could to shake Joulin off.
But that just made the dragon cling harder.
“What are you doing! Really!”
“J-Joulin just… missed you, that’s all…”
“…Fine, I get it, so let go a bit— W-wait, what’s that?”
“Oh. Lee Han is in the middle of a commission.”
Joulin pointed at the solitary cell.
Inside, familiar and unfamiliar magicians alike slaved away, faces drawn with exhaustion.
Lee Han, checking a potion for Yoanen, spotted Eandurde and exclaimed in surprise.
“Professor! Eandurde’s here for the lecture!”
“I know.”
Professor Voladi, unsurprised, stood up as if already prepared. Lee Han, curious, asked,
“Who taught Eandurde while you were away?”
“Sir Garzidahaka.”
“…Who is that supposed to be?”