Episode 143

Episode 143
As things passed more smoothly than he had expected, a thought popped into Lee Han’s mind.
‘Good fortune follows me because I live virtuously.’
And then another thought followed.
‘If I get another chance later, could I step on it again?’
Lee Han shook his head.
Arrogance invites danger.
No matter how enjoyable it was, stepping on a professor’s foot twice was a dangerous thing.
“Professor. Since they are guests from outside, I will treat them.”
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
Lee Han spoke firmly. Professor Voladi did not bother to stop him.
It was because he had little interest in guests from outside.
‘He’s definitely excited because of the festival.’
Professor Voladi thought Lee Han was definitely excited because of the festival.
Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to treat guests from a place like Baldrogard?
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
At Lee Han’s polite greeting, the professor from Baldrogard unconsciously admired him.
Nobles of the Empire proved their lineage even in the smallest details.
From accent, habits, and actions—nobles could sense each other in the briefest moments they showed.
Sometimes, newly risen lower noble families who had amassed wealth tried to act like the Empire’s old great noble families and became the subject of ridicule for this very reason.
You could build up a splendid mansion and wealth, but you couldn’t build up the time and customs of a family.
And the appearance the boy in front of him showed now was something only someone from a great noble family could display.
Even the Baldrogard students, who had been grumbling, closed their mouths a little.
“Which family are you from?”
“I am from the Wardanaz Family.”
“Wardanaz Indeed… You are worthy of entering Einrogard.”
The opposing professor spoke with a tone of praise. But to Lee Han, it didn’t sound much like a compliment.
‘Being worthy of entering Einrogard is definitely a compliment, but why does it sound so depressing?’
Lee Han changed the subject.
“I’ve heard a lot about Baldrogard’s reputation even here.”
At those words, the students’ faces brightened a little.
No matter who gave the compliment, the praise from an Einrogard student in front of them felt the sweetest.
Of course, Lee Han had never heard of Baldrogard’s reputation at school.
Who would leisurely talk about Baldrogard when everyone was busy just trying to eat, live, and do assignments?
“Is that so? I’m very pleased.”
But it was certain that Lee Han’s well-intentioned lie made the other party happy.
It seemed that everyone from Baldrogard became happy.
As Lee Han looked at the happy students, he suddenly wondered.
‘But how can Baldrogard students visit another school’s festival?’
Baldrogard.
Located in the western part of the Empire, and only those from noble families could enter—that was all Lee Han knew.
But wasn’t it a magic school all the same?
Baldrogard students must also be suffering and struggling inside the suffocating school.
Then how?
“But how… did you come to visit the festival?”
“?”
At Lee Han’s words, the opposing professor didn’t immediately understand.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… students can’t go outside, can they?”
“??”
The Baldrogard professor looked at Lee Han as if asking what he was talking about.
“Ah, do you mean not being able to go outside during lectures…? Or at night?”
“…After lectures… in free time… you can’t go outside the school, can you?”
Even as he asked, Lee Han felt a chilling fear creeping up.
No way.
No way??
“What a joke”
The professor burst out laughing. Lee Han’s face stiffened.
“Isn’t it so?”
“Of course not Not being allowed to go outside the school in free time. Why would we do such a thing?”
“Oh…”
Unaware of Lee Han’s inner thoughts, the Baldrogard professor kindly continued to explain.
Baldrogard was not far from a large city, and after classes, students would ride horses to the city to enjoy various leisure activities.
Sometimes, hot-blooded students would cause trouble after getting drunk in the evening, but wasn’t that also something inevitable for youthful vigor?
For nobles, such social activities were also an important virtue.
‘Imperial nobles really are disgustingly annoying.’
Lee Han thought to himself.
Such annoying people
“Then this trip… you just came without any problems?”
“Yes. If students apply to travel around the Empire to gain experience, it gets approved.”
“But there must be some rule that not just anyone can go out, right?”
Lee Han persistently questioned without realizing it.
He felt it would be too unfair if he didn’t at least do that.
“Ah. There is, actually.”
“I knew it… Only those who have made great contributions to the school can go out, or something like that?”
“That’s too harsh. If a student causes a disturbance in the city more than four times a month, they are banned from going out for a week.”
“……”
Lee Han thought he understood why Professor Voladi treated Baldrogard like trash.
Wasn’t it because of such loose rules that the nobles’ minds were rotting away?
‘Let’s get a grip.’
Lee Han pulled himself together.
He was envious of the Baldrogard students, but what would change just because of that?
The important thing was to make a good impression on the guests from outside.
Connections had to be managed in advance. You never knew when or where you’d need them.
After graduation, there could be a Baldrogard graduate as your superior at the job you go to.
“What year are the people here?”
“Second and third years.”
“…Is it okay for second and third years to be together…? Ah, is it because only first years can’t be together?”
“What do you mean…? First years can be together too. The first years just decided to travel elsewhere, so the direction changed.”
“”
Lee Han was shocked once again.
Surprisingly, Baldrogard did not separate the first years
‘…That makes sense.’
Come to think of it, if city outings were possible, there was no reason to separate the first years.
“Why do you ask…? Does Einrogard separate the first years?”
“Yes.”
Lee Han answered honestly, but the guests from Baldrogard didn’t believe him.
Instead, they burst out laughing, admiring Lee Han’s joke.
“What a joke…”
“Hahahahaha”
“If you separate only the first years, they can’t do social activities, parties, club activities, or anything”
Lee Han looked up at the sky with gloomy eyes.
‘I wish they’d just leave quickly.’
He had thought making a good impression on guests from outside wouldn’t be too hard, but it was harder than he thought.

• * *
  Even after the conversation ended, the Baldrogard students didn’t leave.
  Instead, they showed excessive curiosity about the ‹Dodge the Water Orb› event hanging in the tent.
  “What is that?”
  “It’s an event being held during the festival.”
  The Baldrogard students were polite but very eager to participate.
  Of course, Lee Han didn’t particularly want to throw water orbs at the faces of Baldrogard students.
  The White Tiger Tower students had charged in even after being warned, so there was no helping it, but the Baldrogard students didn’t even need outing passes.
  “Can we participate too?”
  “It’s fine, but the prize is an outing pass. Our school’s outing pass would be useless to you.”
  “That’s fine The prize more valuable than that is honor itself.”
  ‘These trashy people.’
  Lee Han was furious.
  Baldrogard students could go out whenever they felt like it, but for Einrogard students, that outing pass was almost as valuable as their life.
  Not knowing that, these people were aiming for the outing pass just for their own honor.
  Did Imperial nobles have no conscience?
  “…Alright. Go ahead and participate.”
  “”
  As soon as Lee Han gave permission, the Baldrogard students all raised their hands without hesitation.
  They would definitely prove they were superior to the Einrogard students
  “Please let me go first.”
  “Given my magical skills, I should go first. I’m the best at defensive magic.”
  “There’s no need to go as far as defensive magic. I’ll solve it with my divination magic.”
  “With physical enhancement magic…”
  Watching the students argue, Lee Han picked up his staff. He exchanged glances with Professor Voladi.
  Professor Voladi nodded. Lee Han nodded as well.
  The two master and disciple knew well what to do without speaking.
• * *
  Baldrogard?
  The floating, flying skull principal, nosebleed streaming, looked at the departing students from another school with curiosity.
  Had Baldrogard students visited?
  “Yes. It seems they heard about the festival during their trip and dropped by.”
  Tsk tsk… Traveling leisurely. That’s why they can’t do magic.
  “……”
  Who hit them?
  “Well. It’s natural to get injured while testing magic…”
  The skull principal enhanced his hearing.
  -Don’t be too discouraged, everyone. The opponents were upperclassmen who had trained in magic longer than you.
  -But to lose so one-sidedly…
  -Professor, were the opponents fourth years or fifth years?
  -Now, that’s not important. I’ll heal you, so once the bleeding stops, let’s go see something else.
  ?
  The skull principal didn’t understand for a moment.
  Which gutsy fourth or fifth year ignored the skull principal’s orders and stuck their nose into the freshmen’s festival?
  ‘That can’t be right?’
  Students around fourth or fifth year had at least a rough understanding of how the school worked.
  They wouldn’t let themselves get caught doing such a thing. The skull principal quickly tracked the trail of nosebleed left by the Baldrogard students.
  …Aha
  The skull principal saw Professor Voladi and Lee Han standing together and understood everything.
  No wonder
  Well done. You have raised the honor of Einrogard.
  Seeing the flying skull principal, Lee Han bowed his head.
  “No. I’m just ashamed that I couldn’t control my strength and hurt the opponent.”
  No, it couldn’t be helped.
  When the skull principal, for some reason, comforted him, Lee Han was puzzled.
  The Baldrogard people were just trash who played house with the money of foolish nobles, so it couldn’t be helped if it took a bit of force.
  Surprisingly, Professor Voladi was relatively intact.
  At the skull principal’s harsh words, Lee Han replied without changing his expression.
  “No. The Baldrogard people were quite excellent as well.”
  No one would be convinced if someone who beat up upperclassmen like twisting a child’s wrist said that You should show a bit more arrogance.
  “……”
  Even at the skull principal’s provocation, Lee Han remained calm and unshaken.
  In old stories, life always went awry if you gave in to the devil’s whispers like that.
  When Lee Han didn’t react, the skull principal made a bored face.
  How boring… Anyway, let’s go.
  “Where to?”
  Professor Baegrek. Is the time up?
  At the skull principal’s question, Professor Voladi nodded.
  He had agreed with the skull principal to share Lee Han, and the allotted time was now up.
  “It’s over.”
  Professor Voladi cleared away the letters and closed the tent door.
  Realizing the situation late, Lee Han looked at Professor Voladi with a shocked expression.
  “?”
  Unfortunately, Professor Voladi didn’t understand Lee Han’s look. Lee Han thought to himself.
  ‘I should have stepped on his foot one more time earlier.’
• * *
  Do you know why you have to do this?
  Following the skull principal, Lee Han answered politely.
  “Because the principal is a kind educator who cares for the students.”
  …Don’t say such creepy, goosebump-inducing things. The Emperor ordered it.
  ‘Ah.’
  Lee Han realized belatedly.
  He thought it was the principal’s hobby, but come to think of it, this was too enjoyable an event for freshmen for it to be just the principal’s hobby.
  Of course, Lee Han was a freshman but didn’t enjoy it at all…
  “What should I help you with?”
  Various things. First, let’s make some magic fireworks.
  “Aren’t those usually used at the start of the festival?”
  Lee Han was surprised that the skull principal had such sense, but also wondered if it wasn’t a bit late.
  Was he going to use them at the end?
  They’ll be shot at the students.
  “……”