Episode 159

Realizing that the student had a strange misunderstanding, Ogonin shouted urgently.

“…I’m not a professor!”

“?!”

Only after receiving Lee Han’s suspicious gaze did Ogonin realize what he had just said.

If he were a professional thief, he would have chosen his words carefully, but Ogonin was an amateur thief.

He was renowned as a wizard in the Empire, but this was his first time as a thief.

That inexperience led to this mistake.

“No… that’s…!”

“How dare you try to trick me!”

“I didn’t try to trick…?! Ugh!”

Ogonin could no longer persuade or make excuses.

The student’s attack had begun.

‘Wha… what is this…?!’

When the student summoned dozens of water beads, Ogonin was startled, but he didn’t think he couldn’t block them.

Ogonin’s specialty wasn’t magical combat, but with his experience as a wizard, he’d been through plenty of magical battles.

He’d faced elemental magic of that level before.

The sheer number was intimidating, but as long as he blocked the front, it would be fine.

If he could just block it once, he could subdue the opponent again with illusion magic…

…or so he thought?!

Shhhhhh!

The water beads all flew in unpredictable trajectories at unexpected speed, and Ogonin was once again flustered.

‘What is this! What is this!’

Ogonin threw himself to the side.

He never thought he’d be dodging attacks so childishly at his age.

“Earth, help me!”

The earth suddenly slid, pushing Ogonin away and trying to swallow up the water beads at the same time.

Lee Han didn’t bother trying to control the beads out of the way.

If it wanted to swallow them, let it.

Because…

He could just summon more!

“Spring forth!”

“!!!”

Even after summoning so many, the student immediately prepared the next attack without a break, making Ogonin feel like he was in a nightmare.

An illusionist caught in a nightmare?

‘Is this a trap Gonadaltes set up!?’

It was enough to make him think such things.

“Element, return to your original form!”

Ogonin countered the incoming water beads with elemental dispel. The water beads scattered in the air.

But the opponent, once again, didn’t care and summoned more.

Ogonin realized.

‘If this turns into a war of attrition, I can’t win!’

Pride as an imperial wizard aside, at this point, Ogonin became calm instead.

Getting embarrassed once is shocking, but after several times in a row, you start to wake up.

‘I don’t know what kind of student this is…!’

He had to subdue him and escape somehow!

“Flame, take my form!”

Ogonin gave up on stubbornly using illusion magic that didn’t work, out of pride.

Illusion magic wasn’t just about casting spells directly on the opponent. If it didn’t work, he could use something else.

Flames rose and transformed into a perfect doppelganger identical to Ogonin. It was impossible to tell them apart.

Lee Han looked at Ogonin with a shocked expression. Ogonin felt his wounded pride recover just a little.

“…Student, please listen! I apologize for speaking rudely out of panic. But I have my own circumstan—”

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

“?”

At the sound of a fuse burning from behind, Ogonin turned his head.

The flame doppelganger had lit a fuse, which burned down and set off the fireworks.

Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop!!!!!

Both Lee Han and Ogonin were speechless, simply watching the pile of fireworks go off.

• * *

Next question! What I liked most when I was alive…

Bang!

“?”

“What’s that?”

Students who had been yawning at the boring question turned their heads.

Beautiful fireworks were lighting up the sky from behind.

Bang bang!

“Fireworks!”

“Oh, is it time to start already?”

The guests also stood up excitedly.

One of the most beautiful things magic could do was fireworks.

It was rare to get a chance to see fireworks prepared directly by Einrogard up close like this.

No… no… no!?

The Skull Principal feigned surprise, but the imperial guests burst out laughing.

“You really do love surprises!”

“Studying under such a cheerful teacher must make the students so happy!”

No… what… which… eternally cursed bastard…?

“What did you just say?”

Quiet!

The Skull Principal revealed his true colors and silenced the imperial guest. The guest, under a forced silence curse, grumbled in frustration.

Which…!

Blue flames blazed in the Skull Principal’s eyes, leaving a trail behind as he flew away.

His tears had dried up long ago, but the Skull Principal wept in his soul.

His plan to give the students a delightful experience dodging fireworks had been ruined by some wicked person!

• * *

“…It’s over…”

Ogonin collapsed in despair.

He never imagined it was a pile of fireworks.

And now that they’d gone off, there was no way to escape. People would soon gather.

‘Should I knock him out?’

Lee Han looked at the collapsed Ogonin and pondered.

To subdue him for sure, knocking him out was the right move.

He didn’t seem to be a professor, but a thief…

But the opponent, for a thief, also seemed to have some status.

If Lee Han beat him up and it turned out he knew one of the professors, it could be quite troublesome for Lee Han.

“Could you perhaps tell me your circumstances?”

“What?”

“I was wondering if you could tell me your circumstances.”

“You… wait. Are you really a student?”

Ogonin, who had been in despair, suddenly became curious and asked. Lee Han nodded.

“I am a student.”

“Fifth year?”

“No.”

“Fourth year?”

“No.”

“Sixth year??”

“I’m a first year.”

“……”

Ogonin looked around.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was looking for a rope to hang myself with…”

“Please don’t.”

Lee Han tried to comfort him, but Ogonin just lay there in despair.

To think he’d been flustered by a freshman, unable to subdue him with illusion magic, and set off a pile of fireworks!

It felt as if his entire life as a wizard had been denied.

“I see. Hmm. So…”

Lee Han tried to comfort the despairing wizard and listen to his story.

Roughly, Ogonin was a specialist in illusion magic, and once, an ancient artifact related to illusion magic had come up at auction, but Gonadaltes had snatched it up with a bid. When Ogonin asked to collaborate, he got a reply like, “Why should I? You buy your own with your money.”

So he had sneaked in to get the artifact himself.

‘A tearful story.’

It was even more tearful because it wasn’t someone else’s story.

In fact, upperclassmen were currently raiding the Skull Principal’s warehouse for materials.

If you went further up, you might have to raid another magic school’s warehouse.

“What happened… Oh, Ogonin!”

Professor Kirmin Ku, also an illusionist and a professor at the magic school, was the first to arrive and was shocked.

Why was Ogonin here?

“If you were here, you should have called me, why…”

Professor Kirmin looked at the fireworks exploding in the background, then at Ogonin lying on the ground, then at the fireworks again.

And finished grasping the situation.

“Did you set off the fireworks, Ogonin?”

“Yes.”

“…Wardanaz. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Should I just pretend to know nothing in front of the principal?”

“You really…”

Professor Kirmin couldn’t finish his sentence. He was that surprised.

“Yes. Please. Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Either way, it’s true that Ogonin tried to touch the principal’s treasure…”

“It’s fine.”

“!”

“He’s your friend, Professor.”

“…Thank you. Wardanaz. I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

Professor Kirmin was genuinely moved.

Unlike Baegrek, Baegrek’s student was truly a warm and kind wizard.

How could such a student come from under Baegrek…!

Pop pop pop pop!

With the sound of fireworks, the Skull Principal arrived.

The Skull Principal looked at Lee Han, then at Professor Kirmin, then at Ogonin, and also finished grasping the situation.

You refused to cooperate with my research and dared to set fire to someone else’s festival!?

“Ah… no…”

“Gonadaltes. I don’t know what happened, but when the three of us arrived, the fireworks were already burning.”

……

The Skull Principal was shocked by the unexpected betrayal.

Come to think of it, Professor Kirmin Ku was a fellow illusionist and friend of Ogonin.

It wouldn’t be strange for him to take Ogonin’s side.

‘These illusionist bastards…!’

What a ridiculous excuse…! So the fireworks set themselves off!?

“Gonadaltes.”

Professor Kirmin spoke firmly.

“If Ogonin had set the fire on purpose, there’d be no reason for him to stay here.”

……

For the first time in a long while, the Skull Principal was at a loss for words. He just rolled his eyes.

It was too reasonable a statement.

Why had Ogonin stayed after setting the fireworks on fire?

“Principal! The fireworks are beautiful!”

“To see something like this…!”

Bang! Pop! Pop pop!

Fortunately, before the Skull Principal could come up with the answer, excited guests rushed over.

Taking advantage of the moment, Professor Kirmin spoke urgently.

“Ogonin. Get out of here quickly.”

“Th-thank you. And…”

“This student is Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.”

At Professor Kirmin’s words, Ogonin nodded with teary eyes.

“Thank you so much. I’ll never forget your name. I swear on the name of magic, I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

“Hurry and go!”

Ogonin quickly left. If he got caught by the Skull Principal, it wouldn’t end well.

Meanwhile, as the Skull Principal entertained the guests, he finally realized the truth.

He’d been found out by Wardanaz! That brat! Illusion magic wouldn’t work on Wardanaz anyway!

“What are you talking about…”

Where’s Ogonin! Has he already escaped?!

The Skull Principal gnashed his teeth.

Come to think of it, it must have been Lee Han who tripped him up.

The gap between a freshman and a renowned imperial wizard was so great that he hadn’t thought of it at first…

But comparing their compatibility, it was entirely possible!

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to set off the fireworks and stay at the scene.

Just wait… Ogonin! I’ll definitely repay this grudge from the festival!

“Let’s run.”

Professor Kirmin quickly took Lee Han away.

There was no good in staying any longer.

• * *

Friday, after the festival ended.

The guests from outside had all left, and the once bustling place was now empty, but the students were still talking about the festival.

“Did you see the fireworks yesterday? They were really pretty.”

“They were made with imbuement magic, right? Maybe we’ll learn that in two weeks?”

But Lee Han was a bit tense.

He was about to meet the Skull Principal.

Since there were quite a few students who had gotten outing passes this week, everyone was to gather and face the Skull Principal together.

Lee Han had two outing passes.

One from before, and one newly received from Professor Voladi this week.

‘Surely he doesn’t hold a grudge against me for what happened yesterday?’

Lee Han had just kept his mouth shut…

But with the Skull Principal’s personality, even that could have made him sulk.

Is everyone here?

“Yes!”

Did you enjoy the festival?

“Yes!”

But the Skull Principal who appeared was neither burning with rage nor flashing with madness.

He looked sullen and calm.

‘Good… No, don’t let your guard down.’

As the Skull Principal greeted the students, he stopped in front of Lee Han and stared intently.

“Is something wrong?”

Are you close with Ogonin?

“Excuse me? Not really.”

I see.

Lee Han managed his expression perfectly. There wasn’t a single gap.

…Until he heard the Skull Principal’s next words.

Then next time I go out, you can come with me.

“……”

Lee Han didn’t ask where the Skull Principal was planning to “go out.”

He could already feel it without asking.