Episode 269

Even the friends from White Tiger Tower were buzzing.

They wondered whether it was right for a fellow Tower mate to so brazenly snatch up an opportunity like that.

But Angrago didn’t care.

“This isn’t really a dishonorable act for a knight.”

“Isn’t he out of his mind?”

Ignoring the prince’s words, Angrago pressed on.

“There’s an item, and there’s a fair price paid for the item. That’s all there is to it.”

‘Who am I to say, but is this really okay?’

Lee Han thought to himself.

He knew the White Tiger Tower students were adapting well to life at the magic school, but this seemed like they’d adapted too well.

“Angrago, that’s more something a merchant would say—”

“Buying things isn’t only for merchants! Should knights not buy things at all? If there’s a fine sword you all want and someone tries to buy it first, will you just give up? Is that really wise?!”

Angrago must have found the assignment extremely tough; he argued with true desperation.

His momentum even overwhelmed the White Tiger Tower students, who began to nod, “Maybe?” “That kind of makes sense.”

Gainando said, “That’s nonsense,” but it didn’t reach the other White Tiger Tower students.

“All right, Wardanaz! I’ll pay double, so help me first—”

“Wait, I’ll pay triple!”

“……”

Angrago had forgotten one thing.

If he joined in by doubling the offer, someone else could top that too.

This time, Shyles from the Richmond Family in Black Turtle Tower jumped in.

As a member of the Empire’s leading coach transport family, Shyles had no qualms about running up a tab.

‘These guys must be made of money,’ Lee Han grumbled inwardly.

How could they waste money like this when it wasn’t even theirs they were earning?

“Richmond, you bastard… Are you trying to interfere with the White Tiger Tower’s business?”

“What nonsense is that? Weren’t you the one who insisted on your ‘legitimate right’?”

“Then I’ll make it four times!”

“Think I’ll back down? Five times!”

“…Wait. Hang on. Everyone, gather around!”

Realizing things were getting out of hand, Angrago called together the White Tiger Tower students.

Rowena, who had first spoken up, was pulled in as well, and they put their heads together.

“With things like this, it’s hard to outbid them alone. Let’s combine our resources.”

“Combine our resources?”

“We all buy together and share it.”

“……”

Lee Han stared at the White Tiger Tower students in disbelief.

Were they nuts? What were they going to “share”?

The madness soon spread to Black Turtle Tower as well.

Shyles also called on his Tower friends for help.

“Tutanta! The White Tiger Tower brats are playing dirty and trying to buy Wardanaz’s help with money! Help me!”

“Those scumbags—rotten to the core. Do they even deserve to be called knights?”

“……”

Sensing the situation had gotten strange, Ahsan spoke up from behind.

“Wardanaz. This is a bit…”

“Y-yeah. I didn’t expect this either.”

“Right? There’s only one way.”

“What way?”

“Everyone, gather up.”

“?”

Ahsan began summoning the Blue Dragon Tower students.

He then seriously calculated how many silver coins everyone could chip in.

“We have to buy first, no matter what. Everyone, pool the maximum you can…”

“Overwhelm them! So they never dare challenge us again!”

“……”

Lee Han was in despair.

• * *

He wanted to swindle them all out of a castle’s worth of money, but in the end, Lee Han didn’t go through with it.

It was a matter of conscience—and if you go too far, you’ll get caught.

He didn’t want to see a headline in the Empire’s paper reading, “Einrogard First-Year’s Egregious Scam… Many Victims, Is Einrogard Okay With This?”

“Let’s stop the price raising. I’ll just help in the order people asked.”

“But Wardanaz, in that case, your mana might run out and you won’t be able to help those at the end.”

“That won’t happen.”

“But…”

“I mean it, it won’t.”

Lee Han spoke firmly.

If there was one thing he was certain of, it was this.

He had mana to spare—so much, it was overflowing!

“Wardanaz. Of course, this probably seems a bit chaotic to you, but…”

“Never mind the excuses. Should I just inject mana here?”

“Y-yeah.”

Crackle!

A torch lit up with mana. The White Tiger Tower student marveled at how instantly it powered up.

“As expected…!”

“I thought there would be some trial and error, but it worked first try. Is this the finished version?”

“Normally, you’re supposed to amplify the mana, but since it lit up right away, maybe we can call it done…”

“Stop with the nonsense and do it properly.”

The White Tiger Tower student wilted at Lee Han’s words.

Lee Han continued checking other students’ constructions.

“Wardanaz, this device is for repelling undead if it works…”

“Is it meant for the headmaster?”

“Wardanaz, this is a wooden horse powered by mana. What do you think?”

“A horse? With eight legs, I thought it was a spider.”

“……”

After seeing his friends’ constructions, Lee Han felt relieved.

He had been worried his own structure would be too subpar, but given the others, he wasn’t falling behind.

‘Wait, what?!’

That thought changed when he looked at the princess’s assignment plans.

The blueprint showed a small fountain completed by precisely connecting five magical devices.

It was a beautiful piece utilizing illusion, elemental, and enchanting magic.

Rowena beamed with pride over her work.

“What do you think, Wardanaz? Her Highness the Princess stayed up for days to make this blueprint. I was worried since she’s taking three disciplines, but she accomplished this even so…”

Rowena trailed off.

So did the princess’s other followers nearby.

Taking three magic majors was quite something—most students took just one or two.

It was impossible without extraordinary intelligence and a burning passion for scholarship…

…Yet, standing before them was someone taking twice as many disciplines.

“…It may not seem like much to you, but taking three is honestly…”

“It is impressive, so don’t worry,” said Lee Han.

He found it a little absurd.

The only reason Lee Han had ended up like this was because his life had gone sideways, but even so, studying three disciplines at once really was impressive.

“You made this really well.”

“Really?!”

Rowena was so happy she looked as though she could jump for joy. Lee Han thought to himself.

‘Maybe you should worry more about your own grades?’

From what he’d seen, her own blueprint was…

But since Rowena seemed satisfied, Lee Han didn’t comment further. With connections like the princess, she’d probably land a decent position after graduation no matter what.

A whole different league from someone like Gainando, whose only asset was money!

After thoroughly inspecting the blueprint, Lee Han asked, “So where do I inject the mana?”

“Here.”

“?”

Lee Han paused.

Rowena was pointing to a simple rounded frame.

It was supposed to be a fountain completed by precisely connecting five magical devices, but there was only a round frame?

“Ah… Are the other devices somewhere else?”

If Gainando had been here, he’d have smacked her: “Don’t talk nonsense about building a city with your mouth. Lower the difficulty.” But since it was the princess, Lee Han asked politely.

“No!”

“No?”

“Yes! They’re still in progress!”

Lee Han felt dizzy at Rowena’s bright and sunny answer.

There was only a week left—and not a single device (not even part of one) was complete.

…Is that really okay?

‘No matter how you look at it, that seems risky.’

Even being generous, all the other students had completed more than half by now. To have nothing made was a huge red flag.

“Isn’t this… too slow?”

“It’s fine!”

“Oh. You must have a plan.”

“Yes! For Her Highness the Princess, this is a project well within her capabilities.”

“…?”

Lee Han tilted his head at Rowena’s answer.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Who knows?”

“……”

Suddenly, Lee Han noticed the White Tiger Tower emblem on Rowena’s jacket.

‘Right. She was White Tiger Tower.’

He nodded knowingly. Rowena, still clueless, just tilted her head.

‘Where are the other followers?’

“Neblen.”

The Kirak Family’s Neblen, also of Blue Dragon Tower.

Lee Han called out. “Isn’t this too slow?”

“It may seem that way, but if it’s Her Highness, she’ll—”

“No, not that. Is there any way to finish five devices in a short time?”

Neblen hesitated. Lee Han was definitely getting anxious.

This…

“Your Highness, are you really okay? It seems a bit slow,” Lee Han asked.

At his question, Adenart wore a thoughtful, cautious look.

She hadn’t realized before, but time really was tight.

“Now that you mention it…”

“It’s fine, Wardanaz!”

“Her Highness can do it!”

“……”

The princess, who’d just opened her mouth, clammed up at her followers’ words.

“Didn’t it look like Her Highness was about to say something?”

“Was it?”

“Probably just to say she could do it.”

The princess fidgeted with her fingers, hesitated, then gave up and sat back down.

Lee Han thought to himself.

‘She definitely realizes she’s in trouble.’

She might have looked stoic, but Lee Han had seen that look in countless students before.

That was the expression of someone who pretends to be calm but inwardly has already accepted their fate.

“…Well, if you say so! Just tell me where to inject the mana.”

Tired of the hassle, Lee Han decided to just get his part done and leave.

The princess stared at Lee Han trying to signal him with her eyes, but he pretended not to notice.

‘Sorry. Your followers are a pain.’

The princess’s followers were more troublesome than one might expect, and if Lee Han got involved, it could be a headache for him too.

After pouring in the mana, Lee Han spotted Gainando passing by and spoke.

“Gainando. Maybe being the sort of guy who doesn’t have annoying followers is actually a blessing.”

“…Wh-what did I do wrong?!”

• * *

“Hey, guys. How many suns were there originally?”

“…Finally, someone’s snapped.”

“I knew it would happen eventually.”

At these words from one of the Blue Dragon Tower students, his friends stirred.

“No, look!”

“???”

Not just the Blue Dragon Tower—students from other towers also looked up.

Amazingly, there were now two suns in the sky.

“…W-what is that?!”

“It’s the headmaster’s attack! The headmaster’s attacking us!”

Gainando ducked and crouched. Then Professor Alpen said—

“It is not the headmaster’s doing.”

“Oh. It’s not?”

Gainando sheepishly stood up.

“That’s a phoenix.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t know the phoenix?”

Professor Alpen kindly explained to the students gathered around.

Very occasionally, when the magic of the fire attribute gathered strongly and certain conditions were met, a condensed mass of mana could give birth to a phoenix.

“Truly a wondrous and rare sight. All the students here should consider themselves lucky.”

“Wow…”

“That’s a phoenix?”

The students had been commemorating the phoenix in small ways all week.

For that new fiery sun in the distant sky to be a phoenix—it alone made their stressed, study-worn hearts feel a little warmer.

“It’s like a miracle!”

Tap, tap, tap—

Crimson feathers began falling from the sky like rain.

And wherever they fell, fires broke out.

“……”

“…Aaaah! Aaaaah! Stop it!”

“You crazy phoenix bastard, what are you doing?!”

It took less than ten seconds for the miracle to become a disaster.