Episode 279

In the end, Angrago was dragged out into the hallway.

Being grabbed by the collar, Angrago apologized.

“Kegh, kegh… Wardanaz. I’m sorry. I was fooled too.”

“If you were fooled, you should have handed in the assignment too. You didn’t submit, so what are you even apologizing for?”

Growling, Lee Han glared at Angrago, who thought inwardly,

‘That’s easy for you to say…!’

Angrago really did believe there was no extension.

But unlike Lee Han, Angrago didn’t have the ability to whip something up in a hurry.

So, along with the White Tiger Tower students, he just adopted the attitude of “What’s so important about studying? With friends like these, I’m just fine.”…

“S-still, the professor evaluated you well, didn’t he?”

“If the professor hadn’t given me a good grade, instead of the hallway you would’ve been dragged to the basement by now.”

What Lee Han had just submitted might seem like boldness and adaptability, but looked at differently, it was pure nonsense.

The only reason it ended well was because Professor Alpen saw it in a good light; otherwise, Lee Han would have been the only crazy one.

Lee Han shook Angrago by the collar a few more times before letting him go.

Anyway, since the assignment had been accepted, that was enough.

Otherwise, he’d have dragged Angrago to the basement, as Professor Voladi had suggested earlier.

“You White Tiger Tower guys get swayed by rumors too easily. Did you know that? When you hear a rumor, you shouldn’t believe it unconditionally, but…”

“……”

As payment for spreading the rumor, Angrago had to suffer through Lee Han’s relentless nagging all the way back to the classroom.

You’d think he’d pause to catch his breath, but Wardanaz didn’t stop his lecture even for a second.

“Are you listening?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“A knight is supposed to act honorably and weightily. To get so tossed around by rumors… It happened before, too. Some White Tiger Tower student started a rumor that I’d mastered some kind of evil vision technique.”

‘But I think there actually is something to that…’

“When you hear such a rumor, as a fellow from the same tower you should shut it down immediately. Got that? Are you listening?”

“Yeah. I’m listening.”

“Tell me what I just said.”

“……”

Angrago resolved never to spread rumors again.

Bad rumors could destroy the soul of a student.

• * *

“Thanks, Wardanaz.”

“I was responsible too.”

Lee Han came back to the classroom and helped his friends with their projects again.

Given the amount of silver he’d been paid, he couldn’t just ignore them.

“You mean that’s the sense of responsibility of a top student.”

“No? What are you talking about…”

“Not true?”

Ahsan, who had been touched, scratched his head awkwardly.

Yoner, who was assembling the case for potion storage nearby, paused and asked,

“Wait a second, didn’t you tell me last time that you wouldn’t solve it just with magic?”

“Gainando, focus.”

Pretending not to hear, Lee Han changed the subject. Gainando, who’d been dozing with his eyes open, suddenly jumped.

“Uh, how’d you know!?”

“……”

Behind them, Yoner stared hard at Lee Han, who quickly moved away.

“What’s everyone puzzled about?”

Lee Han tilted his head at the sight of a few students conferring in a small huddle.

Seeing their serious expressions and lively discussion, it seemed they were debating the assignment.

‘Nice to see.’

Compared to Gainando, who’d just been dozing, it was a very good sight.

As expected, the student’s role was…

“Ah. Wardanaz.”

Neblen and Rowena paused their discussion to look at Lee Han.

It wasn’t just them; several other familiar students turned too. They were the princess’s followers whom he’d seen a few times.

“What is it?”

Lee Han sensed a slight sense of foreboding.

His premonition quickly came true.

“We were debating whether to proceed exactly according to Her Highness’s original blueprint, or whether we should compromise given the tight time constraints.”

“……”

‘Gainando dozing would be preferable to this.’

Lee Han looked upon his friends with a gaze of contempt and disappointment.

But the princess’s followers continued their earnest debate regardless.

“Of course we go with the original! Are you doubting Her Highness the Princess’s abilities?”

“He’s right. If we don’t follow the blueprint her highness submitted, it will tarnish our honor and pride.”

‘They’re crazy.’

Lee Han realized quickly.

Even if you had the blueprints, you could tweak them according to circumstances—a slight change would hardly tarnish anyone’s honor or pride.

And if so, what does that make Lee Han, who omitted everything from his blueprints?

Nothing good could come from associating with the deranged.

Lee Han quietly tried to back away.

But the devious followers wouldn’t let him escape.

“Wardanaz. What do you think?”

“Yeah, Wardanaz, your opinion, please.”

Lee Han glanced at Gainando out of habit.

Unfortunately, Gainando was deeply focused. No way to get him to make a distracting fuss.

‘Damn. Why only now is he focused?’

“I think you all can decide on your own.”

“No way. If you say so, even any naysayers will go along, Wardanaz.”

It seemed the princess’s followers liked to settle disagreements through consensus.

The majority wanted “stick with the original”…

But surprisingly, there was one follower in his right mind.

He was a student from the Black Turtle Tower, arguing by himself, “Let’s compromise since the situation’s changed.”

‘So there’s a sane one among the followers.’

Lee Han had a tactless thought and asked,

“What’s your name?”

“Vo—Vokat.”

“Okay, Vokat. What’s your opinion?”

“I really think it’s impossible given the time now. I… I respect Her Highness’s ability, but the princess also has other tests to prepare for. Before I came here, I worked as a guild artisan. To me, it’s impossible to finish this in time.”

“I see.”

Lee Han was impressed.

Like a normal person, Vokat argued reasonably based on practical experience.

“Vokat! I respect your skills and background, but I cannot accept limiting Her Highness the Princess’s abilities!”

“That’s right! Her Highness can surely do it!”

‘But you’re all nuts.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.

Vokat’s crime was having associated with this band of lunatics.

That’s why he was in this mess!

Some people can be reasoned with, others cannot.

“Hm. I’m not sure. But with opinions so divided, maybe this once it wouldn’t be bad to just go with majority—”

He tried to slip away that way, but someone lightly tugged his sleeve.

“?”

Lee Han stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.

Under the desk, the princess was frantically crossing both index fingers.

“……”

Her face and eyes were expressionless, but her hand sign was desperate.

Even Gainando would’ve read the signal saying, ‘please help me out!’

As Lee Han hesitated, Neblen spoke up.

“So you’re saying to decide by majority?”

“Wrong, Neblen.”

“Huh? But just now you said maybe a majority vote…”

“In magic, there is only right and wrong; majority rule does not exist.”

“!?”

Lee Han deployed a stony poker face and made an absurd claim.

His earnest expression made the princess’s followers miss their chance to say, “But you just said that.”

“Did you see the magic lamp I submitted?”

“S-sort of, yes…”

“And even after seeing that, you still don’t get it? At this rate, the princess’s followers…”

Even as he spoke, Lee Han’s mind was racing.

What kind of plausible nonsense could he spout to fool these followers like he fooled Gainando?

‘Maybe I should’ve just pretended ignorance.’

But it weighed on him to ignore things, given all the silver coins he’d made by “helping” (okay, exploiting) the princess.

Even the Thieves’ Guild would give special treatment to a client who paid that much.

Besides, the princess had an excessively wide personal network.

If over break the princess blurted out, “I asked for help but Wardanaz wouldn’t,” it could spiral into crazy rumors.

Lee Han had suffered all term from malicious gossip after the mild White Tiger Tower incident; he had to be cautious here.

“Bestow us with your wisdom, Wardanaz.”

“What are we missing here?”

“So… Professor Knighten also evaluates boldness and adaptability in this class. That’s why I omitted so much from my blueprints.”

“!!”

The princess’s followers were startled.

Now that he mentioned it, it sounded plausible.

Otherwise, why would a student like Wardanaz submit a blueprint stripped to the barest essentials?

“Understand? Ordinarily, the princess would drastically abbreviate her work to suit the course, too. But she didn’t wish to embarrass you all, so she held back and waited.”

“T-that’s—!”

“Forgive us, Your Highness! We should have realized!”

‘It worked!’

Lee Han breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

As the followers gathered round her to apologize, the princess looked toward Lee Han and dipped her head slightly.

Her look was a subtle thanks for rescuing her.

Lee Han smiled and made a circle with his finger.

‘Pay it in silver later.’

The princess’s eyes widened slightly.

‘He means don’t worry?!’

To just brush off helping her like it was nothing, after all he’d done… She felt ashamed for misjudging Wardanaz earlier in the term.

With a small gesture, the princess made a little circle with her finger. It meant she understood.

‘As expected. His reputation as a genius in the empire isn’t undeserved.’

Lee Han was satisfied.

Unlike Gainando, the princess learned fast.

Gratitude is best conveyed through material things!

• * *

“Hello, Professor.”

Professor Paselete Craer, professor of divination magic, greeted the students coming in for the exam.

“My personality will change to violent and threatening in about thirty minutes, so please try not to talk to me if possible.”

“…Okay!”

The students grimaced and backed away.

Sometimes they forgot, but there really weren’t any normal professors at this school.

“Is everyone seated? Then let’s begin the final exam.”

Professor Paselete waved their staff. Letters appeared on the chalkboard.

For the divination magic final exam, predict what will appear on the test.

“??????”

“Begin.”

Professor Paselete sat down.

Naturally, the students went into chaos.

It was the final exam, but they were asked to predict what would be on the final exam.

It was like a snake eating its own tail—a bizarre problem.

‘Still, some are quick on the uptake.’

Professor Paselete studied the students.

Some were gripping their heads in confusion, but others were deep in thought, clearly trying to discern the meaning behind the paradoxical question.

‘For a divination mage, it’s not about how well you can divine, but rather how much you refrain from divining.’

It sounded paradoxical, but it was true.

Glimpsing the future has enormous addictive power.

A mage who becomes ensnared by that thrill won’t last long as a diviner.

The diviner who endures is one who knows the terror of foresight and refrains from using divination as much as possible.

The final exam question was meant to teach exactly that.

If you saw the word “predict” and immediately cast divination, you’d be trapped in an endless loop until the test ended.

‘Wardanaz seems to have caught on as well.’

Professor Paselete looked over at Lee Han.

Ever since the first class, Lee Han had shown fearsome potential, enough for the usually detached Professor Paselete to take notice.

As expected from such a talent, he should catch the trick in the problem…

“?!?”

Professor Paselete was shocked.

Lee Han was casting divination magic.

And he wasn’t stopping!

‘He should definitely be stuck in the loop by now?!’