Episode 284

Episode 284

“Th… thank you.”

Salko expressed his gratitude for now.

“Wardanaz. Thank you.”

The rest of Salko’s crew behind him also conveyed their thanks. Some were even on the verge of tears.

Just a moment ago, they had all been in despair, thinking they were going to be trapped for good, but suddenly Lee Han showed up and rescued them, so it was understandable to be moved.

Although it was surprising and bewildering, after forcing themselves to give thanks, Salko sensed that something was off.

But why is Wardanaz here?

“But Wardanaz. What are you doing here…?”

“This isn’t the time to be talking here. We have to move quickly! We don’t know when the pursuers will catch up!”

“Y-You’re right.”

As Lee Han whispered urgently, Salko immediately understood.

Now that the trap had been triggered, it wouldn’t be strange if the headmaster’s minions waiting nearby arrived any moment.

They needed to escape as quickly as possible.

“This way!”

“Let’s go down the left staircase instead of the central one! There’s nowhere to hide on the central stairs!”

“Got it! Everyone, quickly…”

Luckily, the first-year students moved swiftly without any hesitation.

As students who had all snuck out at night at least once, they didn’t waste any unnecessary time in situations like this.

“Wa, Wardanaz! There’s noise ahead! Someone’s coming!”

“Go into the classroom next to us! I’ll cast invisibility magic!”

When they made it down to the first floor and heard voices and footsteps coming from the front of the hallway, Lee Han immediately steered them into the nearby classroom.

Fortunately, the classroom inside was pitch dark, but Lee Han didn’t let his guard down.

“Cloak, swallow me!”

As the invisibility spell was amplified, Lee Han made everyone stick close together.

Salko frowned at Lee Han resting his elbow on Salko’s head, but given the situation, he said nothing.

-Where is this? The kitchen?

-The second floor.

-Did someone mess with it?

-Probably freshmen. It’s a pity. Einrogard isn’t such an easy place…

The death knights spoke as if regretting as they moved along.

The fact that the second floor of the main building—relatively easy to access—had an unguarded, defenseless kitchen and food storage…

At Einrogard, that should have made it even more suspicious.

-They’ll learn after a few trips to the punishment room.

-Quite right. That’s how you grow, isn’t it?

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere inside the classroom where the students were hiding turned cold.

They’d realized they had just set foot on death’s doorstep.

“…Really, thank you, Wardanaz.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t do this to get gratitude. I’ll head out now, all right? I don’t think it’s best for us to stick together right now.”

Lee Han kept his expression in check, determined not to let it show that his backpack was weighed down with food supplies.

No matter how thankful Salko’s crew might be now, there was no telling how they’d react once they found out that Lee Han’s group had looted it first.

‘Once we split, even if they get suspicious later, so be it.’

“Wardanaz…”

“You really are on a different level from those other Blue Dragon Tower bastards.”

The Black Turtle Tower students were deeply impressed by Lee Han’s refusal to boast even after helping them out.

If it had been a student from another Blue Dragon Tower, they’d have spent at least thirty minutes bragging about their family, bloodline, or honor.

‘An honorable person doesn’t perform good deeds to elevate their own honor, but because the act itself is good. That’s true!’

Even the most rough and fiery student in Black Turtle Tower couldn’t deny Wardanaz’s honor.

“Wardanaz. I have something to tell you as thanks.”

“Does it have to be now?”

Lee Han glanced at the door, wanting to get out quickly.

These guys make things awkward…

‘Don’t tell me they’ve caught on.’

“It has to be now.”

“All right. Say it. But be quick.”

“You know Professor Thunderstep, right?”

“Of course.”

Lee Han went to the garden to do odd jobs every break; there was no way he wouldn’t know. At Lee Han’s answer, Salko nodded and continued.

“Something one of our Tower’s students witnessed yesterday. In the middle of the night, Professor Thunderstep brought a hydra inside.”

“…I must be exhausted from too much studying. I think I misheard you. Brought what in?”

“A hydra.”

“……”

Lee Han frowned and fell into thought.

Hydra.

A monster with nine heads, powerful regenerative ability, and deadly poison.

Even in the empire full of vicious and dangerous monsters, hydras ranked near the top.

But Professor Thunderstep brought one in??

‘Does that make any sense?’

Normally, Lee Han would have dismissed it as a mistake, but he didn’t this time.

It was so unbelievable, it actually seemed trustworthy.

Because anything could happen in Einrogard.

“But apparently it wasn’t fully grown. Probably a baby.”

“If it’s a baby, that’s a relief! If it were fully grown, I wouldn’t stand a chance, but if it’s a baby, I’m suddenly brimming with confidence!”

“Are you serious?”

“…Of course I’m joking.”

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

He’d been sarcastic, but Salko took it seriously.

Realizing he’d said something absurd, Salko’s face turned red.

“Seriously, I was mistaken. Anyway, Wardanaz, I know you’re attending the alchemy lecture.”

“That’s right.”

“Black magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, imbuement magic, divination magic, and transformation magic, healing magic too.”

“…You don’t have to list them all, do you?”

“I just thought it’d be good for you to know in advance. You must be preparing for other lecture exams too, so it’ll help to know even one thing ahead of time.”

Yoner, listening from the side, muttered.

“Even knowing, I doubt it’ll help much.”

• * *

“Hydra… What kind of test would involve a hydra?”

On the way back.

He should have been happy, having gotten everything he wanted, but, like his heavy backpack, his mind felt weighed down.

Yoner and Ratford also wore grave expressions.

“Maybe it’s a potion to put a hydra to sleep.”

“Maybe it’s a potion to send a hydra into a frenzy.”

“Sleeping potion, maybe, but the latter… No way, right?”

No matter how crazy Einrogard was, there’s no way they’d feed a hydra in the test hall full of students a potion to make it go berserk.

…Probably!

“A regeneration suppressant for hydras? An antidote for hydra poison?”

“They wouldn’t go that far, surely…”

Yoner said with a horrified expression at Lee Han’s grim ideas.

“Or maybe Professor Thunderstep brought it as an ingredient? Maybe the potion we’re supposed to make requires something like fresh hydra blood.”

“I see. That makes sense.”

Ratford agreed as if it sounded plausible.

But Lee Han couldn’t accept it so easily.

“Didn’t Professor Thunderstep say the test would be harder? Isn’t that a bit too easy?”

“It’s not easy.”

“It’s not easy.”

“No. That does seem kind of easy.”

“……”

“……”

Yoner and Ratford looked at each other.

-You explain, please.

-How should I put it?

“Wait.”

Thanks to his magically enhanced hearing, Lee Han picked up on footsteps from afar.

They slipped into the nearby classroom and held their breath as the death knights chatted again and walked down the corridor.

-Whoever it was, they managed to escape. Looks like they split up in half and waited outside? This year’s freshmen are really clever.

-I don’t think it’s freshmen. Even if you were waiting outside, the moment you touched the sealed door, all your magic would have been sucked dry.

-True. Judging by how they poured in magic until the seal was undone, it wasn’t the work of a freshman. Better check what the upperclassmen are up to.

“……”

Lee Han vowed to himself.

From now on, even if a tempting prey showed up right before his eyes, he would test the waters dozens of times before stepping forward.

• * *

“I trust you. Maronie.”

-Basic Mount Training- Final Exam.

Yoner hugged the neck of the brown-haired horse and whispered.

“Let’s do our best. Granempenielgainandorimperator.”

“Just do as we practiced, all right?”

Other students also began saying words to the horses they’d cared for all semester.

With the exam ahead, their voices carried a sense of seriousness.

“Fongrif.”

Pffh!

As Lee Han spoke to him, Fongrif’s eyes sparkled with expectation.

Though his master was stingy with praise, this time, surely…

“Don’t attack the other horses.”

…Puhihihihihing!!

Fongrif threw a fit, flinging dirt with his hooves.

Gainando, passing by, got dirt in his mouth and spat it out with a “ptooey.”

“See? This is exactly why I’m worried about you acting out like this.”

Puhing! Puhihing! Puhihihing!

Fongrif neighed with a voice full of indignation.

A griffon was a noble beast to begin with.

Of course, a noble beast cursed to take the form of a horse would be stressed out.

And above all, of course he’d be mad since his master doubted him!

“All right, all right. My bad. In any case, don’t attack any other horses unless I say so. Got it?”

‘Unless you say so?’

Yoner tilted his head and brushed the horse’s mane.

While that was going on, Professor Lightningstep, having finished his work in the wide open field, clapped the dust from his hands and appeared.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard this semester. I hope you learned a lot while befriending your horses. There aren’t many animals that help a wizard like a horse does. Once you’re friends, they’ll never betray you, and will always help no matter what. They’re your most trustworthy companions. After class ends, take them to be with you.”

“!!”

“Thank you!”

The students, delighted at receiving the horses they’d bonded with as a gift, beamed with joy. Lee Han looked at Fongrif. Fongrif gazed back with gentle eyes, as if asking what was the problem.

‘Doesn’t this guy not count as a horse?’

As he was thinking of other things, Professor Lightningstep looked at Lee Han and asked.

“How about coming to the stable during vacation?”

Lee Han freaked out.

“What???????!!?”

“I was joking, no need to look so serious.”

‘Oops.’

Lee Han reflected.

He’d lost his composure at the outrageous suggestion.

“I was joking about coming to the stable during vacation, of course, but since you’ll be taking care of Fongrif, you’ll still need to look after him a bit. Griffons are rather troublesome creatures.”

Fongrif snorted as if to say not to worry. Lee Han, however, was worried about something else in that response.

“There’s no way the curse will break during vacation, right?”

“That won’t happen. …Probably. Anyway, if you need help or a place for Fongrif to play, come to the Einrogard stable. I’ll be at school this vacation.”

“Thank you.”

Of course, Lee Han had no intention of showing his face at Einrogard even once during vacation.

He wouldn’t even breathe in the direction of Einrogard.

“All right. Let’s get started.”

Professor Lightningstep pointed with his riding crop to the endless open field.

Obstacles were set up everywhere.

If the midterm had just been a straight course, the final exam required jumping over these obstacles as well.

It looked pretty difficult, but the students remained surprisingly calm.

After a week of taking other finals, this much didn’t seem so bad now.

“This is almost like a refreshing change of pace.”

“True enough.”

Moreover, at least in -Basic Mount Training-, there were plenty of students who were confident.

Since they’d ridden horses since childhood, everyone had the pride of “I’m better than the others.”

“Yoner. I don’t think it’s good to take off at the starting signal.”

“Why?”

Before Lee Han could answer, Professor Lightningstep gave the start signal.

The students, waiting at the starting line, raced forward on their horses like lightning.

Clatter-clatter-clatter—

Thud!

The student in the very front was struck by a stream of water flying in from the side and was thrown off.

“……”

“So that’s why.”