Episode 355

Episode 355

“Yeah. Tell the other followers to stay inside the Mage Tower.”

“No, there’s nothing like that…”

When Lee Han also started talking nonsense, his friends got even more flustered.

“Miss Pengerin. Let’s hurry and find His Highness the Prince! If His Highness goes missing, the imperial great noble families who are acquainted with him will be extremely worried.”

“Al, alright! Wait!”

Alsicle waddled as he hurried out.

Since Alsicle himself was from an imperial noble family, he could imagine how renowned a royal would be if they were on friendly terms with the imperial great noble houses.

If such a royal were to go missing near Alsicle’s Mage Tower, how troublesome would it be?

He absolutely could not just ignore it.

Yoner shook the snow off his hair and whispered to Lee Han.

“Are there imperial great noble families acquainted with Gainando?”

“Well. If I have to name any, maybe the Wardanaz Family and the Meikin Family?”

“……”

Hey!

In less than a second, Yoner was dumbfounded by his friend’s crafty wordplay that tricked the magician.

• * *

“So how did Gainando get stranded? Wait. Why are you all here anyway?”

“…We thought Wardanaz, you were kidnapped…”

Nillia hesitated and explained what had happened.

Now that she thought about it, it didn’t seem like a kidnapping.

After hearing the explanation, Lee Han began to clarify.

“I wasn’t kidnapped.”

“That’s right.”

When Professor Voladi beside him also agreed, Lee Han paused for a moment.

‘Wait. Was I actually kidnapped?’

Sometimes, after being a disciple under a professor for a long time, you’d develop Stockholm Syndrome.

Then, even when you were being dragged away after being “kidnapped,” you might say things like, ‘Haha, Professor must need my help, it’s nothing, don’t worry, everyone.’

“…Am I wrong? Was I kidnapped?”

“To speak honestly, we weren’t much different from the other professors.”

Yumidihus said with a slightly apologetic face.

But even Yumidihus had excuses.

“I knew that the professors at Einrogard were vicious, but I didn’t know they’d chase students and bother them during vacation. If I’d known, I would’ve let you rest.”

“Yes. We really should let students rest during vacation.”

When Professor Voladi agreed with Yumidihus, Lee Han unconsciously widened his eyes.

“Professor?”

“Why is that?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

Lee Han swallowed back the shout that almost came out.

He was sure Professor Voladi thought his own teaching style was different from the professors who chased students everywhere.

Maybe he thought it was a “relaxing” kind of teaching…

Of course, it was a ridiculous misconception. They were exactly the same.

“This way! The disappearance happened here!”

When Yumidihus heard Nillia’s shout, he swung his staff to stop the carriage.

As the water spirits pulling the carriage paused, Alsicle immediately dashed out.

Pop!

Suddenly, the falling snow in midair started to reverse, going upwards as if time was rewinding.

Alsicle swung his staff to clear the snowstorm and then stepped into the air. With that, an icy platform appeared in midair, lifting Alsicle’s body upwards.

The magicians didn’t have to search down the mountain valley through the snowstorm.

Especially for a magician of Alsicle’s caliber.

“Ice, disappear! Snow, conceal yourself!”

Alsicle cleared away the ice and snow covering the bottom of the snowy mountain valley.

In an instant, the white mountain turned dark grey.

‘Amazing!’

As a fellow magician, Lee Han couldn’t help but admire Alsicle’s skill.

To clear away such a large area of ice and snow in a single swoop.

“Spirit, bring forth the living! Is it this way?”

“Yes!”

“This is terrible! Awful! If the Prince gets hurt, what would the people of the Empire think of me? They’d think I’m an idiot who can’t even properly entertain guests who visit the Mage Tower’s front yard!”

“Calm down, Alsicle. Prince Gainando is a magician, so he has the ability to protect himself.”

Yumidihus tried to soothe Alsicle, but Alsicle shook his head as if he did not want to listen.

Meanwhile, Lee Han was talking with his friends.

“He disappeared here?”

“Yeah. When I looked back, he was gone.”

Nillia and the others followed on horseback for a faster chase.

Had Professor Lightningstep been watching, he would have been pleased and said, “You all properly learned it in the first semester,” at their fine riding skills.

However, Gainando, who was at the rear, had disappeared just before they arrived at the Mage Tower.

“Why did he suddenly disappear?”

“Did a monster appear, or did he get possessed by a vengeful spirit?”

“If a monster or a spirit had appeared, you would’ve noticed… Did you maybe find anyone collapsed?”

All Lee Han’s friends answered at once.

“That can’t be.”

“Wardanaz, does that make any sense?”

“It would be more likely to find a magician card dropped on the ground…”

“……”

At his friends’ cold response, Lee Han felt a little sorry for Gainando.

“This won’t do. Doppelgänger, help me!”

Alsicle began to use spells he had saved due to his mana supply.

As the ice doppelgänger formed, it transformed to look exactly like Alsicle.

Among doppelgänger spells, those that were indistinguishable from the real magician were of a very high and difficult level.

Seeing a magician create such a doppelgänger using the already challenging ice element, Lee Han was once again amazed.

“Impressive…”

“Do you like that spell?”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Han was surprised by Professor Voladi’s question.

He let his guard down despite the professor being right next to him.

“No, I—”

Before he could stop him, Professor Voladi walked over to Alsicle.

“Teach that spell just now.”

“…What are you babbling about!? Why should I teach this?!!”

Of course, Alsicle jumped up.

He was busy as can be, and suddenly someone comes demanding he teach his treasured doppelgänger spell.

What magician would agree to that?

“He wants to learn it.”

“Just because someone wants to learn doesn’t mean you have to teach them!?”

“I taught everything.”

Yumidihus chimed in from the side, making Alsicle flinch.

Well, Yumidihus really did teach everything to those who came to learn.

“Th-this spell is difficult, so it’s not the time to learn it yet. You need to build up the basics…”

Alsicle recalled the spells Lee Han had shown today while speaking.

There didn’t seem to be any basics that needed more work.

“…You need to learn more intermediate-level spells before…”

“You said earlier you’d give him a challenge.”

“I didn’t mean this spell!”

He surely had a conversation earlier with just Yumidihus and Voladi Baegrek.

• You’re learning faster than expected.
• Faster??
• Eat some sardines. If you progress this quickly, you may lose motivation, so I might give you a more challenging task. A wizard grows stronger when they have a goal.

The basics are certainly important, but making a highly talented magician practice only the basics could be dangerous.

If not careful, the student might lose interest.

Wizards need a grand goal.

A burning goal for which they could walk any thorny path!

…That’s why he’d considered which ice element spell to set as the next target, but this wasn’t it.

This was a spell he truly cherished…

“I’m fine. Miss Pengerin. It must be that you aren’t satisfied with me.”

Lee Han feigned reluctance and gave a bitter smile.

That smile sparked guilt in Alsicle, and after hesitating, he finally shouted.

“Fine! The next goal can be this! Voladi Baegrek. You rascal!”

“Why are you getting angry?”

“Shut up!”

While the two continued to argue, Nillia shouted.

“You all can argue later—there’s smoke over there!!”

“?!”

As Nillia said, smoke was rising from somewhere far off in the valley.

• * *

“Th-thank you, Your Highness the Prince.”

“As someone born with a duty to nobility, it’s only natural for me to help.”

Gainando still didn’t know what ‘nobility’ really meant, but he had no hesitation in using it.

The noble whose ankle was broken nodded with a face full of emotion.

“If it weren’t for Your Highness, I don’t know what would have happened… More than that, I’m surprised that Your Highness can do things like this.”

“…Anyone from Einrogard could do this.”

“So humble!”

“I’m not being humble.”

Gainando splinted the noble’s broken ankle and moved him further inside the cave.

He couldn’t use healing magic like Lee Han, but students from Einrogard basically had to know how to apply splints.

Gainando rummaged through his bag for some cookies, but the noble declined.

“I’m fine…”

Crunch crunch—

“Hm? What?”

“N-no, nothing at all.”

It was nearly a miracle that Gainando found the noble who had fainted.

He had fallen off his horse, rolled down beside the valley, and fainted amidst the snowstorm.

If it hadn’t been for the magician card that the noble had dropped, Gainando wouldn’t have even turned his head.

“But Your Highness. Moving to a cave to escape the snowstorm… was a wise decision, but… Do you really think your companions will come find us?”

“Ah. Don’t worry about that.”

Gainando confidently pounded his chest.

“I told everyone. I’m sure others are gathering and coming to help now.”

Of course, Gainando’s “Just a minute!” shout hadn’t been heard at all—drowned out by the snowstorm and the sound of hooves.

“Gainando!!!”

“See?”

Gainando nodded proudly. The noble’s face brightened as well.

“Really, what a relief…”

Snap!

“Ahh!!”

“Why did you disappear without saying anything and make your friends worry?”

The moment they arrived, the noble was startled to see the Prince’s friends scolding and hitting him.

‘A-aren’t they friends?’

“I-I told you! I did! They’re lying!”

“Did you maybe just say it in that situation and then change direction without checking?”

“……”

Gainando, tongue-tied, stammered in embarrassment.

Lee Han sighed and spoke.

“Still, I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

“Di-did you really rescue someone?”

“Shh. Ratford. Gainando might hear.”

The friends were very surprised.

They didn’t expect he’d really gotten stranded while trying to save someone.

Gainando, oblivious to his friends’ wicked thoughts, asked,

“You followed my marks, right?”

“What marks?”

“I drew arrows on the ground as I went.”

Lee Han sighed, wondering how on earth he should scold the friend who’d drawn arrows on the ground in a snowstorm.

“Your Highness! Are you hurt anywhere…!”

Alsicle, who landed after Lee Han, came running in a rush.

He looked at Gainando’s face and tilted his head in puzzlement.

“This is my first time seeing you… who are you?”

“I’m Gainando.”

“Uh… You don’t look even twenty…?”

Alsicle glanced at Lee Han in confusion.

He was sure the Prince was about thirty or forty years old…

“He’s our friend. Thank you, Miss Pengerin.”

“Uh, uh-huh? Th-that’s right, but… I mean…”

Alsicle could tell he’d been tricked, but didn’t know exactly how, so he just tilted his head.

Meanwhile, the collapsed noble stood up.

“Miss Alsicle Pengerin. It is an honor to meet you.”

“…Hik!”

Alsicle hiccupped and averted his gaze.

Lee Han was intrigued by how startled Alsicle was.

‘What’s this? Is the other party an assassin or something?’

“Who are you?”

“Ah… oh no. This is bad.”

Amazingly, even Yumidihus wore a worried expression.

“Judging from his attire, he’s an inspector.”

“An inspector?”

“An inspector sent by the investors who funded Alsicle’s magic research. He’s here to check on the results.”

“……”

Lee Han could genuinely empathize with Alsicle’s pain.