Episode 356

‘This is bad.’

There are few words more terrifying to a struggling researcher than, “Let’s take a look at how your research is going these days.”

In reality, Alsicle was trembling so much his teeth were chattering.

“Alsicle Pengerin. Pull yourself together. Are you trying to show weakness in front of the inspector?”

“I… I know. If, if I kidnap the inspector…”

“Pull yourself together.”

“I-I understand.”

“You’ve been a bit muddled lately, but you’re an excellent researcher. You’ll do fine. Just be clear about what you’re trying to accomplish.”

“Yes…”

As a seasoned archmage, Yumidihus wasn’t shaken even by the inspector’s visit. He calmly comforted Alsicle and headed outside the cave.

Gainando looked at the inspector and asked,

“Did I rescue a villain by any chance…”

“I’m not a villain!!”

The inspector protested, feeling wronged.

Of course, he understood well why magicians disliked people like inspectors.

-Aaah, it’s an inspector!

-You think you’ll get away with this?! If this spell is completed, I’ll cast it on you first! You’ll never be able to get drunk again!

-What do people like you know about magic! Great magic is born only after wasting enough gold to fill a castle!

No way would magicians who received investments for their research like inspectors.

But people like inspectors were necessary in the Empire.

If there were no eyes watching, who would protect the investors?

“Magicians just find us a little off-putting.”

“Gasp. But I’m a magician too.”

Gainando wondered if he’d rescued an enemy. Although the inspector was flustered, Gainando was already slowly backing away.

“Enough, Gainando. He’s just doing his job.”

“Th-thank you.”

The inspector was moved by Lee Han’s words.

No one had ever said something like that to him before.

However, Lee Han’s true thoughts were different.

‘This is bad.’

Come to think of it, wasn’t he the one who’d just used all of Alsicle’s top-tier rare ingredients, even though Alsicle’s research was at a standstill?

No matter how things played out, it was impossible not to worry.

‘Bribery isn’t possible, but…’

At this point, there was no other choice but to try to win over the inspector to his side.

If they became close, maybe the inspector would favor their side a bit!

“By the way, Your Highness. Thank you again for rescuing me.”

Before heading out, the inspector bowed politely. Gainando looked proudly at Lee Han.

“See?”

“See what? Just don’t disappear without a word and make your friends worry from now on.”

“Hmph.”

Gainando muttered as he followed behind Lee Han, then suddenly remembered.

‘Wait. Now that I think about it, Lee Han disappeared without a word and made people worry a bunch of times too!’

“Hey, Lee Han did the same thing!”

“How is that the same as this?”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“……”

• * *

Upon returning to the Mage Tower, Alsicle cleared his throat and officially greeted the inspector.

Of course, his eyes kept sliding away from the inspector.

“Miss Alsicle Pengerin. I have come here today as the representative of four parties, and this letter bears the seals of all four.”

“I… I see.”

Alsicle glared at the letter, looking as if he wanted to stuff it in his mouth and swallow it.

“Yes. If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask about your current research progress…”

“Wait! Do you see that boy of the Wardanaz Family over there?!”

Alsicle suddenly pointed at Lee Han.

Lee Han was puzzled.

‘Has he lost his mind from the pressure?’

“Yes? I see him…”

“I got the opportunity to teach that boy this time. And he’s truly amazing!”

“Is that so.”

The inspector who had come from the capital hadn’t yet heard the rumors from Granden City.

So his reaction was simply, ‘Well, he’s from the Wardanaz Family, so he must be talented, as expected.’

“It’s more than that. He… he’s got talent even greater than mine.”

“That so!?”

Even the inspector was surprised at that.

That Alsicle of House Pengerin would say such a thing.

Alsicle’s pride was hurt and he welled up with tears of frustration.

“J-just take a look…”

Lee Han understood what Alsicle was trying to do.

He was desperately trying to change the subject and avoid the inspector.

‘My heart aches for her.’

As a fellow magician—and as the one who’d raided Alsicle’s Mage Tower storeroom while learning ice element magic—Lee Han resolved to help as best he could.

“Cold, become a shield and float!”

With a floating ice shield, Lee Han also summoned mist.

“Mist, spread! Darkness, gather here!”

“Oh… Ooooh!”

The inspector wasn’t a wizard, but he had seen and evaluated countless spells, so he knew enough to realize that Lee Han’s continuous spell-casting was impressive.

Especially since he was still just a young student!

“Bones—no, not that. Flash!”

Lee Han fired off his arsenal of spells at a fearsome pace.

The inspector repeatedly exclaimed in awe.

“Truly amazing…”

“How much has he learned?!”

“Miss Alsicle Pengerin?”

“A-ah, sorry.”

Alsicle had unconsciously shouted and snapped back at the inspector’s words.

Lee Han did a good job drawing attention, but he did it so well that even Alsicle was totally distracted.

‘What kind of place is Einrogard…?’

At this point, it began to seem less like Lee Han was talented and more that the teaching at Einrogard might be inhumanly harsh.

Could this really be okay?

“The education at Einrogard is… No, it’s just… amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s amazing.”

“After teaching today…”

“Miss Alsicle Pengerin. But I’d like to see your research…”

“Ah, yes, of course. On your way here, did you get a chance to enjoy the scenery?”

“I broke my ankle falling from my horse, so I didn’t have the leisure.”

“S-sorry. I should have arranged for a spirit to attend you. I’ve been so busy with guests.”

“It’s alright. His Highness the Prince rescued me, after all.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? Do you know how great His Highness is? He has many followers and the support of the imperial great noble families!”

“……”

Lee Han and Yoner blushed bright red and bowed their heads.

Meanwhile, Gainando stood idly, not realizing they were talking about him.

“Huh? Wait. Are they talking about me?”

“…I don’t think so…?”

The inspector was startled.

“Is that so? Well, based on what I’ve seen, I didn’t think someone of such presence would lack renown.”

“Th-that’s right! Exactly!”

“But Miss Alsicle Pengerin. I’d like to see your research…”

Alsicle was on the verge of tears, his eyes brimming.

Lee Han couldn’t bear to watch and cleared his throat.

“Please wait a moment. Everyone, you’ve been out all day in the snowstorm, you must be worn out. I’ll bring out some hot drinks.”

“Ah. I’m fine, but…”

“Inspector, please. I know you’re hearty, but you took quite a tumble and should rest a bit. Besides, the other students…”

Lee Han gestured with his eyes.

Yoner, Ratford, and Nillia immediately fell into coughing fits.

“Hack-cough!”

“Cough! Haugh!”

“M-my fingers… I can’t feel them…”

‘Let’s not ask Nillia to do this next time.’

Her frostbite acting was so realistic, it stood out.

“See? Even the professor is pale from the cold right now.”

“……”

Yumidihus was dumbfounded as he watched Lee Han say such things to Voladi Baegrek.

He knew Lee Han was fearless, but…

What was even more amazing was that Voladi Baegrek stood quietly and even played along.

“A-alright. I suppose a bit of rest would do good.”

“Yes. I’ll bring the drinks right away.”

• * *

With the time he’d bought, Lee Han asked Yumidihus,

“By the way, what is Miss Pengerin researching?”

“Alsicle Pengerin is challenging the extremes of cold.”

Yumidihus tapped the floor with his staff. Then, the ice pieces laid in the floor of the Mage Tower floated up into the air.

“Surprisingly, even wizards who use the cold element often don’t understand its true properties.”

“Is that so?”

“It is. At the extremes, every form of magic reveals a new nature. We haven’t reached absolute cold yet, but at the outer fringes, we observe unusual phenomena.”

For magicians, even the biting blizzard raging outside counted as ordinary cold.

If you went down to a coldness that made a blizzard like that feel like a warm spring breeze, you’d begin to see unusual phenomena.

Mana might move freely with no loss or expenditure, or substances could lose their viscosity and change into unique forms…

“Or time might come to a stop… You don’t seem that surprised?”

“Ah. I was listening in amazement.”

In truth, Lee Han wasn’t particularly surprised at such things.

Whenever you reached the limits, there was always a world that went beyond ordinary imagination.

Especially with magic.

“Of course, to attempt these things, it’s hard for a magician’s strength alone to suffice, so they’ve been trying a variety of methods…”

With Yumidihus’s words, Lee Han felt quite guilty, knowing he’d pilfered Alsicle’s reagents that presumably went into those “various methods.”

“Still, if she’s been researching steadily, the inspector shouldn’t be able to say much, right? There should be records…”

“With Alsicle’s personality, I doubt she bothered to keep a detailed journal.”

“……”

Lee Han turned to Professor Voladi.

“Professor, do you have any advice for Miss Pengerin?”

“Hmm.”

Professor Voladi fell into thought, then slowly opened his mouth.

“When running away, it’s best not to leave traces.”

“……”

Lee Han almost asked what sort of experience led to such advice, but stopped himself.

“I mean advice besides that.”

“In the current situation, that seems the best option.”

Professor Voladi gestured ahead with his eyes.

Turning his gaze, Lee Han was appalled.

Alsicle was looking around, hurriedly packing her things.

“What are you doing?!”

“H-hm? This? Oh, nothing. I just suddenly felt like packing up a bit…”

“You absolutely mustn’t run away!”

“R-run away? What do you mean? I’m not running away.”

But her eyeballs darted frantically side to side.

Lee Han tried to persuade her.

“The inspector doesn’t really understand magic, right? It’ll be better to prove you’ve researched faithfully and not squandered your support.”

“I did buy a lot of sardines…”

Lee Han pretended not to hear.

“Do you have a journal? Any documentation?”

“Over there.”

“…Isn’t that a garbage heap?”

Alsicle looked slightly hurt at his words.

“The inspector will be busy with Gainando, so let’s try to find things as quickly as possible.”

Lee Han quickly began sorting through the warehouse—no, the storeroom stacked with journals and documentation.

Seeing Lee Han dust them off and organize them by date with such speed, Alsicle looked on with a moved expression.

“Can’t I just keep you as my disciple instead of sending you off to Einrogard?”

Yumidihus gave a vague smile at Alsicle’s question.

If he did that, who knew when the professors at Einrogard might raid Alsicle’s Mage Tower.

“If you want, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try.”

“No, not at all. He probably wants to stay at Einrogard with his friends and live happily and enjoyably. I never needed such things, though.”

Alsicle decided to show consideration for Lee Han.

After all, while Alsicle never needed friends and learned magic alone, many nobles found happiness in building friendships with others.

Lee Han probably was one of those.

“Happily and enjoyably?”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.”