Episode 441

What a crazy bastard he is!

‘That’s quite the compliment.’

The Death Knight thought to himself.

It was a rare praise indeed, coming from the skeleton headmaster.

You filthily attend school!

‘Even a superlative like that?’

It was certainly praise worth receiving.

Given the current situation, the safest place was surely the Einrogard library, where the school’s book collections were kept.

Even during the flood ten years ago, a few clever students did their assignments in the library.

…Of course, none of them had actually moved in, luggage and all…

• * *

Lee Han mobilized all the rafts and ferries he’d prepared ahead of time, transporting students from all four towers.

It looked like a fleet migrating to a new island.

“Wardanaz. I respect your judgment, but…”

Salko spoke up carefully.

Normally, Salko was the type who never watched his words around Lee Han, but today was different.

-Water! Water’s coming in!!

-We bailed it, don’t worry!

-There’s a hole in the boat…!

-I patched it, don’t worry!

-The waves capsized the boat!!

-I’ll raise an ice boat now! Get on right away!

After pushing through a storm, even sailors learn to respect their captain.

Salko had to admit today’s grace.

“…Do you really think staying in the library is a good idea?”

“Even if it’s not the best choice, let’s at least avoid the worst.”

In truth, Lee Han was anxious.

Choosing the library as the safest spot from the water wasn’t wrong.

But the library wasn’t that easy a place either.

With its constantly changing interior, if one got unlucky…

‘We’re alive!’

Lee Han sighed in relief.

Upon entering the library, a familiar sight came into view.

A cozy lounge filled with chairs, sofas, and tables, with a corridor stretching beyond.

It seemed they wouldn’t be whisked away to a wasteland right away like last time.

“The rain’s stopped!”

“Wardanaz! We’re alive! We survived!”

The students, having found a new refuge, kissed the ground in joy and lit fires. Gainando tried to pull a book from a shelf to use as firewood, only to be attacked by the book and scream.

“No time for that.”

“He’s got a point. Even though it’s bone dry here, you can’t just sleep on the floor. Need to make shelter…”

“No, Salko. That is urgent, but there’s something more urgent.”

Lee Han summoned the students from all four towers. The students, who had been about to warm themselves by the fire or cook something, grumbled as they came.

“A table, desk, a shelf—but be careful with the shelves, they’re probably under book protection magic. Anyway, gather anything sturdy and build a barricade. We need a fortress.”

“……”

“…Uh, why?”

One friend, who hadn’t quite grasped the situation, asked in confusion.

“You idiot. The headmaster might attack.”

“Yeah. The lounge only has set entrances, but here it’s wide open and hard to defend.”

“Aha, so…”

Lee Han cut them off, exasperated.

“No. It’s not the headmaster. The library always has monsters.”

“Oh…”

“Wait, but, Wardanaz. Last time, it was because we wandered deep into the wilds, isn’t this the lounge part? Isn’t it safe here?”

Lee Han and Yoner both shook their heads.

“Monsters come out here, too.”

“Was attacked while studying last time.”

“……”

“Alright, everyone’s tired, let’s just do this one more thing. Otherwise, we’ll be up all night dealing with it.”

“Wardanaz, I think it’s better to dig a trench deeper outside, too. Can I do that with the Black Turtle Tower friends?”

Lee Han readily agreed to Salko’s suggestion.

The Black Turtle Tower friends, now suddenly with more work, shot Salko a glare. It was a rare sight.

“But it’ll be a lot for just you guys. We should ask the White Tiger Tower to help too.”

The White Tiger Tower friends glared at Lee Han at this sudden addition to their workload. But Lee Han was so used to this he didn’t care.

The princess, sitting among her followers, got up right away.

This time, she planned to show what she could do.

“Oh right. I’ll be out for a bit—got something to bring.”

“Take care.”

“Can you go alone? Want us to come?”

“Gainando, please, for the love of—just stay put. Don’t make things harder for Wardanaz.”

“W-what, is it such a crime to offer help???”

One hour later.

Lee Han returned, holding a large egg with care.

The friends, hard at work, looked at the egg with curiosity.

“What egg is that?”

“Basilisk egg.”

The friends burst out laughing at Lee Han’s joke.

There was nothing funnier than seeing a friend who normally never joked suddenly crack one.

“Back to work.”

“Basilisk egg, heh… pfft!”

“……”

Yoner considered what to say, but let it go.

Nothing good would come of these friends knowing the truth.

Shiver shiver—

The basilisk egg trembled and clung to Lee Han. Busy with the work, Lee Han looked troubled.

“I need to work…”

Shivershivershiver!

“Alright, alright.”

Lee Han comforted the egg, then wrapped it tightly in cloth and slung it on his back.

Considering the state of the cottage outside, it was understandable it would be scared.

“Wardanaz! Over here! It’s urgent here!”

“What nonsense, all you have to do is dig a bit faster! Wardanaz! This barricade is always the priority! We need this first!”

“You’re all wrong! Wardanaz, you know your talents. My family is a chef’s family, as you know? You need to help with the meal prep!”

“……”

Before Lee Han could take a step, his friends rushed in and tried to drag him every which way, leaving him speechless.

The basilisk egg rattled in disbelief on his back.

It was as if to say, “What kind of people are these?”

• * *

Evening.

Having finished migrating, the friends had built a fairly solid stronghold in the lounge district at the library entrance.

The bookshelves were gone, but the barricade and trenches that replaced them protected the students.

“Here, take this.”

“Hmph. Not bad.”

“Just eat, idiot.”

Even students from other towers who normally sniped at each other found a bit of consideration for each other, at least for today.

Under overwhelming crisis, even those who fought became united.

The great flood covering the school created a sense of urgent unity among the first-years.

Lee Han wiped the last tomato soup from his wooden bowl with a piece of bread (Salko, meeting his eyes, gave him a thumbs-up) as he looked around.

‘Not bad, considering how sudden this was.’

The weekend was a wash, but at least he’d found a way to recover.

Food swept away by the flood could be replaced with what they’d brought in…

‘We put the important reagents and books in our rooms, and the ones we need right now are all here in the library. Should be fine.’

Lee Han unpacked his bundle again and checked over the books he’d need for studying.

Gainando, checking his mage cards nearby, looked at Lee Han with dismay.

Whoosh—

“The Red-haired Swordsman shouted, ‘Lich Headmaster, your end is nigh! Here is the sword to defeat you! Forged in the tears of students and honed with a quill pen…’”

Other students lay loose on their blankets by the fire, singing parody songs (the original being about a swordsman defeating an evil dragon) or talking over the day’s events.

“So when you went outside, the anti-magicists attacked, and Wardanaz caught their boss??”

“Hard to believe, but it’s true.”

“Told you. That Wardanaz punk mastered all the Wardanaz family’s evil secret magic even before admission…”

“You gonna keep spreading unfounded rumors? Do you even know how badly Wardanaz beat me up when I asked about that?”

“Ha! One day, you’ll know I was right!”

Lee Han, enjoying the peaceful mood, felt a strange prickling unease.

“Am I forgetting something?”

“The Tunzhou Fish horn? You said you’d try it if there was a flood.”

“I planned to try it tomorrow at dawn.”

“Then I guess you haven’t forgotten anything?”

At Yoner’s words Lee Han pondered.

And finally realized.

“…Yoner. Aren’t midterms next week?”

“…Ah!”

• * *

The morning of the new week.

The students walked to the library entrance with gloom on their faces.

No one was naive enough to think, “With a flood like this, won’t the exam be pushed back a week?”

Only brand-new amateurs would ever think that.

“If you’re taking Advanced Imperial Literature, head this way!”

“Hey! That’s the punk who capsized the boat yesterday! Who’d trust him as helmsman?!”

“For Monday’s advanced geometry, come this way! Wait, where’d everyone go?!”

“I’ll take Wednesday’s class. It seems safest to stay with Wardanaz!”

The library entrance had become a temporary pier.

Students split up by lecture, boarding boats for their respective classes. Those with unreliable helmsmen were refused by other passengers.

“Lee Han, what are you doing?”

“Preparing a summoning.”

“What kind?”

“Tunzhou Fish.”

“What’s that?”

“Gainando, I’m busy. Go stand over there for a bit.”

“!!!”

Gainando, shocked, rushed to the Blue Dragon Tower friends.

And quickly tattled.

“Those clerics…! Those clerics!!”

“What are you talking about?”

Normally his friends would ignore Gainando, but today was different.

They clearly saw Lee Han preparing a summoning with the clerics.

“Gainando is right. That’s something we could help out with, too.”

“Right?! They pushed me…”

“Even if Gainando isn’t helpful, we could be.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“……”

Ignoring Gainando’s glare, the Blue Dragon Tower students quietly approached.

“Wardanaz. We could help, too.”

“No… It’s fine.”

Lee Han declined.

He had already rehearsed the Tunzhou Fish summoning ritual enough times with the clerics. There was no need to bother with extra help from Blue Dragon Tower friends.

“G-give me a chance! A chance to prove myself!”

“???”

Lee Han was flustered by the nonsense.

‘Did he have a bad breakfast?’

Why was he talking nonsense after eating well?

“There’s no proving—just follow the set procedure, prepare the reagents, and pour in the magic power… Oh. Wait. Where’s Priest Siana?”

“Priest Siana is preparing drinking water right now…”

“Right. I forgot. Someone’s missing. Princess, could you help out?”

Lee Han spotted the princess and called her over.

She was skilled in alchemy, so even without Priest Siana he could trust her with this.

“Of course.”

Adenart calmly nodded and scurried over.

Before the other Blue Dragon Tower students could react, she’d already taken a spot in the summoning team.

“……”

“……”

The Blue Dragon Tower students stared at the princess in betrayal.

Going solo, just for herself…!

“Humbly, I petition the One Who Swallows Boats to appear, offering these sacrifices: Haiyeongsa, Eightfold Water…”

Lee Han chanted in a clear voice.

Apart from the rarity of the reagents and the heavy consumption of magic, the Tunzhou Fish summoning itself was quite simple.

The clerics sprinkled the ingredients on the magic circle as directed. Magic swirled violently, and suddenly the current in the surrounding water sped up.

“The horn of Tunzhou Fish, a rib bone from an 88-year-old shipwreck…”

“It’s coming!!!!”

Students screamed.

The water—no, the school, filled with water—parted as a giant shape surfaced.

With a rumbling sound the massive, whale-like thing opened its mouth.

Every word it spoke sounded like a wave crashing, a heavy watery boom.

Sea… again… thank you… for calling me…

‘But this isn’t the sea.’

‘Should I point that out?’