Episode 465
by CristaeEpisode 465
“There’s less useful content than I thought.”
“?”
At Lee Han’s words, Salko beside him wore a bewildered expression.
What Mac had just said was roughly…
- Professor Kirmin Ku put nightmares eaten by the Mac into glass bottles to prepare for the illusion magic test.
- Professor Paselete Craer usually hides students she took to confuse their divination in the vicinity of Professor Kirmin Ku’s workshop.
…Wasn’t this actually quite substantial?
“Wardanaz. I think this is useful enough…”
Salko asked in a hesitant voice, quite unlike his usual gruff demeanor.
He’d been overwhelmed by Lee Han’s madness without realizing it.
Lee Han scolded Salko as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.
“Salko. Did you fall for it just because Mac’s eyes got teary? Are you really an Einrogard student?”
“……”
-……
Not only the Black Turtle Tower students but even Sairen stared at Lee Han, but Lee Han was unfazed.
“If you store your nightmares in glass bottles, you should say how to deal with them. Just saying you stored them isn’t enough, is it? And hiding them around the workshop is something anyone could guess. You should say how to get inside.”
Salko was more than impressed—he was thrilled by Lee Han’s brazen attitude.
How could a scion of an imperial great noble house be so shameless?
“Uh… Wardanaz. I have something to ask about the nightmares that Mac hid.”
“Oh. Ratford. Did you think of a good idea?”
Lee Han asked with a bright face.
The nightmares swallowed by Mac were a powerful ability that was hard to deal with.
Since he’d failed to block it earlier, Lee Han was thinking of pestering Mac to force out a solution.
If it was a nightmare it had swallowed, there must be a way.
“Uh… but Wardanaz, you don’t get affected by nightmares anyway, so do you even need a solution?”
“……”
- * *
Flap-flap—
“?”
The students on guard at the library entrance fortress were puzzled by a paper bird that flew in.
“What is it? Did Wardanaz send it?”
“No. It came from the other side.”
‘Shouldn’t you wonder whether Wardanaz could send a paper bird from that distance in the first place…’
Student Shyles of the Richmond family has relocated for the test. Locate the student and submit their location by the end of this week.
-Paselete Craer
“……”
“……”
The faces of the students who read the letter contorted.
What the heck?
“…I forgot: all the professors are bastards.”
Giselle, in particular, felt deeply betrayed.
She had suspected the Skeleton Principal, but it turned out to be another professor.
“Wait. Then why did Mac come rampaging earlier?”
“Maybe it was angry because we occupied this place?”
“Come on. You think it’d get mad just because we were borrowing the place for a bit? That can’t be such a big deal.”
Giselle wanted to tell a White Tiger Tower student, ‘That’s more than enough reason for a monster to get angry,’ but she had more pressing matters.
“You two. Go relay to the pursuit team to come back quickly.”
“Uh… Moradi, wouldn’t Wardanaz figure it out on his own?”
The White Tiger Tower students made excuses, unwilling to break through the fortress just the two of them.
At this, the Blue Dragon Tower students jeered.
“How can you say that! No matter how amazing Wardanaz is, how would he know that!”
“Would you have done that if you were him, even as a Tower-mate? What a waste of food Wardanaz fed you!”
“Coward! Boo! Spit up what you ate!”
At Gainando’s final jeer, the White Tiger Tower students flushed red.
“Fine, I’ll go! I’ll go!”
“Boo! Boo!”
“I’m not going out until that jerk shuts up. Make him shut up!”
The Blue Dragon Tower students stopped Gainando’s jeering.
While the White Tiger Tower students were grumbling and starting to move, the pursuit team returned from afar.
“!!”
“They’re back!”
“Wardanaz! Come back, quick! It wasn’t a monster—it was the professor who did the kidnapping!!”
Hearing his friends shouting from afar, Lee Han replied.
“I know! It must have been Professor Craer!”
“……”
“…???”
The friends inside the fortress looked at each other in confusion.
How on earth?
“…See? I told you Wardanaz would figure it out!”
The White Tiger Tower student who had tried to make excuses earlier suddenly raised his voice as if he’d just remembered.
Giselle tapped her friend on the shoulder and then motioned for him to come closer with her finger.
“What, Moradi?”
“It’s embarrassing, so just shut your mouth.”
“…Okay…”
After passing through the front gate, Lee Han briefly explained what happened with Mac.
“Anyway, saying we’ll vacate the library after the flood convinced it.”
“……”
“……”
“…Wait, you need to explain in more detail—”
As one student tried to ask how he’d negotiated with the rampaging monster, Lee Han cut them off.
“That’s not what’s important right now.”
“If that’s not what’s important then…”
“The illusion and divination magic tests are coming up soon. That’s more important. I have things to tell everyone, so those in each school, gather to one side.”
Ratford, who took illusion magic, nodded and began to naturally pull Lee Han toward the illusion group.
Ahsan, taking divination magic, also nodded and was about to pull Lee Han toward the divination magic group.
“…Let go, both of you.”
“Whoops!”
“Sorry.”
The two friends let go, embarrassed. Lee Han explained the information he’d gotten, albeit bitterly.
“About Mac’s nightmares?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a method from Mac to break them. Cowardly bastard.”
“…?”
“Ah, no. Mac probably doesn’t know that either.”
His friends were confused by Lee Han’s words.
Just like a venomous snake doesn’t carry its own antidote, Mac would be the same.
Even if you grab the snake and demand an antidote, it wouldn’t magically produce one.
“So, everyone will have to figure out the countermeasures themselves… The issue is the divination magic test. All we know is it’s near Professor Ku’s tower.”
“What?!”
“How?!”
The divination magic students were stunned at Lee Han’s words.
Even Wardanaz, no matter how genius, shouldn’t have been able to narrow down the location that much with no clues.
Did Wardanaz just prove the old adage, ‘There’s no impossibility in magic,’ by himself?
“Uh. I asked Mac.”
“……”
“……”
The students listening were starting to seriously wonder how Lee Han had interrogated Mac.
If he got it to confess that easily, did he hang Mac upside down and torture it or something?
“Hey. Salko. Was Mac okay?”
“It cried a little, but overall it’s fine, so don’t worry.”
Salko had meant to defend Lee Han, but it wasn’t very effective.
The Black Turtle Tower friends whispered with shocked faces.
“It was fine, really. Honestly, Sairen looked in worse shape…”
“What? Why is Sairen involved?”
“She took the job of pushing the boat.”
“So you made Sairen act as a boatman???”
“Hey. Be quiet over there.”
Lee Han got irritated at his friends for chit-chatting needlessly.
Why so much idle talk during this sacred test prep period?
“We know it’s somewhere near the tower, but it’s still a long way from pinpointing the exact location. Since we lack clues, everyone needs to work together.”
Gainando, overhearing, spoke seriously.
“I think it’ll be the basement.”
“Why?”
“In last month’s magazine, the place where Toberiz found the missing person was the basement.”
“……”
“Wait. You’re not even taking divination magic.”
“Huh? Oh. But I thought people would need my help…”
The divination magic students grabbed Gainando’s arms and dragged him away.
Lee Han ignored this and continued speaking.
“Bring a map. Let’s divide up the zones. Ahsan. From the tall elm tree here to the brick wall. You…”
-A letter has arrived!
The Death Knight appeared at the library entrance and shouted, making the students jump in surprise.
-What’s wrong with everyone?
“Ah… It’s nothing.”
“A friend went missing.”
Not wanting to say they’d suspected the Skeleton Principal of a kidnapping, the students changed the subject.
-My master did the kidnapping! I know nothing about it!
“…No, it wasn’t the Principal. Another professor did it.”
-Oh, really?
The Death Knight was embarrassed.
-I thought my master had done it again.
“……”
“……”
-Anyway, here’s the letter.
The Death Knight handed over a letter, and Lee Han received it carelessly.
At that moment, the letter scorched black and a strong wave hit Lee Han.
“?”
Today’s lesson is not to open suspicious letters lightly!
The Skeleton Principal’s cheerful voice echoed through the air.
You may keep laughing, but consider it the price of a lesson. It’ll go away in about an hour.
“……”
What was scarier than a letter with a forced laughter curse was hearing a recorded voice play even though the curse hadn’t worked.
The students looked at each other, not knowing how to react, while the Death Knight hung his head in shame on their behalf.
“Um… well… maybe you forgot me since it was unlikely I’d draw the short straw.”
-Please, don’t tell my master.
Tomorrow morning, we’ll keep the test simple. Since you’ve all worked hard, let’s just go on a picnic.
“?”
“???”
“?????”
The words were so unexpected that the students were flustered.
What…
“A p-picnic?”
“Isn’t that good?”
“Hey, look at the weather outside…”
“S-still, it’s better than a test.”
The students were at a loss, torn between ‘a picnic in this weather?’ and ‘maybe this is fortunate after all?’
Oh, and picnic preparation is included in the score. Pack your lunches well. Never have someone else pack it for you. Wardanaz. Do you hear me?
The students all glanced at Lee Han. Lee Han felt a bit wronged.
Then prepare well and see you tomorrow!
The voice faded into the distance.
“Where’s the picnic spot?”
-I don’t know. Wouldn’t you be guided there tomorrow?
“……”
“……”
-I really don’t know! Believe me!
Under the students’ sharp gazes, the Death Knight pleaded sincerely.
- * *
“Flip it now. No, flip it gently. Don’t you know what ‘gently’ means? Lower the heat. Lower the heat, I said. Lower the heat!”
Gainando, inwardly in tears, swore he’d treasure every bite next time he ate pancakes.
Who knew such hardship lay behind such casually eaten food…
“We’re wasting too much time when we should be preparing for the divination magic test.”
Lee Han clicked his tongue, looking at the students gathered around the makeshift stove.
There were still tests left, and yet they were losing all this time.
“Isn’t this a bit unfair?”
-Uh… um… Perhaps Student Wardanaz is just taking on too much?
The Death Knight inadvertently spoke, then stopped himself.
What kind of grudge would you build against a future archmage by talking back like this…!