Episode 511

Nillia raised her hand to cut off Lee Han.

“Why?”

“Well, I haven’t been to the deep-sea spirit domain, but isn’t it dangerous?!”

“Yeah. It was dangerous.”

“Then why did you go in there?”

“I was tricked.”

“……”

When her friend said he was tricked, Nillia had nothing to say.

If he was tricked, there’s nothing you can do!

“So I ended up fighting a spirit…”

“You fought?!”

“Nillia, if you keep interrupting, I can’t tell the story.”

“Ah, sorry…”

Nillia felt wronged.

No matter how she looked at it, this wasn’t her fault.

“Anyway, I fought, but fortunately, a spirit who knew Upinum came and helped me. I asked that spirit to introduce me to spirits I could contract with, and he did.”

“I see.”

As Nillia nodded at her friend’s words, she cocked her head.

“Aren’t deep-sea spirits violent and dangerous?”

“That’s why I asked to contract with safe and friendly spirits from another area.”

“I see… Wait. You were able to contract with a spirit from another area?”

“It was possible.”

“???”

Nillia felt her common sense shaking.

Huh?

No matter how strong a spirit was, weren’t they unable to give orders to spirits from another domain??

“Want to see the spirit I contracted?”

“Huh? Yeah. Show me.”

Though flustered, Nillia agreed because she wanted to see the spirit Lee Han had contracted.

“In the name of law and contract, I call you forth.”

With a comparatively short, simple chant, a mark glowed and a fire spirit appeared from the spirit realm.

It was a fire spirit shaped like a small sparrow.

‘That’s normal?’

Nillia was a bit surprised.

She’d worried that Lee Han might summon something like a dragon.

But on second thought, summoning a spirit like this was usual.

Besides, Lee Han had always felt reluctant about using fire magic at full strength before.

“You contracted it because of fire magic, right?”

“Yeah. I figured a fire spirit would be best.”

Even if Lee Han could somehow use other spells, fire magic consumed too much mental energy.

It was better to leave it to the spirit.

Nillia glared lightly at the fire sparrow spirit. It wasn’t sincere, just a motion to intimidate the spirit a bit.

“You have to behave!”

Even lower spirits weren’t easy to handle.

A strong spirit was unruly in its own way; a weak spirit, in its own way.

Especially fire spirits tended to be quick-tempered and mischievous, so you had to be careful.

-……

The sparrow spirit didn’t react, just sat at attention on Lee Han’s shoulder.

For a moment, Nillia thought time had stopped for the spirit.

“…Did you hear me?”

“Did the spirit not hear you, Nillia?”

As soon as Lee Han spoke, the sparrow spirit flapped its wings and nodded.

“So it heard.”

Flap flap!

“You only have to nod once.”

Flap!

Lee Han patted the obedient sparrow spirit, looking proud.

He found it all the more cute and precious, given how hard it was to make the contract.

He’d been worried since other friends often struggled with their spirits…

‘I was lucky.’

Lee Han was sure he’d met a kind sparrow spirit by chance.

“……”

Nillia had seen a similar look in hunted prey boxed in by the Shadow Patrol in the mountains.

‘…Isn’t that spirit scared out of its wits!?’

No matter how she thought about it, this felt less like a regular contract and more like a contract forged through intimidation and threats.

“What’s wrong, Nillia?”

“It’s nothing! I just thought you two get along very well!”

At Nillia’s words, Lee Han nodded happily.

As her friend looked so proud, it became even harder for Nillia to tell the truth.

“That spirit is so gentle and diligent! It even listens well…! Meeting a spirit like that is rare! Right!”

“Haha. Thanks, Nillia. Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal, I just got lucky.”

The basilisk wrapped around Lee Han’s wrist expressed its displeasure with a tap of its tail.

So much attention for a mere lower spirit.

“If you enter the spirit realm again, want to visit Upinum’s domain together?”

“…Are you sure it’s safe to go there? Really?”

At that moment, Professor Millei called Lee Han.

“Lee Han.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“If a passage opens to another domain when you enter the spirit realm, you must not go into it. Understood?”

Professor Millei called Lee Han aside and explained at length how dangerous it was to stray from the assigned path and how lucky he’d been this time.

Nillia averted her eyes, seeing her top-student friend get scolded—a rare sight.

• * *

The skull principal found it odd that Lee Han looked happy.

What’s up? Did you master some spell you learned recently?

“No. I contracted a spirit.”

Oh. Which spirit? Did you perhaps find an ancient spirit?

“I contracted a lower fire spirit.”

……

The skull principal looked at Lee Han with disdain.

The rest of you top students from other towers, don’t act like this one.

“……”

“But isn’t Wardarnaz the top student of your year?”

At Salko’s question, the skull principal feigned ignorance.

Same lineup as last semester. It’d be more fun if things changed.

For delinquents, the punishment room.

For honors students, rewards.

By the principal’s philosophy, the top and second students from each tower were allowed access to the Tower of Rewards.

If they just cleared the trials on each floor, they could claim a reward!

But after tasting the bitter truth in first semester, these students weren’t fooled.

“We don’t need rewards, Principal.”

“Can’t we just go home?”

No need for humility. I know you actually want it. Come on. White Tiger Tower first!

“I’d rather take the punishment room.”

When Lee Han muttered, the skull principal scolded him in an irritated tone.

How dare you say that?

“?”

Because of you, there are fewer delinquents this semester! We don’t even have enough for a trip to the punishment room, and you say that?

“…Ah, yes. Sorry.”

Lee Han regretted ever listening seriously.

‘Just nonsense as usual.’

Enter!

Standing beside him, Adenart politely greeted him. Seeing this, Lee Han realized again how close he’d gotten to the princess.

‘Bribes are the best after all.’

If he kept showering gifts like this, maybe by the second year even a minor endorsement would be possible.

If not an endorsement, at least a letter of recommendation for business…

Trial of Cooperation

Sometimes the most difficult thing is cooperation; students, let’s help one another.

“?”

Lee Han found the trial’s explanation odd.

‘Isn’t this easy?’

Unless they were on bad terms, Lee Han and the princess got along fairly well.

No matter what challenge arose, it didn’t seem particularly tough…

‘No. Given the tower’s usual difficulty, maybe a harsh challenge awaits.’

Maybe the trial would force him into the guarantee he’d been hoping to ask for later.

If something like that came up, Lee Han resolved he’d never give in.

Creak—

The door opened, and students from White Tiger, Black Turtle, and Phoenix towers who had entered earlier walked in from another direction.

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Adenart both frowned at once.

• * *

Though things had turned out unexpectedly, Lee Han remained calm as he shouted.

“Nobody move! We can cooperate!”

At Lee Han’s call, Giselle and Salko didn’t nod, but rather looked dumbfounded.

“Why don’t you talk after putting down your staff?”

“Why are you pointing your staff at us as you talk?”

“It’s just a habit. Anyway, don’t move.”

“……”

They found it absurd, but didn’t make any rash moves.

They knew well that Wardarnaz never bluffed in such situations.

He might let Gainando off when caught stealing food, but when the chips were down, he could be exceedingly cold.

‘Even if we retaliate, now isn’t the time.’

‘If we use Moradi as a shield, can Black Turtle Tower students get away?’

“Um, everyone.”

Priest Tijilling carefully raised a hand.

“I don’t know exactly what kind of trial this is, but if we just try to block each other, everyone loses out.”

“That’s correct. Let’s trust each other, everyone.”

Lee Han kept his staff pointed as he spoke. Giselle and Salko didn’t even bother to object.

After all, pointing out flaws wouldn’t stop Lee Han from aiming his staff!

Salko crossed his arms and asked,

“Wardarnaz, you were the last to enter. Do you know anything about this trial?”

“No. I don’t have much more information either. But I have a guess.”

Lee Han surveyed his friends calmly.

“Probably, it’s a trial that can only be overcome by thinning out the numbers through conflict.”

“……”

“…?”

A brief silence.

Next to him, Adenart looked puzzled at Lee Han.

“What’s that information based on…?”

“If you force students from different towers together and test cooperation, obviously the trial will require us to reduce numbers.”

Lee Han spoke as if it were the most obvious thing. Adenart wavered.

Um…

Maybe so?

When a boy from House Wardarnaz spoke so seriously, it seemed to have some weight…

“All right. Let’s pick who to eliminate, by mutual agreement, through cooperation. Got it?”

“It sounds crazy, but if you’re right, that’s all we can do. Better than all getting wiped out…”

Salko replied heavily.

-So young and green, these magicians!

A ghostly wizard rose from the center of the tower.

Staff in hand, the translucent ghost glared around at the students with glowing eyes.

-With clumsy magic you cannot overcome this ordeal. Will you truly be able to defeat me through cooperation?

“?”

“…?”

Instead of the “kill some of your own” Lee Han mentioned, a ghost wizard appeared, and the students blinked.

Salko hesitated and asked,

“This isn’t a trial where we have to eliminate some of our own to move forward?”

-What? What kind of deranged thinking is that?

The ghost wizard looked at Salko in disbelief.

The goal of this ordeal was to band together and defeat a magician stronger than yourselves—not some forced elimination trial.

“……”

“……”

-?

When the students just stared silently at one friend, even the ghost wizard looked around in puzzlement.

At that moment, Lee Han immediately cast a spell.

“Flash!”

-Not bad!

Though flustered, the ghost wizard deflected the lightning with a masterful swing of his staff.

At the same time, fierce winds swirled and savage shards of stone shot out like shrapnel.

The students quickly took cover behind whatever was available.

Immediately, Lee Han shouted to his friends.

“Everyone, attack that ghost!”

“Wardarnaz, you just said…”

“Salko! Is this really the time?!”

Chastened by Lee Han, Salko had no choice but to close his mouth, though he felt wronged.

The important thing was to defeat the ghost wizard before them.

And in situations like this, there was no better commander than Wardarnaz.

As Salko shut his mouth and readied for battle, Giselle thought to herself.

‘I really want to hit him once.’

No wonder the challenge said, ‘Sometimes the hardest thing is cooperation.’

She wanted to channel all her pent-up frustration—not just at the ghost, but at Lee Han as well.

“Moradi. Buff my sword!”

“On it.”

Giselle prepped magic from cover, focusing on her hearing.

If she carelessly poked her head out, she might get hit. She needed to read her opponent’s movements by sound.

‘Opposite side. Blue Dragon Tower side.’

Confirming it was safe, Giselle signaled to Black Turtle Tower.

The signal was to get up and flank the enemy immediately. Tutanta signaled back that he understood.

“Three. Two. One. Now!”

The students stood to strike at the ghost wizard.

But what they saw was Lee Han, breathing heavily with Adenart, having already defeated the ghost wizard.

“……”

“……”

Giselle used the sword in her hand to scratch out the word “cooperation” from the “Trial of Cooperation.”