Episode 537

It wasn’t the ability he wanted, but after nearly a year at Einrogard, Lee Han had developed a knack for reading the skeleton principal’s mind.

This time was no different.

Watching the mercenaries training inside the warehouse, Lee Han could strangely and vividly picture what would happen at the end of the year.

The skeleton principal would suddenly kick up a fuss about some outside assault, warn students to beware of outsiders, and then, oddly enough, a group of mercenaries who seemed uncannily skilled at fighting mages would rush in…

‘Don’t tell me those anti-mage buffoons or adventurers from before were also part of the principal’s scheme?’

The principal would have protested the unfairness, but the truth was, this was more or less his due.

Like the boy who cried wolf lost trust with repeated tricks, the skeleton principal had already lost his credibility.

Lee Han watched through a crack in the warehouse wall, observing the mercenaries.

Men who looked like they had once killed people as easily as eating a midday meal were now cowering in front of the Death Knight, whispering to each other about how to deal with a mage. It was absurd.

‘I’ll have to remember those faces and warn the others.’

Having confirmed the mercenaries for his “final exam”, Lee Han turned away.

He needed to get back as quickly as possible to avoid suspicion.

• * *

Clapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclap—

“…?”

Returning to the café, Lee Han was baffled.

The applause ringing out was even more intense than when Ifadur had sung earlier.

‘What happened? Did Einrogard collapse or something?’

Unless Einrogard had actually fallen, Lee Han couldn’t imagine applause like this.

Amid the noise, Lee Han calmly grabbed a nearby elf merchant and asked,

“What happened?”

The elf couldn’t answer. He was too overwhelmed by emotion, sobbing.

“Please, just one more song!”

“One more! One more!”

“We should get going soon. By the way, where’s Wardanaz gone?”

At the skeleton principal’s words, Lee Han raised his hand.

“I’m here.”

“How’d you end up there?”

“People pushed me?”

“You let yourself be pushed? Did you go to Einrogard or some pasture where sheep lazily graze all day?”

The principal scolded Lee Han and gestured.

The people, lost in rapture, reached out with ecstatic faces, only to be swept back powerfully by an unseen force.

“Let’s go. The lengths I go to for stubborn students who insist on doing useless magic.”

“Ah, it was truly moving.”

Lee Han spoke tactfully.

He hadn’t actually heard the principal’s song, but from the crowd’s reaction, it seemed quite touching.

Ifadur agreed passionately. The old bard’s eyes shimmered.

“That’s right…! It’s songs like this that make an old poet’s life worth living!”

‘What the heck did he sing?’

Lee Han couldn’t help but suspect the principal had threatened people with death knights to force a moving reaction.

“Enough. That’s not exactly a flattering compliment.”

“How did you learn such a magnificent song?”

“I learned it when I was a prince, to bring happiness to those in the palace. It was a long time ago.”

Ifadur was touched by the stirring story.

But Lee Han was just bewildered.

‘I can’t picture it.’

Hearing about the principal’s childhood was just strange.

It felt like being told, “Professor Voladi used to be a kindhearted, gentle child,” which was just… disconcerting.

“Let’s go. There’s somewhere we need to stop before closing.”

“Huh? Where?”

“We need instruments. If you’re going to practice music magic.”

The central district of Granden City was a quiet area frequented mainly by urban nobles and the wealthy.

Among its old-fashioned shops was -Infalenin’s Trio-.

“Ah. I’ve heard of this place. The luthier is renowned.”

“Likely so. When I called for help with artifacts before, their work was decent.”

‘Why trio?’

Puzzled, Lee Han followed them inside.

The shop was like a museum of instruments.

There were familiar ones Lee Han recognized, and strange, unique instruments he’d never seen, displayed side by side.

Somewhere, the soft sound of a seven-stringed zither faded away and stopped.

Then, the store owner, Infalenin, appeared.

‘Ah.’

Lee Han now understood the meaning behind the “trio.” Infalenin was an asura—three heads and six arms.

“Th-th-the world! Two guests I most admire have come to my shop…!”

“Calm yourself. Try not to flail your arms everywhere.”

The principal quickly stopped Infalenin, worried those six arms waving around might knock over the instruments.

He didn’t want to see this carefully curated, reddish-brown room ruined by toppled instruments.

“Wh-what brings you here… Is it for help making an artifact? But I… I… well…”

“We’re not here for artifacts.”

Infalenin’s face lit up at the principal’s words.

“Whew! I wasn’t confident I could handle a request from that mage…”

“……”

Lee Han glanced at the principal, thinking he recognized which wizard terrorized him.

Apparently genuinely sorry, the principal sighed and spoke.

“…I apologize. You won’t have to deal with that maniac again. Even if I do make a request, I’ll make sure to keep my distance.”

“No, it’s an honor if you trust me with something—it was my own shortcomings.”

“Today we’re just here to buy an instrument. My student is going to play… Do you know how to play anything?”

The principal asked without much hope.

He’d thought he’d have to pick the easiest instrument for Lee Han: maybe a pan flute or a kalimba.

“I can play the violin.”

“Violin?”

The answer surprised the principal.

While musical appreciation was included in noble education, actual performance was not.

Playing competently required hard work, which lazy nobles rarely put in.

Yet the Wardanaz boy could play violin.

“I doubt the Wardanaz family holds many recitals… You must truly love music.”

“No…”

Lee Han regretted mentioning his instrument offhand. Suddenly being seen as a music lover was unsettling.

“I don’t especially like music, actually.”

“Sure you don’t.”

“……”

The principal dismissed Lee Han’s words like a rolling pebble and started discussing instruments with Ifadur.

Lee Han glared at him.

“How about this one?”

“The wood is too wild. Such an instrument would ruin a performer’s reputation.”

“True. And this one… The back is unusual. The tone is good, but it could build bad habits.”

“Impressive. Ah, this one looks promising. Made from red tranquilwood.”

“Red tranquilwood? It seems a little too one-elemental… Well, set it aside. We can decide by trying it.”

Excited, Infalenin joined in.

“For this bow, I waited a month in the frigid Sagumpali Mountains… Maybe this one would suit your student.”

As the three of them excitedly deliberated, Lee Han suddenly asked a question.

“By the way, Principal, whose money pays for the instrument? Surely not m—?”

“Don’t be absurd. People might misunderstand you.”

The principal, aware of listening ears, replied even more quickly than usual.

“I’ll pay in gold. It’s for magical research.”

“Oh? Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Yes. It pains me, but what else can I do? Remember this: if you try to save on magical research, you’ll end up spending even more in the end.”

‘Is this why imperial officials hate Einrogard?’

The principal did have a point.

Trying to cut costs with cheap materials or equipment could mess up the results.

Then you’d need to redo the experiment, and the expenses would only rise…

To avoid that, you had to prepare thoroughly from the start.

Though from the perspective of treasury officials, no matter how logical it sounded, it wasn’t convincing.

Getting a report saying, ‘We burned half a ton of pure gold for magical experiments, haha, but it’s still not done, could you give us more funding?’ would make anyone’s head hurt.

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

“Don’t go selling it.”

“……..”

“Why aren’t you answering right away?”

“I was just worried someone might steal it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll put a spell on it. If anyone steals it, I’ll track it down for you.”

‘Tsk.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly at the principal’s thoroughness.

No matter what excuse he tried, selling the violin seemed impossible.

“I think you should pick from these three.”

“I agree.”

After a long debate, the choices were narrowed to three.

One was made from a fully grown eight-tiered tree. Infalenin had combined the best features from the empire’s most famous violins, producing a very stable instrument.

Another was made from a young red tranquilwood. Its body and fingerboard were crafted quite adventurously, so it lacked stability but had a unique character, perfect to grow along with a young performer.

The last wasn’t made by Infalenin but acquired. Its previous owner died in a love affair, the owner before that died in an accident during a performance, and the one before that died in a fire. A violin soaked in a bloody, ill-fated legacy.

“The first seems safest…”

“I think so too. You don’t have much experience anyway…”

Lee Han naturally tried to pick the first one, but the principal firmly selected the third.

“The third one is best.”

“Why?”

The principal answered, as if Lee Han’s question was ridiculous.

“Can’t you feel the mana? It’s rare for such mana to reside in a natural object.”

“But…”

They came to buy an instrument, not to buy something with mana imbued in it?

Of course Lee Han also felt the mana in the third violin.

It was just that it was so wicked and wild.

With all its owners having met tragic ends, if the mana it radiated was calm and pure, that would’ve been even more bizarre.

“For music magic, you should obviously pick the object with the highest mana.”

“But it’s a cursed object.”

“Look at your arms.”

“?”

Lee Han looked at his own arms at the principal’s words.

His wrists jingled with the cursed artifacts he always wore.

“A guy covered in cursed artifacts… just take it.”

“A-are you sure? I wasn’t planning on selling this one…”

“Then it’ll just be cheaper!”

• * *

By the time everything was done, the weekend was nearly over.

Lee Han sighed as his carriage passed through Einrogard’s gates.

Even he felt a bit dispirited at the way his golden weekend had ended.

“Eh.”

The principal opened his mouth absentmindedly as he looked ahead, so Lee Han followed his gaze.

Professor Voladi was waiting with his usual impassive face.

“Why is Professor Voladi standing there?”

“Ah… damn, I forgot. Professor Baegrek said he’d teach you something over the weekend.”

“Why on the weekend?”

“Because there’s no free time during the week due to all the other professors.”

“…?”

Lee Han tilted his head, sensing some strange discrepancy in the conversation.

The professors’ info-sharing was just so natural.

What is this?

“Professor Baegrek! Sorry I disrupted your schedule, but there was a reason.”

Stepping down from the carriage, the principal walked over to Professor Voladi. While Lee Han was delayed helping Ifadur off, he was shocked at what he heard next.

“That kid’s really into music magic and begged to go out with us, so I had no choice. Well, I’ll leave it to you.”

The principal reverted to his skeletal form and poofed away.

Lee Han met the expressionless Professor Voladi’s gaze and, in spite of himself, glanced at Ifadur.

‘Yeah. I’m doomed.’

With what little magic he had, blaming Ifadur and escaping just wouldn’t work for Lee Han.