Episode 594

Episode 594

“All right. Since the conversation is over, sew this up.”

“Ugh. That Gainando punk. Should have made him take illusion magic.”

Lee Han felt puzzled watching his friends grumble as they sewed.

Huh?

“Why is everyone sewing?”

Of course, no matter how sturdy you made your clothes, living rough in Einrogard meant things would get worn, torn, or sometimes even burned.

But it was unusual for his friends to be gathered for a group sewing session like this.

And as he watched, it didn’t look like they were mending rips, but rather patching patterns onto their coats…?

“Are you all trying to add magic to your clothes? Then you can’t just sew the thread on like that. You should do a magical treatment first.”

“Oh, we’re just doing it because it looks pretty.”

“…Huh?”

“Be-because of the Greenbell Professor’s test.”

The -Dance and Socializing- final was a godsend for first-year students enduring a hard and exhausting life.

An exam where, instead of studying or preparation, all you had to do was have fun and you’d win.

Of course, there were a few students like Wo Mo who argued, “Shouldn’t an exam be discerning?”—but that was a tiny minority.

Anyway, the expectations the students had for this exam were sky-high.

To the point where, even though it had nothing to do with grades, some students tried to decorate their outfits more flamboyantly.

“So you’re adding patterns onto your coats just to look more dazzling during the dance, even though it doesn’t affect grades?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Han looked at his friends as if staring at a pile of filth.

Sensing the mood, his friends hurried to explain themselves.

“W-well. Looking nice is good, right?”

“And patterns help with magic, too.”

As anyone could see from a magic circle, geometric patterns played a supportive role in magic.

Of course, that only applied to meticulously calculated patterns—the -Prince Who Defeated the Lich- pattern Gainando was adding was completely useless.

It was just for style.

“Have you all finished studying for the exams?”

“I’m all done.”

“Me too.”

“……”

Lee Han was shocked to learn that most of his friends, except himself, had finished their finals already.

Was he really that far behind?

“I-I see. Well, keep at it, then.”

“Wardanaz, didn’t you finish?”

“Shh. Of course he didn’t. Don’t bring it up.”

A couple of considerate students covered their friend’s mouth.

Lee Han sat in shock and checked his remaining exams.

To his surprise, there weren’t many left after all.

Other than dance and socializing: Professor Voladi’s test, Professor Alcassis’s test…

“Wait. Don’t you guys have the healing magic test left?”

“……”

“……”

His friends froze.

“Gainando?”

“I was just gonna give up on that anyway, so it’s fin—not really, huh?”

Gainando trailed off, glanced around, and slid his coat away.

It would have pained him too much to see his painstakingly added pattern torn off.

• * *

Temporary Ballroom.

White Tiger Tower and Black Turtle Tower students stared at Gainando’s coat with awestruck eyes.

“That prince bastard…!”

“My god, look at that.”

The coat, embroidered with the pattern of the Prince Who Defeated the Lich, was impossibly magnificent and stylish.

It drew everyone’s eyes and wouldn’t let go.

One of the White Tiger Tower students, trembling with jealousy, muttered.

“He must’ve wasted time not studying to do that.”

“…Yeah! He definitely did.”

But their voices were full of defeat.

They could feel it themselves.

Before such an awesome pattern, any cost or loss felt trivial.

If only they could have that coat!

“Yoner. There’s no magic I don’t know about on there, right?”

“Isn’t it just pretty? He must just like it.”

“Seems above that level somehow.”

Stunned, Lee Han looked around.

The other students in the towers stared greedily at Gainando’s coat with blazing eyes full of envy and desire.

Was that pattern really that desirable?

‘Should I add patterns and sell them next time?’

But he couldn’t help but feel put off.

With that time, he could get new materials and make more useful things; why waste it on useless patterns?

He didn’t want to bother making things like that!

Lee Han was surprised to realize he actually had some pride as an artifact maker after all.

“Student Gainando! Why are you dawdling over there? Come inside quickly!”

Professor Crinbal in the ballroom tapped her feet, calling to Gainando.

Gainando, deliberately walking in slow motion as if under a slow curse right outside the ballroom, finally returned to normal speed.

As Gainando drew near, Professor Crinbal was startled.

“By the Dancer’s Shoes! I swear I’ve never seen such a fabulous coat even at imperial social events!”

“Haha. Thank you.”

Gainando straightened the collar of his coat, which he’d made with blood, sweat, and tears, and stepped inside.

Inside, the ballroom felt almost unreal—like it wasn’t even Einrogard.

Light refracted and scattered in misty shades, while illusion spells installed throughout made the surroundings even more beautiful.

While checking the music playlist, Ahsan spotted Gainando and called out.

“Gainando. Partner me for practice?”

“No.”

“Just one turn—what?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Look at my coat.”

Gainando pointed at the gorgeous pattern on the coat, as if he’d poured his entire exam time into it.

Ahsan was astonished.

“I-is this… store-bought?”

“Bought? What are you talking about?! I made it myself!”

“I-I see.”

Nodding, Ahsan shook himself and asked again.

“But what does that have to do with practicing?”

“I can’t practice if this coat gets damaged.”

“…You’re 100% an idiot.”

“Hmph. Jealous of my coat, are you? Even if I’m an idiot, I’m an idiot with a coat. You’re just Ahsan with no coat!”

Ahsan was momentarily speechless, stunned by Gainando’s momentum.

And was even more shocked by himself.

Unbelievable—he’d lost a verbal spat with Gainando!

This was impossible. He must have been overwhelmed by the splendor of that coat.

“J-just you wait. Gainando!”

“Haha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!”

Meanwhile, having finished a practice dance with Yoner, Lee Han, who was curious after seeing so many people fuss, approached.

“Gainando, I know you stayed up all night making that…”

“No, I didn’t? Do you have proof?”

Gainando, unusually, retorted stiffly. The coat was giving him courage.

Lee Han, expressionless, raised his staff. Gainando immediately threw up both hands.

“Sorry! I’ll go to bed early from now on!”

Even with the courage from the coat, he had his limits. Seeing the staff brought Gainando to his senses at once.

“What’s this made from? This purple, it’s pretty… saturated, isn’t it?”

Lee Han more or less knew all the paints and dyes circulating in the first-year black market.

To be honest, he had a handle on any item that was around. With his broad network, news couldn’t help but reach him.

Most dyes or paints used by the first-year students were either “borrowed” from Einrogard’s classrooms or made by hand—almost all rough, solid colors.

He had bought a few such raw materials on an outing, but since they weren’t critical supplies, there wasn’t much variety.

And aside from that, this purple had a much more mysterious and subtle glow than what was sold outside.

Where did Gainando get this from?

“…Will you keep it a secret?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“…Really, you’ll keep it?”

“Gainando.”

“Ah, all right. I’ll tell you.”

Apparently, Gainando desperately wanted to monopolize this. He hesitated for a long time, then finally spoke.

“You know the Black Fog Hall.”

The Black Fog Hall, Professor Mortum’s workshop and magic tower.

Familiar turf for students specializing in black magic like Lee Han.

“You know the graveyards out back? There’s a spot where they get rid of poisonous bugs… The color looked pretty, so…”

Lee Han couldn’t believe his ears.

So right now??

“You dyed your coat with poison from the bugs!?”

“It sounds weird when you say it like that!”

“That’s probably because it is weird.”

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

If it was the place behind the Black Fog Hall where they dumped poisons bugs, it was an unregulated mixing area.

Obviously, the poisons generated there would be mixed so haphazardly you couldn’t even identify the ingredients.

You were supposed to leave it alone until the toxic gas vanished, but Gainando went ahead and tried dyeing fabric with it just because of the color.

It was either bravely reckless or certifiably insane.

Or both.

“I checked over and over! It’s really fine.”

Gainando look around nervously as he made excuses.

He had checked as best he could.

Plus, the fact that nothing had happened even after wearing the coat was the biggest proof.

“Wait. This blue is weird too. What’s that?”

“There was a blue bone at the Black Fog Hall, so I ground it up and made paint… ah! No, Lee Han! Stop! You’ll ruin the pattern!”

Lee Han couldn’t stand it anymore and raised his staff. Gainando flailed, pleading.

He was more afraid of the coat being damaged than bodily pain.

“Gainando. Even in alchemy…”

“I don’t take alchemy?”

“…Anyway, mixing unknown compounds indiscriminately like this is never a good idea.”

Lee Han couldn’t shake the worry—who knew what mysterious reaction might be happening in Gainando’s coat?

Of course, maybe the coat just looked cool and that was why people reacted. But it was also possible Gainando had accidentally created a cursed garment.

Gainando, catching the meaning in Lee Han’s warning, reacted furiously.

“If you want this coat, you’ll have to pry it from my dead body!”

“Sure.”

When Lee Han got ready to literally take it from his corpse, Gainando quickly revised his strategy.

“Please, Lee Han! I’ll study hard, do my chores, and stop stealing desserts! Just let me wear it until this test is over!!”

“…Do you really have to?”

Gainando nodded his head earnestly. Lee Han stared for a moment and then sighed.

“Fine. Wear it. Wear it, you punk. But if anything feels off, tell me right away.”

“Okay!!!”

Lee Han shook his head and turned away.

As he was leaving, Adenart quietly called to him.

“What is it?”

“……”

Adenart hesitated, and Lee Han wondered why.

‘What is it?’

“Is there a dance move you forgot?”

Adenart shook her head.

Then, face reddening, she hesitated before finally speaking.

“How do you make a pattern li…”

“……”

Lee Han spun away before she finished. Adenart watched his back in shock, like an abandoned puppy.

Why?!

• * *

The bloodsucker beast moved carefully, searching for the familiar flow of magic.

There were so many powerful beings in this school that exuded overwhelming presence.

Especially, having nearly been hunted by undead knights had left the bloodsucker beast deeply scarred.

Even after sleeping over hundreds of years in a stone coffin, it could all end with a single mistake.

Always covert and careful.

As it moved, it got the feeling of approaching unlimited magic. The bloodsucker beast listened to the sounds from inside the ballroom.

Through the cracks in the door, it saw students dancing and chatting happily.

But the bloodsucker beast had no interest in them.

Searching for the source of infinite magic, the bloodsucker beast’s eyes finally fell on a single student.

A student wearing a coat dazzling with glorious patterns. Regardless of its magic, the bloodsucker beast found its gaze irresistibly drawn to the coat.