Episode 627

Episode 627

Seeing Wardanaz’s genuinely aggrieved expression, Giselle felt like something in her mind just snapped with a ‘snap.’

“Who do you think made me fight my sister in the first place!”

“Wait. Moradi. Are you fighting too?”

“…Yeah.”

‘Why? Is she planning to stab me in the back while saying she’ll fight with me? Or has she prepared some kind of trap in advance? If it’s a trap…’

As Lee Han wore an extremely obvious look of doubt, Giselle spoke through gritted teeth.

“I’m fighting with you so you don’t die…”

“Come on. Isn’t that a bit much?”

“It’s not an exaggeration, so get it together. Why did you have to flatter my sister for no reason…”

As Giselle went on explaining, Lee Han’s expression grew serious.

Hearing the stories of northern knights Ziklin had broken, he realized it was a bigger problem than he thought.

If he made a wrong move, he might end up limping on crutches for the rest of winter break.

“I’m an outside guest. Wouldn’t she at least control her strength?”

“She would, but you can’t trust that. Sis isn’t good at holding back.”

“No, how can someone who chop down a serpent’s neck not be able to control her strength?”

“Hey, watch your mouth. Everyone has something they’re bad at.”

Giselle allowed not the slightest criticism regarding Ziklin.

Lee Han fell into thought.

‘That’s too much. All I did was say I wanted to watch her swordsmanship and now she’s trying to kill me.’

This was Lee Han’s mistake.

Back when he offered to have a meal, he should have realized and been careful when he was forced into a promise!

“Moradi. You said you would fight with me, right?”

“Yeah. That way, my sister will at least try to hold back a little.”

“What if I grab you and use you as a hostage?”

Alsicle, who was listening at the side, stared at Lee Han in disbelief.

Did he really just say that?

But Giselle replied earnestly.

“I thought about that too, but with my sister’s personality, it’d backfire. She’d just snatch me away and then kill you.”

“I thought so.”

“……”

Alsicle wondered if she was the only sane person in this room.

She glanced over and saw Eandurde chewing on her sardine.

“Hey, I’m not the only one who thinks this is weird, right? Doesn’t this sound strange to you too?”

“?”

Eandurde looked at the penguin beastkin as if asking what on earth she was talking about.

• * *

A barren wasteland, with nothing in the sky, nothing at the distant horizon.

Seeing this scene in his dream again, Lee Han knew at once who had called him.

“It’s good to see you.”

The black book the skeleton principal had given him appeared, fluttering in midair.

This was the black book that always appeared to pass him a new spell whenever Lee Han was facing adversity or trials in his dreams.

Whatever else, it was clear the skeleton principal had cared for him in this way.

If it weren’t for this black book, Lee Han might have died in Einrogard once or twice.

‘But thinking about it, if it weren’t for the principal, wouldn’t half of those hardships have never happened?’

Flap!

The black book fluttered as if telling him not to dwell on pointless thoughts and drew his attention back.

“Black book. Tomorrow I have to fight a strange knight and need help. Teach me a useful spell.”

Flap-flap-flap!

The black book fluttered its pages as if to say not to worry.

Seeing this, Lee Han suddenly grew anxious.

“But it’s not another melee magic spell, right?”

The spells from the black book usually originated from the skeleton principal.

The black book itself was an artifact created by the skeleton principal, so that was only natural.

The problem was that those spells were all biased toward close combat.

-Gonadaltes’s Quick Step- or -Gonadaltes’s Sharp Hand-. And then there was even -Gonadaltes’s Boiling Power-…

The only non-combat spell, -Gonadaltes’s Dark Vision-, was certainly versatile, but in truth, it seemed like it too was developed for close combat.

Fighting a knight like Ziklin now, melee spells didn’t seem likely to help much.

Can a single drop of water fill an empty cup?

Flap!

The spell the black book revealed this time was -Gonadaltes’s Rapid Agility-.

“……”

Ignoring Lee Han’s expression, the black book fluttered as if to hurry him to learn it.

• * *

Giselle, who had slept poorly the previous night, chewed on her bread deep in thought.

She still hadn’t decided how to fight against her sister today.

“Moradi. I’ve got a good idea.”

“…?”

As Lee Han appeared at the cafeteria and suddenly said this, Giselle looked at him curiously.

“What is it?”

“I can use magic during the match, right?”

“This time it’s fine.”

Since it wasn’t a duel of sword against sword but rather a bout meant for Ziklin to show her swordplay to Wardanaz, it didn’t really matter if Wardanaz or Giselle used magic.

“When does the spar finish?”

“In this kind of bout… It’ll probably end whenever my sister thinks she’s shown enough of her swordplay.”

In knightly duels, the victory conditions varied according to the rules.

Sometimes they fought to the death, sometimes until the first wound, sometimes until a specific objective was achieved.

This time, it was closer to the last.

“Yeah. I figured as much.”

Lee Han nodded as if he’d expected this.

“When Ziklin finishes, it ends. So I’ve thought up a plan. Moradi. Unlike knights, we can use magic, right?”

“Right…?”

Giselle listened closely, wondering just what Wardanaz was getting at.

“Let’s fire off as many spells as possible, then claim we’re suffering from mana exhaustion and just flop down.”

“…!”

For a knight who had to cross swords, flopping down would earn a scolding from Ziklin.

Given Ziklin’s upright personality, there was no way she’d accept the excuse of someone giving up without fighting.

But it was a bit different for a mage.

After firing off spells, what could anyone say if they just lay down claiming, ‘My mana’s gone’?

…It was a bit shameless, but Giselle was tempted.

“That’s true. Sis doesn’t know magic, so it might work.”

“Right?”

“But that doesn’t solve everything. There won’t even be time to cast spells.”

Skilled knights gave mages no time at all in a match.

A mage with time on her hands was a rare and dangerous thing.

Ziklin would probably rush in and press the two as soon as the match began, just as she did with other knights.

Casting spells was all well and good, but under such pressure, really only swordsmanship would be available to them.

“Right. We have to open up as much distance as possible.”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to use me as bait while you widen the gap. And it wouldn’t even work on my sister.”

“Moradi. How do you see me?”

Lee Han protested to his friend and explained the strategy he’d prepared.

Judging by Ziklin’s skill, trying to put space between them while casting spells as he usually did would have been suicide.

Even if she didn’t go all out, that wouldn’t be enough to create a safe gap.

He’d have to focus entirely on fleeing.

“We’ve got numbers. We have to use that to our advantage. And, as luck would have it, I just learned an agility enhancement spell, so I’ll carry you and run for all I’m worth. You can blast Ziklin with magic.”

“I see… Wait. I don’t have any suitable ranged spells.”

“What? What have you been doing if you haven’t even learned ranged magic?!”

At Lee Han’s accusation, Giselle was flabbergasted.

Most White Tiger Tower students specialized in reinforcement or buff-type combat magic, so, admittedly, they were weak at ranged combat.

But, even so, it wasn’t easy to fire off spells recklessly as Lee Han was suggesting. Barraging spells was, in itself, extremely difficult.

“Spamming spells isn’t a joke, you know? You really can collapse from doing it.”

“Ah. Right… That would defeat the purpose if you actually collapse.”

After pondering, Lee Han nodded as if there was no helping it.

“Then there’s only one way.”

“??”

• * *

Standing on the training ground, Ziklin wore a faintly surprised look at the unexpected scene.

Her sister was holding the Wardanaz family boy in her arms.

“Giselle. What is…?”

“…It’s a strategy.”

“I know what sort of strategy it is. The mage can’t focus on putting distance and casting at the same time, so Giselle will run away while Wardanaz casts spells, right?”

“!”

The two were startled at how quickly Ziklin saw through the bizarre sight without being surprised.

“As expected, Ziklin. You saw right through it!”

As Lee Han—held in Giselle’s arms—shouted, Ziklin nodded as if it was no big deal.

“It’s not as if mages always use completely unpredictable tactics. If you assume they’ll use magic, this sort of thing is very predictable.”

“I see.”

“Are you still thinking of flattering her in this position, you bastard?”

Giselle was dumbfounded by Wardanaz’s flattery while being held horizontally.

But Lee Han was undaunted.

“Moradi. If you get embarrassed now, it’ll look even weirder.”

“It already looks weird enough.”

“How’s your condition?”

“I think I can still chant spells. Hit with everything right at the start. Don’t give Sis an opening.”

Before the match began, Lee Han had cast every reinforcement spell he could—like -Gonadaltes’s Quick Step- and -Gonadaltes’s Rapid Agility-—on Giselle.

That was the only way to reach a speed that would exceed Ziklin’s expectations.

‘Let this work.’

“Let’s begin, then.”

By the time Ziklin said “begin”, she was already right in front of them.

Giselle desperately exploded mana into her legs and started opening up distance.

She felt lighter than ever before, but it was no consolation.

She was being caught!

“Mist, spread!”

Mist spread around Giselle. It was an illusory fog that made it impossible for outsiders to get a fix on them.

But Ziklin closed her eyes and tracked them purely by sensation, adjusting her direction. Both Lee Han and Giselle looked petrified at the sight.

“Darkness, sweep forth!”

Lee Han expanded a wave of darkness, sweeping over a wide area.

Even if its offensive power was lacking, since it was the dark element, it should at least pause the charging knight for a moment.

But Ziklin took her sword in one hand and made a fist with the other, throwing an invisible punch into the air.

With a tearing sound, the darkness wave was neutralized. Just by punching with mana-fueled strength, she’d produced that much power.

‘Is she really a monster!?’

Lee Han was shocked, but there was no time for that. He gritted his teeth and began the next spell.

“Gather, spin!”

Blobs of water gathered in the air, then started spinning quickly.

The water spheres—whirling with all the centrifugal force he could muster—flew with a heavy sound.

Ziklin swung her still-unsheathed sword, scabbard and all, shooting down the water spheres. The impact alone should have been rough, but her stance never wavered.

‘Impressive!’

Lee Han admired Ziklin’s swordsmanship.

Moradi’s twin-blade technique was versatile and varied, but Ziklin’s swordsmanship felt like it was claiming to be the true style of the house—so much more dazzling.

And despite using only one blade, the variation was so great it was hard to keep up.

“Sharkan, Gonadaltes. Appear! Rise, warriors made of bone…”

Lee Han wondered if, in the worst case, he might have to summon the Perkuntra.

Summoning Perkuntra for a practice match was unthinkable, yet the charging knight before his eyes had that much presence.

If they kept getting hemmed in like this…

Tap!

Finally, Ziklin caught up to Giselle, extended her sword, and stopped right in front of her sister’s forehead.

Then, in a gentle voice, she praised them.

“Well done, the both of you. You were even better than I expected.”

“……”

“…???”

The two were taken aback.

Giselle was the first to come to her senses and asked,

“Uh, is it over?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re just ending it when we still have all our limbs attached?”

“Giselle. What are you saying. If outside guests heard you, they’d get the wrong idea.”

“……”