Episode 628

Episode 628

Giselle and her friend, who was being held by her, both felt awkward at the same time.

“Moradi. You said we’d be left crawling by magic with our arms and legs broken.”

“Oh, Giselle just loves to joke like that.”

At her sister’s brazen response, Giselle almost dropped Lee Han.

“But the other knights of the house…”

“Those were accidents, weren’t they? Wardanaz. Did you feel anything from this round of swordsmanship?”

“Hmm.”

After getting the question, Lee Han lay sideways, lost in thought.

‘Honestly, I learned more from the overall experience than the swordplay itself.’

He’d gotten used to fighting strong opponents like Professor Voladi or Professor Ingeldel, who always adjusted their strength, and so Lee Han had been mistaken.

The enemies he would actually face wouldn’t cut him slack the way those professors did.

The biggest reason for the defeat in this fight was clearly…

‘I should have prepared more thoroughly at the start.’

If a knight of that caliber charged in with genuine intent, Lee Han’s current firepower couldn’t stop it.

He should have started with the strongest options, like Perkuntra or the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Horses, right away.

He had to buy time and bind their movements in order to figure out how to land damage.

‘If I can’t counter swordplay, I should prepare magic to bind their legs, and if I can’t even do that, I should at least have used Perkuntra or the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Horses. How could I be so careless after so little time outside Einrogard?’

Lee Han reflected deeply.

How could he let his guard down just for being outside Einrogard?

If Professor Voladi saw this, he would have said, ‘For my student to be so lax, I’ll hold classes like I really mean to kill you from now on.’

“I learned a lot.”

“That’s good then.”

Ziklin’s eyes, which appeared gentle above her expressionless face, were filled with kindness.

It was hard to believe these were the eyes of a knight who’d just tried to kill someone.

As Ziklin turned away, Giselle spoke to Lee Han.

“Hey. Get down.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han got down from Giselle’s arms and landed.

“Still, it’s fortunate it ended well. Right?”

“…Yeah.”

Giselle still felt a bit resentful, but she couldn’t deny it.

This did count as a good ending.

“Next time, I’d rather pick up a sword and at least try to block once.”

“What!?”

Giselle stared at her friend in disbelief at Lee Han’s words.

But surprisingly, Wardanaz wasn’t joking.

“…You mean really try to block!?”

“Don’t you need to develop the reflex to block, if you want to survive?”

Recalling Professor Voladi and Professor Ingeldel, Lee Han replied as though it were obvious.

By second or third year, those professors would start ramping up their force and beating students, and if you didn’t start preparing in advance, you might really end up crawling around Einrogard.

For Lee Han in particular, it might even go beyond crawling and reach undead status…

Staring at Wardanaz again, Giselle felt a twinge of self-reflection.

‘He’s right. I shouldn’t have just thought about running away.’

Even if it was her sister, she shouldn’t start out with the mindset of running.

As a mage who had to open distance, she might’ve needed to go on the offensive more actively.

“Yeah. I think you’re right.”

Whether it was about the basic swings or secret techniques, the difference in strength, depth, and breadth was great. But as long as she could at least draw her aura, she ought to be able to hold out somehow.

With that thought, Giselle nodded…

…and then flinched.

A sharp pain started shooting through her whole body.

“…Ma, magic backlash.”

“What?”

“The backlash…is coming.”

“!”

Lee Han finally realized Giselle’s condition.

He had stacked quite a few powerful reinforcement spells, and as a backlash, muscular pain was surging through her.

“Here, drink a potion.”

With plenty of experience casting reinforcement spells, Lee Han quickly took out a potion.

Giselle hurriedly drank it and sighed in relief as the pain subsided.

“Impressive. Is this a potion Meikin made?”

“We made it together.”

“I heard muscle ache potions were tough to make…”

Treating widespread discomfort was much more advanced than simply treating a break or cut.

“It’s not a muscle pain potion, it’s a pain relief potion. You should get some rest before the effect wears off.”

“……”

Giselle stopped herself from cursing.

Honestly, expecting a muscle pain potion from a fellow first-year was a bit much.

“…Fine, just help me walk.”

“Moradi. I have something to say, but I hope you won’t get angry.”

“I feel angry just hearing that, but…go ahead.”

“There’s a banquet tonight.”

“…Go stand by the cliff for a second, will you? I won’t push. Seriously.”

• * *

Some knights in the Empire claimed “meetings of knights are frank and sincere, worlds apart from the roundabout chitchat of nobles’ gatherings,” but in truth, knightly assemblies weren’t all that different from noble ones.

If noble gatherings took place in salons or halls, knights’ gatherings were usually in citadels or fortresses.

If nobles’ events were marked by balls, exhibitions, or various plays and concerts, knights’ gatherings began and ended with sparring, exhibition matches, or, if the drink flowed strong, with sincere duels.

Noble gatherings revolved around courteous discussion of recent events; knights’ gatherings were rougher and friendlier but still talked about recent events.

So tonight, the northern knights gathered at the banquet greeted familiar faces they hadn’t seen in a while with booming excitement.

“Brother! It’s been so long. Haven’t seen you since the Snowflake Forest subjugation!”

“Your reputation reached me even where I live, so I knew you were well. Ha ha!”

Knights, half in armor, could be seen laughing and shouting all over.

Some, faces already red, couldn’t wait and had grabbed wine from the servants themselves.

Other knights blamed not those impatient comrades, but the servants for not bringing liquor soon enough.

“Sheesh, should’ve brought the drink faster! You can’t let a knight from the far north die of thirst!”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

The rugged northern servants weren’t shaken by knights hollering for booze; they just brought the next barrel.

“The prestige of House Moradi is as strong as ever. Damn!”

“Keep your voice down. We’re on Moradi territory.”

“Surely they won’t bear grudges at a happy gathering.”

Wherever some folks were having fun, there’d be others who were annoyed.

Not every northern knightly house worked with the Moradis. Some were rivals vying for supremacy.

Knights from such houses couldn’t help but envy this large banquet.

The banquet itself was a symbol of wealth, fame, and the house’s social ties.

“But I’ve heard Moradi’s direct line is close to the Wardanaz family. Is it true?”

“Impossible.”

The negative knights scoffed.

No matter how much houses boasted to show off, there were limits.

What was House Wardanaz? The most closed-off and isolated of all imperial houses.

There was no way a member of that bloodline would suddenly mingle with outsiders.

“But I’ve heard it from several places. They studied at Einrogard together…”

“I know a thing or two about Einrogard myself. Don’t dismiss me just because I’m not a mage.”

A middle-aged dwarf knight spoke confidently.

“Just because you’re from Einrogard doesn’t mean you’re all friends. Nonsense. Sometimes, you get along so poorly you become bitter enemies. The Moradis are a knightly house. The Wardanaz line are all mages. There’s no way they’re close. If they are, you can cut off my beard!”

“Well said!”

The other knights nodded at the experienced dwarf’s words.

Indeed, it made sense.

“Let’s go in; talking outside is drying up my throat.”

“Let’s do that. If nothing else, the Moradis are great hosts…”

As the knights entered the enormous tent, even louder noise assaulted their ears.

Knights gathered around tables made from split log halves bellowed at one another.

But the knights weren’t surprised. It was all very familiar.

Since when did knights’ feasts ever start with the host’s official declaration?

Half the guests were drunk before an official announcement anyway.

“Hello.”

“!”

Recognizing the familiar Moradi bloodline, the knights greeted her quickly.

No matter how competitive, acting arrogantly after being invited to a banquet meant you wouldn’t be treated as a knight in the North.

“It’s an honor to meet the bloodline of Moradi, shield of the North.”

“Thank you.”

The Moradi scion staggered as if wounded with every step.

A boy at her side quickly supported her.

“You’re slow to react.”

“I’m sorry, Moradi.”

“Are you making fun of me? Why are you being polite? Are you nuts??”

“I was just trying to express my guilt…”

“???”

The knights looked at the boy in confusion.

Maybe a Moradi servant? But he seemed too noble for that.

“Who is this?”

“Oh. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. Staying here as an unofficial guest.”

“…?!!!”

The knights’ eyes grew wide.

Visiting another house unofficially was usually only done if you were personally close to a member.

There could be no other reason from House Wardanaz, and this boy must be the very student from the rumors.

“Moradi. Want some wine?”

“You think I can drink right now?”

“Sorry. Want cake?”

“I don’t want to eat anything, so quit asking.”

“Gainando would cheer up if she had cake.”

“…Tell me exactly what you meant by that, Wardanaz. I’m really curious.”

“Sorry. Even I think it was a bit much.”

The two of them walked together over to the other knights, chatting in a harsh tone but looking quite friendly from outside.

“Wh-What the…?”

“I thought you said Einrogard students aren’t all friends!”

The surprised knights turned to the dwarf knight.

The middle-aged dwarf knight, dazed, handed over his dagger.

“Go ahead. Shave my beard.”

“……”

• * *

Yawning at the patriarch’s side, the skeleton principal suddenly remembered and asked,

“Come to think of it, you said you kept Wardanaz with you?”

“Yes. I was impressed seeing him improve the magic circles’ efficiency.”

“To that extent? Hah. Mana… what a brute.”

The skeleton principal caught on quickly.

The Wardanaz family boy had a senseless shortcut that other mages simply couldn’t imitate.

“That’s not all. He changed the guest knights’ accommodations, improving their behavior patterns. He said he learned it at Einrogard.”

The patriarch, with a hint of warmth in his cold face, replied.

The skeleton principal at first didn’t understand, then was taken aback.

“Are you saying it was Wardanaz who moved the knights’ barracks?!”

“Yes.”

‘What a lunatic.’

The skeleton principal was dumbstruck.

In all her years, she’d never seen an Einrogard student who tried to turn the Empire into another Einrogard just because she went there.

Not even a devil would go that far!