Episode 632

While they were conversing, Duke Ikaldoren managed to spit out the gag that had been forced into his mouth.

Even after being captured and dragged here, the duke tried hard to maintain the dignity and composure he usually carried, firing his words at them.

“What… What is the meaning of this!”

The three paused their conversation and looked at the duke.

Duke Ikaldoren, perhaps thinking he had a better chance persuading the other two than the skull principal, turned his gaze.

Which of the skull principal’s ambitious disciple or Alsicle of the Pengerine family would listen to reason?

“Alsicle of the Pengerine family!”

Lee Han was a little offended that Duke Ikaldoren called for Alsicle instead of himself.

Wasn’t he more reliable than Alsicle in this situation?

‘He must have talked to me before.’

“You’re mistaken.”

Alsicle pretended not to know, not wanting to get involved in this matter.

However, there weren’t that many penguin beastkin in the Empire, especially not with blood as pure as Alsicle’s.

“Aren’t you Alsicle of the Pengerine family! Are you just going to stand by and do nothing after witnessing this unlawful act?”

“No. Lord Gonadaltes. If you’re going to put a gag on, do it properly.”

Alsicle grumbled.

He figured it was because the gag wasn’t tight enough that he had to hear such things.

Now that he’d heard it directly, it would be hard to plead ignorance should trouble arise later.

Despite Alsicle’s cold response, the duke didn’t give up. In fact, he spoke even more sternly and forcefully.

“Think of the honor of the Pengerine family. Do you intend to stand by idly right now? Are you just going to watch the misdeeds of these two?”

“…Uh, wait. Why is it the two of us, Your Excellency?”

Lee Han protested in disbelief.

It was the skull principal who had done the kidnapping; Lee Han had nothing to do with it!

Of course, the duke ignored Lee Han’s words.

In his mind, Lee Han was already branded as the skull principal’s prized disciple and a clear accomplice in this kidnapping.

“No matter if you’re a great mage, there’s imperial law. You have no right to do as you please like this—”

“Ah. Stop whining, boy.”

The skull principal threw out the words impatiently.

“Do you think I kidnapped you without thinking? Of course, I only kidnapped you because I was allowed to.”

“What… That’s nonsense…”

Even as he spoke, the duke felt fear rise within him.

There could be only one reason the skull principal could act so brazenly in a situation like this.

“That subordinate of yours who entered Einrogard. Did you really think he hadn’t been discovered? He’d already been caught when he first entered.”

‘Wow. How brazen.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.

Not being able to find him for almost a year (though, to be fair, it’s hard to find someone turned into a statue) and then finding him just before break—but now acting as if he’d known all along and boasting.

But the boasting was incredibly effective. The duke felt as if he’d been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

‘They knew from the very start…?!’

He’d thought his subordinate might have gone missing or died after breaking contact, but to think he’d been caught all along.

In that case, what were the actions of the skull principal and the boy from the Wardanaz family who had come calling afterward?

“T-Then why did you just…?”

“I was waiting to see how you’d act. You seemed to enjoy yourself.”

“!!!!”

The duke stiffened as if struck by lightning, unable to move. It was a shock that felt like the sky collapsing.

He had wielded strong influence in both imperial politics and society all his life through conspiracies and schemes, yet here he’d been utterly played without suspecting a thing.

He simply couldn’t believe it.

“No… No way…! That was all an act? That boy when he was probing me too?”

“Uh, that wasn’t an act…”

“That’s right. We were toying with you.”

“……”

Lee Han just nodded, having nothing else to say. He couldn’t spoil the skull principal’s plans now.

The duke seemed to have lost all strength even to complain more.

This man, who had looked so dignified and imposing when covered in dozens of artifacts, now just looked like a feeble old man.

The skull principal patted the duke on the shoulder.

“Cheer up. It’s not your fault. I was just too great.”

“Eternal life… How can you possess the secret of eternal life all by yourself!”

The duke cried out desperately, unlike earlier.

“If anyone in the Empire’s mages was cunning and sinister enough, it’d be you—surely you possess the secret of eternal life! To keep it to yourself… That secret rightly belongs to the nobility of the Empire!”

“Not to the empire’s nobles. To you, specifically.”

The skull principal answered indifferently.

It was typical for old nobles to visit him pretending the secret of eternal life had been entrusted to him.

He’d seen it countless times and now felt nothing.

“If I said I’d distribute the secret to the lowly nobility, you’d have a fit, so don’t act like you’re speaking for the nobility as a whole.”

“The most noble nobles should hold that secret above all!”

“Your definition of noble is a little different from mine.”

The skull principal replied nonchalantly.

“Boy. I suppose you think you’re some great pillar of the empire? Since you have several titles and responsibilities, you must wonder how chaotic the empire would be if you disappeared. You must have worried about that.”

The duke didn’t answer, but there was a faint shadow of agreement on his face.

“But the reality is, most of the things you do are like children’s games. Even if you didn’t do them, it wouldn’t matter to the Empire. Even if no one did them, the Empire would barely notice. Do you know what a true pillar of the Empire is? It’s someone like the patriarch of the Wardanaz family right here. Exploring outer worlds and protecting the empire from the monsters and demons that come from there—that’s what’s truly important.”

The skull principal wasn’t angry or overly contemptuous.

He simply spoke with a weary annoyance, as if explaining things to someone who just didn’t understand.

That weariness only made the duke more terrified.

“You were able to play at political games in comfort because people like me, the patriarch, and the emperor were protecting you. ‘Nobility’? Do you know what your ancestors were doing during the Great Chaos? They locked every castle gate and stuck their heads in the fireplace, praying the demons would just pass by. The only thing you ever achieved in your life was being born to the right father—what ‘nobility’ are you talking about?”

The skull principal took a step forward. The duke instinctively struggled to escape, but there was nowhere to run.

“Want to know the secret of eternal life? I’ll tell you. I’ve never hidden any such thing. Boy. You seem to think there’s some vault in my storeroom filled with ancient immortal treasures, but all I have in storage are vicious and cursed artifacts. Anything a fool like you takes out would bring disaster to the continent. Even if such treasure existed, could someone like you handle it? Someone who doesn’t even know the basics of magic?”

The skull principal tapped the duke’s head lightly with the tip of his staff.

“There’s only one secret that leads to eternal life. Magic. Give up on finding the secret to eternal life through treasure. Eternal life isn’t what you think it is.”

Even when the principal finished, the duke was so overwhelmed he couldn’t say a word.

As if unconcerned, the skull principal tossed him aside and said,

“Looks like I’ll have to lock him up in Einrogard for a few years. If you ever meet him in the punishment room, don’t let him out.”

“Why would I do that?”

“I thought you had a hobby of letting unpleasant types out, since you even released Bible.”

“……”

Realizing any more talk would be disadvantageous, Lee Han changed the subject.

“But why does Your Excellency want to lock the duke up? Seems like you’ve taken everything already anyway…”

Duke Ikaldoren wore artifacts valuable enough to buy a fortress just for wandering about.

If the skull principal had dragged him here, he must have removed them all.

And if they’d been removed, they’d surely ended up in the principal’s pocket.

If he’d been rifling through the artifacts, surely the house’s property was also cleaned out to a degree…

“What are you talking about? It’s just starting.”

The skull principal looked at Lee Han’s innocent question as if appalled.

Youngsters these days didn’t know the old ways.

In the old days, if you captured a noble, you didn’t stop at just taking what they had on them.

You’d extend the reach to the noble’s family, their relatives on both maternal and paternal sides, and so on for ransom.

Of course, the opponent wasn’t foolish and wouldn’t just hand things over, but negotiations like these always favored whoever held the captive.

Duke Ikaldoren, too, might want to minimize compensation now, but the longer he stayed in the punishment room, the more hidden assets would miraculously appear and appropriate compensation would be paid.

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Alsicle exchanged glances.

‘Should we head out now?’

‘Sounds like a good idea.’

“Well then, we’ll be going.”

“See you next time, Lord Gonadaltes.”

“Right. Take care. You both worked hard. See you at school.”

The skull principal waved, along with the death knights.

Lee Han quickly woke his junior who was sleeping in the next room, and with Alsicle exited the carriage swiftly.

• * *

Alsicle adjusted his clothes. Tension, which usually didn’t suit Alsicle, was visible all over him.

Eandurde asked, as if not understanding.

“Going into a duel?”

“You’re lucky you’re stupid. Not knowing what kind of family the Wardanaz family is makes things easier on your heart… Ow! You brat!?”

Eandurde immediately kicked Alsicle in the shin. Taken by surprise, Alsicle let out a scream.

-Are you taking him to your family?

-Yes. He’ll be going back to Einrogard after break anyway, so I thought it’d be good for him to study together for now. I worry he’ll learn strange things if he stays with the principal.

-That’s generous. To think he can visit the Wardanaz family.

-It’s not that much? Alsicle, you can come too if you want.

-What? Really?

-Yes. The reason our family doesn’t invite people is just because there’s no one at home, not out of some strict rule.

-Wait, wait. Let me get a new outfit.

-There’s really no need for that…

Once preparations finished, the three found a carriage near the village.

The yawning coachman asked as he saw them,

“Where to?”

“To the Wardanaz family mansion, please.”

“……”

The coachman, who had just been sitting comfortably, suddenly straightened up. His face was filled with fear.

“W… Wardanaz family?”

“No?”

“??”

“????”

Alsicle and Eandurde stared at Lee Han, who shamelessly answered,

“We’re visiting as guests.”

“Ah… Phew. I see.”

The coachman’s tension decreased by about 5%.

Guests visiting the Wardanaz family weren’t ordinary people anyway, so it made sense.

“Why lie?”

“People around here get too scared when they hear the family name.”

‘Still, does anyone usually lie about their own family name?’

Alsicle thought to himself.

The carriage sped down the forest path. The sounds of birds and rustling leaves, the deep green all around—these things put the wizards in a good mood.

Clip clop, clip clop—

“Oh. Are those Wardanaz family knights?”

Hearing the distant hoofbeats, Alsicle wondered if they were knights.

Great noble families with large domains had knights patrolling their lands.

Not only did they catch intruders, they also entertained and accompanied guests.

The sound of hooves indicated it had to be knights…

A huge amorphous demon with dozens of hooves arrived in front of the carriage.

-Guests?

“Hik! Hiccup!”

Seeing the terrified coachman hiccuping, Alsicle suddenly felt rather sorry for him.