Episode 635

Episode 635

Alsicle could only flap his beak in shock at the utterly stunning fact.

“D-don’t lie. There’s no way those two are like that. There’s no way they’d have married so simply, just out of base desire…”

“The patriarch said so directly, so I’m sure of it.”

Lee Han replied indifferently.

It was actually quite tiresome because sometimes, when talking with the patriarch, unsolicited stories of love would come out.

“Does true love really make magic stronger?? I thought love was just a useless residue that interfered with magic…”

“You sound a lot like Principal Gonadaltes, don’t you?”

“H-how could you say something like that, Wardanaz? What did I do so wrong?”

Alsicle wore a hurt expression at the harsh words from his talented mage junior.

“…I just said it without much thought. Sorry.”

“I’m different from Principal Gonadaltes. Well, Gonadaltes-nim may have said something similar, but it’s certainly different. Even if it’s for the sake of perfecting great magic, I’ll check my partner’s will before marrying.”

‘Isn’t he indirectly insulting the principal, saying he’d do a forced marriage?’

As Alsicle pondered marriage much more seriously than expected, Lee Han grew curious and asked,

“Do you have someone your family is considering for engagement?”

“There are some the family has talked about. Right. Wardanaz, want to hear? You might judge well.”

‘Damn. I need to fix this habit.’

Lee Han regretted having asked in passing.

He kept losing control of his curiosity and saying things that dug his own grave.

He was already sick of the patriarch’s love stories—how much more dull would Alsicle’s fiancé story be?

‘And does my advice even matter in this?’

Lee Han could give advice on magic or business plans, but who Alsicle should get engaged to? That was way out of his league.

At best, the only question that came to mind was, ‘Does the other party like sardines?’

“One of the candidates is a daughter of the Arba family. The albatross beastkin family. There’s a traditional saying that penguin beastkin and albatross beastkin have a higher chance of producing excellent children, so I think that’s an advantage.”

“……”

Lee Han had to grit his teeth to keep from plugging his ears.

‘There’s some useless biological knowledge I truly didn’t want to know.’

A legend about the compatibility of penguin beastkin and albatross beastkin in the Empire, of all things.

A glance to the side showed his junior was dozing off already.

“I… see.”

“Another candidate being discussed is the lieutenant from the Frost Mage Tower. Since she focuses her research on ice elementals, we’d have matching topics.”

“Wow. That sounds so wonderful.”

Lee Han paused in the middle of his insincere answer.

Even to his own ears, it sounded way too perfunctory.

‘Was that too careless of a response?’

But Alsicle looked delighted.

“Right? I’m happy you think so highly.”

“……”

Now Lee Han felt inexplicably guilty.

‘I’ll try to think about it a little more seriously.’

“And lastly, there’s Sir ■■■■■■.”

“…What language was that just now?”

“Oh, your ears can’t pick it up. That’s a spirit’s name. It’s a spirit our family is connected to. I’m debating whether to make a contract with that spirit. The big advantage is that it’s a spirit of cold, so it’d help my magic.”

In the Empire, spirit contracts took a wider variety of forms than people thought.

Normal contracts, like what the Einrogard students did, existed, but sometimes mages made unusual forms of contract with strong spirits.

One of the most unusual forms was a betrothal contract like that.

Jealous spirits wanted to monopolize mages, and if the mage was willing to accept that (or fell in love with the spirit), and wanted the spirit’s power…

That was how such a strong contract would come about.

“Spirits are great partners. By the way, did you know I made contracts with these spirits? They’re just a squirrel and a sparrow spirit.”

“?”

Alsicle was a bit flustered at Lee Han suddenly boasting about his spirits.

They weren’t rare or uncommon, just ordinary low-ranking spirits.

‘Uh, what does he mean by this?’

“Yeah… They’re very cute and smart, aren’t they?”

“Aren’t they?”

Lee Han entered the mansion with a very satisfied expression. Alsicle didn’t know why, but felt relieved, thinking he must have given the right answer.

“So, which of the three do you think seems best?”

“Hmm. Master Pengerine, out of those three, when were you happiest?”

Lee Han asked a textbook question.

Honestly, he didn’t want to ask anything at all, but having heard it all, he couldn’t just ignore it.

“Hmm? I’ve never met any of them.”

“What?”

“Never met them. Only heard their names.”

“……”

Lee Han was utterly despairing.

Alsicle was an even stranger person than he thought.

‘Should I just tell him to use divination magic?’

Before Lee Han could come to a conclusion, the amorphous demon who had left earlier helped him out.

The demon, back with sardines, spoke wearily in the kitchen.

– I brought them.

“Oh right. Demon, we’ll be having some friends over soon. Will you help out?”

– ……

Cursing himself for rolling a low number on the dice on such a day, the demon twisted its body.

Why did he have to roll low on a day like this?

“Master Pengerine, the thing is, our mansion’s dinners aren’t very elaborate, so I worry.”

Alsicle, not realizing Lee Han was trying to change the subject, nodded.

“Because there aren’t many people, right?”

“Yes. Most of them are outside to begin with, and even the knights or servants here don’t like extravagant meals…”

The family didn’t lack ingredients, but there weren’t many varieties, and most of them were frugal.

If a friend like Gainando came over and they served a regular meal, he’d probably ask, ‘Is this the appetizer, and there’s a main course, right?’

‘But is that really the issue right now?’

Alsicle thought as he looked out at the bleak grounds outside the mansion.

It seemed like there were other things he should be worrying about for his friends to be served tonight, rather than preparing the banquet…

“If you just pick up something useful from town, that’s enough. The town looked pretty big on the way here.”

– Damn penguin…

The demon muttered, readying itself to go out again.

If you’re going to order me around, just do it all at once—why send me out repeatedly?

Alsicle, flustered, explained.

“No, I didn’t mean to ask you to do that.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh? He’s still a guest, after all!”

At Lee Han’s chastising, the amorphous demon shrank completely.

– I apologize. Master Wardanaz. Please, don’t increase my sentence.

“Be careful from now on. Anyway, Master Pengerine, as you said, I’ll go to the town and buy what I can. Junior, finish your studies by the time I’m back. I’ll test you when I return.”

“I-I can do market shopping too…”

“No.”

Even without a face, the demon looked pleadingly at Eandurde.

She seemed ready to sell her soul if she could just go in his place.

“Wait a second, Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to town with that demon?”

“Yes. It’s fine. He’s bound by contract, so he can’t cause trouble.”

‘That’s not the problem.’

Even if the demon was contract-bound, no one used a demon to carry goods at the market.

How startled would the villagers be if they saw it?

Alsicle thought about raising the point, then decided not to.

He was a guest, after all—it felt too much like meddling with the family’s traditions to comment further.

“Mm… Alright then. Have a good trip.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han left through the main gate with the demon.

The two walked silently down the path, and Lee Han recalled their earlier conversation and asked:

“Demon, would you prefer a fiancé who you could have excellent children with, someone who matches your magic studies, or someone who could grant you great power?”

– I don’t know much about mages, but I think the best engagement is with the one who makes your heart race and whom you love.

“…!?”

• * *

Alsicle, tutoring Eandurde (the gorgon half-blood constantly attempted to skip and fool around), waited for Lee Han’s return.

‘Isn’t the patriarch coming?’

No further messages came from the -Exploration Chamber- main entrance. He was probably busy on some otherworldly expedition.

Alsicle was disappointed, but thought it couldn’t be helped. In truth, it was already incredible to have been able to meet Rayana Wardanaz, given this was such a sudden visit.

Creak—

Someone entered from the first floor as the front door of the mansion opened.

Alsicle peeked out, thinking it might be Lee Han returning. Eandurde quickly crawled under the table to escape.

“?”

A stranger whom Alsicle had never seen entered the first-floor foyer. He blinked in surprise and then gathered his wits.

‘Wait, that’s not a spirit!?’

At first, the natural aura was so strong he thought it was a spirit, but on closer look, it wasn’t.

The other party was a living person.

Every strand of hair was tangled with earth spirits playing, and little thunder spirits played across the bridge of the nose and above the eyebrows.

Alsicle was shocked at the sight of thunder spirits, known for their picky personality, playing harmlessly.

Even veteran spirit mages rarely showed such affinity.

The stranger set down a large, worn leather backpack that looked as though it might burst at any moment.

Alsicle tensed, not knowing what might come out of it.

“…?”

What came out was old junk.

A chipped, cracked ceramic mug, a stone tablet with its writing worn away, an arrow with a rusted tip and a broken shaft…

The visitor carefully took out each one and began tending to them. Dozens of spirits did their very best to help.

Alsicle was amazed again.

The fact that what emerged was junk was surprising, but that the spirits tirelessly aided the work without any complaint was truly impressive.

And all without any magic or command!

‘How is that possible? That can’t be just affinity. There must be some artifact or…’

As Alsicle stared holes, Eandurde tried to sneak away behind him but knocked over a chair.

Bang!

“?”

The stranger looked up and saw Alsicle. Their eyes met and Alsicle froze.

“U-uh… I’m Alsicle of the Pengerine family. And you are?”

The other party said nothing and lowered their head, busying themself again with the junk.

“I’m back, Master Pengerine.”

“!!!”

Alsicle frantically shouted at Lee Han’s voice.

“Wardanaz! Over there! There’s someone I’ve never seen! I think it’s a spirit disguising itself as a human…”

“Oh, brother?”

“…???”

The second son of Wardanaz, Arsill Wardanaz, greeted Lee Han cheerfully.

“What brings you all the way here… Oh, you came to congratulate me on finishing my first year at Einrogard? Really, you didn’t have to go that far… I feel bad you’ve come such a long way.”

“??”

Alsicle was confused, watching Lee Han talk alone.

Although he was conversing with his second eldest brother, Lee Han was the only one talking.

“W-wardenaz, is Sir Arsill saying something to you? I can’t hear.”

“It’s closer to the spirit tongue, so you won’t pick it up. I can only understand because we’re blood relatives.”

“Wait. Can a human even speak the spirit tongue?”

“My brother always could…”

“……”

As Lee Han calmly said something that would make most imperial spirit mages and linguists faint, Alsicle once more felt deeply aware of which family’s domain he was visiting.