Episode 650

“Is that so? Everybody has unexpected sides to them, you know.”

Lee Han was fully prepared not to be surprised even if Professor Voladi turned out to be the creator.

Who’s to say Professor Voladi didn’t go through a stormy phase in his youth?

“No matter how unexpected, there are always limits.”

“The principal was apparently handsome during his lifetime, too.”

Learning that fact had made Lee Han think more flexibly.

There were no limits in the world, and magic was infinite.

“…That’s a little too… That was, like, forever ago. Voladi’s youth wasn’t that ancient!”

Alsicle found himself straining to defend Voladi’s reputation, even though he didn’t consider them close.

After repeated persuasion, Lee Han accepted that maybe it wasn’t really Professor Voladi’s doing.

“Well, that may be… Maybe a magical criminal who snuck into the school made it.”

“Hey. Just because I said it’s not Voladi doesn’t mean you have to come up with an absurd theory.”

Alsicle was frustrated by Lee Han’s insistent tone, as if he had already decided Voladi was the culprit and was just making excuses aloud.

“And more important than who the owner is, is the magic engraved in here.”

“I agree.”

Lee Han nodded.

Who the owner was didn’t actually matter.

What mattered was obtaining the artifact.

As Lee Han agreed, Alsicle looked at his junior with satisfaction. At times like this, their opinions were in harmony as fellow wizards.

Both spoke to each other at the same time.

“First, learn the magic engraved in it. If you do, maybe you’ll meet the owner.”

“It’s a useful artifact, so I’ll just carry it and use it in dangerous situations, then sell it if I ever… Eh?”

“?”

“??”

Alsicle and Lee Han looked at each other. Alsicle fluttered his wings, trying to wrap up the conversation.

“Wait. What I meant was for you to learn the magic in here. If you ever get a chance to meet the owner, you might be able to learn a new secret technique.”

“Yes.”

“And your idea… I don’t even know what to call that nonsense.”

‘That’s so harsh.’

Lee Han protested against his senior’s icy answer.

“It’s almost impossible to meet an owner with an unknown artifact. Most just use it as an artifact.”

“Don’t you know magic calls to magic? What if you meet the owner by chance—if you can’t replicate their magic, wouldn’t that be a waste? You’d lose your chance to learn a new spell!”

Alsicle, the born wizard, never wanted to miss a chance to learn any spell.

And it wasn’t just any magic—someone capable of enchanting a pocket watch with time magic.

Such a wizard probably had a bunch of unique and exceptional magic.

He had to be ready for whenever that day might come.

And there was an old saying that magic calls to magic.

If you learned it, fate might guide you to the owner someday.

“I think that saying is about revenge. Like, if White Tiger Tower students hit Black Turtle Tower students with magic, they get hit right back.”

“……”

Alsicle clicked his beak in annoyance at Lee Han’s pragmatic interpretation of a saying meant to symbolize romantic destiny.

“And Pengerine, there’s actually a huge problem with your plan.”

“What?”

“I might not be able to learn the magic engraved here.”

Lee Han spoke seriously.

That was always the main problem.

Time magic was incredibly difficult.

Even the spell “Limited Time Acceleration” inscribed in this pocket watch would be tremendously time-consuming to master.

And Lee Han had other spells to research as well.

Rather than let himself be toyed with by an artifact of unknown creators, maybe it was wiser just to use it as a handy artifact.

“Wardanaz.”

Alsicle let out a heavy sigh.

“Yes?”

“You can learn it.”

“How would you know that, Pengerine?”

“You can, I’m telling you. Just learn it, you brat. No nonsense—learn it by today.”

‘He’s really pushy today.’

Lee Han grumbled inwardly at Alsicle’s unreasonable demand.

• * *

Deorgyu rode his horse at a relaxed pace.

He rode neither a luxurious carriage nor a scrawny old nag.

A knight’s journey meant riding a well-built warhorse, the family crest proud upon his chest.

‘What the…?’

Far ahead, atop a distant hill, a group of mercenaries seemed to be harassing a traveler.

Traveling down the Imperial highway, Deorgyu instantly grabbed his sword.

He could have just passed by, but Deorgyu refused.

It was a knight’s duty to protect travelers on the Imperial roads.

Even if it wasn’t his own family’s land, it was the same. Deorgyu spurred his horse forward at once.

“Ugh, my sins are so deep. Can I ever be redeemed? Is it too late to atone?”

Nod.

“Really? With these blood-stained hands?”

Nod.

“Oh… Ooh!”

“I will atone… I will atone!”

“I will lay down my sword and return to my homeland…!”

“?????”

Deorgyu wondered if he was seeing some evil god cultists.

Rough and fierce mercenaries were shedding tears and repenting like lambs.

What kind of nonsense was this?

‘Some sort of mind magic?!’

Standing among the mercenaries, Arsil gently patted their shoulders in understanding.

Then, gesturing to follow her, she led the blubbering mercenaries off behind her.

“…What did I just witness?”

Deorgyu tried to snap out of it and chase after them, but the mercenaries had vanished.

It felt like he’d seen a ghost.

“Aren’t you Deorgyu of the Choi family?”

“Oh. Priestess Siana.”

Deorgyu turned at the familiar voice coming from a wagon in the distance.

He saw the flag and carriage of the Fleming Order and their priests.

As expected from one of the biggest orders in the Empire, the wagon wasn’t flashy but was large and sturdy.

“You look like you saw the principal in broad daylight.”

“What a dreadful joke… It’s nothing.”

Deorgyu guided his horse down the hill.

He felt like nobody would believe what he’d just seen.

He himself wasn’t even sure it wasn’t just a dream…

“May the wisdom of Fleming lead to perfection.”

“Ah. I’ll display even more extraordinary wisdom for such perfection.”

At the priests’ greeting, Deorgyu replied dutifully.

The priests of the Fleming Order smiled with satisfaction at his proper response.

There weren’t many knights who could return a suitable greeting for the Order. Even fewer when it came to young knights.

“A knight of the Choi family is certainly well-mannered.”

‘I picked it up following Lee Han around.’

Deorgyu asked Priestess Siana,

“You’re heading for the Wardanaz family manor, correct?”

“Yes, yes. There’s a village up ahead we’d like to visit first.”

“With all the members of the Order…?”

“No, not everyone. The other priests are here because of the village.”

The priests of the Fleming Order often toured the Empire, making potions.

Remote areas rarely had great alchemists.

Good quality potions made by the Fleming Order’s priests were much appreciated in such places.

Although Udumhwa Village was neither very remote nor home to a Fleming Order shrine, the priests had chosen it as their destination to accompany the young Siana.

“If we hand out potions in the village, it makes people happy.”

“Yes. That’s a fine thing.”

Deorgyu nodded firmly up and down.

He’d seen such good deeds from the Fleming Order’s priests even in the north. In the harsh and frigid north, they were especially vital.

“The villagers will be touched as well.”

“I thought so! Maybe we should build a shrine, too?”

“W-well, that might be…”

Deorgyu balked.

Unlike Lee Han, Deorgyu always felt awkward mingling with students from the other towers.

How would he know what priests liked?

He couldn’t exactly talk about hunting or northern monsters…

“…Ah, that’s right. Did you know Lee Han visited the north recently?”

“!”

Priestess Siana looked at him with great interest.

Grateful for finding a good topic, Deorgyu inwardly sighed in relief.

“He visited the Moradi family. I heard about it from other friends by letter.”

“Wow. The Moradi family?! Weren’t things absolutely terrible between them?”

“Priestess Siana.”

An older Fleming Order priest waggled a finger in warning.

They worried Siana had gotten a bit too brash since her skills had improved at Einrogard.

There were other priests at Einrogard, so why was Siana like this?

“Sorry. Weren’t things just kind of bad between them?”

‘Whispering doesn’t make it any better.’

Deorgyu wondered if it was okay for a priest to talk like this, but decided not to get involved in another Order’s affairs.

“To be honest, they seem to bicker a lot, but they’re actually pretty close.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. They spent a year taking swordsmanship lectures together and relying on each other, so of course they’re close. Just think of them as friends who seem a little rough on the surface.”

Deorgyu worked hard to defend the two.

He always felt sad to see comrades who’d fought shoulder to shoulder fighting amongst themselves.

He was sure there was an invisible bond of camaraderie between them!

Of course, neither of the two actually wanted this kind of completely unnecessary defense.

“Oh…”

Priestess Siana eagerly scribbled with her quill.

She now had a story to send to student priests of other Orders.

“So this visit was…?”

“That’s right. A sign of friendship.”

“But Lee Han hasn’t visited the Deorgyu manor of the Choi family, has he?”

“……”

Deorgyu was flustered by the pointed question.

“You don’t have to visit to be friends…”

“But doesn’t this just make it look like Giselle Moradi is closer to Lee Han than you are?”

“…Truthfully, Lee Han and Moradi aren’t that close.”

“?!”

Cornered, Deorgyu tossed aside his knightly honor and started to slander Moradi.

“But you just said they were close?”

“I meant kind-of close. They fight all the time. I’m actually closer.”

‘Can I trust this guy?’

Priestess Siana narrowed her eyes in a serpentkin way as she looked at Deorgyu.

His words reeked of bravado—like something the prince of the Blue Dragon Tower might say…

“In my opinion, this visit was probably to patch things up with Moradi after a falling-out. Moradi isn’t a bad friend, but their personality is domineering and sharp. So, it’s not like Moradi is actually closer…”

“Al-alright.”

Priestess Siana couldn’t let this go on, so she cut Deorgyu off.

“And besides, I’m the one Lee Han’s visiting directly, right? So I must be the closer friend.”

“Yes…”

The village appeared in the distance.

But something was wrong. People were standing outside the village’s entrance.

“Oh, are you priests of the Fleming Order?”

“That’s right. Do you need help?”

“No, it’s nothing! Uh… could you wait just a moment?”

“Pardon?”

“S-someone knocked over a haystack in the village, and the whole square’s a mess. We need to clean it up first!”

“We’ll help.”

“No, no, no! We couldn’t possibly trouble travelers with that! Just, please wait a moment!”