Episode 700

“I didn’t expect you could appear even without my summoning…”

-The darkness here is truly overwhelming!

The undead mage, Verdus, drew a long, deep breath, savoring the abundant power.

Normally, beings from other planes are hard to summon again until their power is restored after each summoning.

Moreover, Verdus was still carrying injuries from the Ghoul King.

Even Verdus himself, never expecting to manifest here without a summoning, repeatedly checked his surroundings.

A powerful spider beast was running amok, spewing ever more poisonous breath.

-Wait a minute. This isn’t another one of your teacher’s tests, is it?

“Uh, well…”

Lee Han hesitated.

Back during the black magic midterm, he had summoned Verdus to stop an incoming undead wave, misunderstanding it for a test set by the seniors.

Verdus had fought hard for his contractor, but later, when Verdus learned the truth, he’d let loose a barrage of curses.

‘Is this another test from the principal?’

Technically, it was—but as it was almost an accident, one could reasonably argue it wasn’t.

-No way. No teacher would sic such a monster on their students as an exam.

“……”

-But why are those Death Knights looking at me like that?

The undead mage glanced, puzzled, at the Death Knights and their wary stares.

These knights had known both the glory of life and the hardships of un-death, yet they were staring at him with remarkable fear.

Cautiously, one Death Knight asked,

-By any chance, are you the one who made the professor into an undead?

“No, I’m not.”

Lee Han answered firmly.

Even considering possible misunderstandings, that was too much.

The Death Knights looked disappointed.

-Kh…!

-We were kind of hoping…

“……”

The undead mage gave Lee Han a look, as if prodding him to explain. Something about the Knights’ behavior had been off since earlier.

“Ah. There is a mage here with the Verdus family name, but he doesn’t get along with the Death Knights.”

-I see, so that’s it. To think Death Knights would make such a fuss. Even if somebody shares a family name, it’s foolish to be afraid of a mere mage.

“Ha ha.”

Lee Han thought, if they ever met Professor Verdus, they’d think differently.

There was a special fear attached to Professor Verdus, one that went beyond mere power.

-Besides, there are hundreds of Verdus families even outside our world, let alone elsewhere. No big deal.

“That’s true.”

-Tsk, tsk. By the way, do you know what race that mage is?

“Excuse me? Why do you ask?”

-When I still had my flesh, my race was a beaver folk. Just wondering—you don’t see many of us!

“……”

Lee Han felt a deeper fear than when Anansi had been summoned. He felt the blood drain from his body, and his limbs go cold.

Could it be…?

‘No. It’s just a coincidence.’

Even if the undead mage had been a lich in the Ghoul King’s palace, he seemed fundamentally decent and upright.

Someone like that couldn’t possibly be an ancestor of Professor Verdus.

-Why are you just standing there?

“!”

As Anansi, busy batting aside Death Knights, finally noticed Lee Han, her eyes glittered.

The Death Knights quickly shouted,

-Ve… Mage! Please help!

-Ve… Ve… Dammit, we need assistance!

-I understand! I’ll cooperate!

Being an experienced lich, the undead mage wasted no time with further conversation.

Snakes, bones, and shadow elements moved and inscribed a magic circle.

-You, step in here!

-A protection circle?

As Lee Han entered, the Death Knights asked.

It didn’t look like any normal protection circle.

-It’s a mana-drain circle.

“It’s a mana-drain circle.”

-……

The Death Knights paused.

Now they weren’t sure if they should subdue Anansi or the lich who looked ready to siphon their master’s protégé’s energy.

‘Why is the protégé so calm even while getting drained?’

‘You can’t study under the master without a little madness, can you?’

While the Death Knights hesitated, the undead mage finished charging up.

Thanks to his contractor’s abundant magic, it didn’t take much time. And with all the surrounding shadow energy…

-Be engraved upon me, Pentagrammaton!

With overflowing power, the undead mage even used a personal sub-world.

All normal black magic limitations on both the mage and their immediate circle were lifted, and dozens, hundreds, of spells completed themselves faster than the eye or ear could register.

Black auras encased the Death Knights, thickening their armor. Their swords, burning with negative energy, became sharper and deadlier.

-Jat-hargak balm lenehgh■■■■…

The incantations blurred into unintelligible syllables, moving far faster than human understanding. Yet even as dozens of spells overlapped, they neither clashed nor conflicted. Every magic was cast faultlessly, massively empowering the Death Knights and weakening Anansi.

-Aaaagh!

Anansi, who until now had relied on her tough exoskeleton and rampaged fearlessly, finally groaned in pain under the tidal wave of curses.

The fully-empowered Death Knights lunged with a roar.

-Wait, wait! Please, wait!

-Too late. Should’ve listened earlier!

Drawing on the power they’d sworn to in death, the Death Knights’ authority let them accept limitless darkness—a boon that, even if their living magic potential was gone, gave them endless wellsprings of negative force.

With black magic fueling them, the Death Knights unleashed thick clouds of shadow auras and butchered Anansi.

-Excellent!

The undead mage smiled in satisfaction at the Death Knights’ performance.

He’d wondered about their fear when they saw his family name, but their battle prowess made it clear—they’d been valiant even in life.

Thud!

Finally, the giant spider collapsed, and the undead mage offered the knights his thanks.

-Well done, everyone. May your blades be as eternal as your fame!

-Mage, may your spells be eternal and undying!

-How did that spider get out, anyway?

-Pfft, the master was just testing the students, as usual…

-……

The undead mage stared at Lee Han with his mouth agape.

Lee Han promptly fled to his classmates.

• * *

After the battle, as they rounded up the chaos (including calming an undead mage who was so riled up he started cursing and had to be sent away), the Death Knights resumed inspections.

This time, things went quietly and peacefully.

All the smuggling students had already been caught and everyone else was worn out.

-You may pass.

“Thank you.”

-You may pass.

“Hey, is that the one from earlier?”

-I said pass. But if you want an answer, yes, that’s true.

“Wow…”

“Is that Wardanaz? I thought he was just an Einrogard rumor.”

“You mean he’s not one of the skeleton principal’s fake rumors?”

Even amid the earlier chaos, seniors who’d seen Lee Han running among Anansi’s poisonous breath, fighting alongside the Death Knights, now stared in awe and swapped whispers.

To avoid attention, Lee Han picked up Gainando and carried him. Gainando flailed, displeased.

-You may pass.

“Ah, yes. Sorry. Junior! Are you interested in the polo club—urk!”

The Death Knights enforced the rules uncompromisingly.

No club recruiting, no school recommendations, no trying to poach the freshly arrived second-years.

-No club recommendations, no research school pitches.

-And let’s be honest, research group recruiting is pointless anyway…

“……”

Lee Han shot the Death Knights a wounded look. Realizing too late, they coughed and avoided his gaze.

-Please hand over your bag.

“Here.”

Lee Han produced the bag he had packed to be confiscated.

The warehouse keeper and Death Knights glanced around, then whispered.

-You may go.

“Excuse me?”

-Just go through. Frankly, after all you’ve been through, you can take this much.

Even the warehouse keeper, whose eyes were covered with bandages, felt sympathy.

Among the skeleton principal’s minions, few could look at Lee Han and not feel sorry for him.

“…N-no, but you can’t just ignore school policy…”

Lee Han was taken aback.

Just to be sure, he asked,

“Is this because I fought alongside you against Anansi?”

His tone was desperate, striving to preserve the value of the exhausting underground smuggling plan.

-No, not at all. We always let the master’s protégé get away with bringing in a little.

-Please, just hurry along.

“…Thank you…”

Shoulders drooping, Lee Han gathered his bag and walked on.

The Death Knights were perplexed.

-Why isn’t he happier?

-He’s just acting. The master’s eyes are everywhere at this school.

-Indeed… It’s almost disrespectful to say, but the master’s protégé really isn’t just anyone.

-Heh. Of course not!

• * *

‘…It wasn’t a waste.’

Having cleared inspection and heading toward the Blue Dragon Tower, Lee Han’s spirits rebounded.

Of course, it was probably just because the Death Knights felt sorry for him that they let him bring his bag, but if he’d tried with a smuggling wagon, even they’d have balked.

Underground smuggling had definitely not been a waste.

“You’re right, Lee Han. It definitely wasn’t a waste.”

Gainando, unusually serious, spoke up.

Lee Han was a little touched.

“You think so too?”

“I sacrificed myself with that poison!”

“……”

Yoner whispered from the side.

“That’s the twenty-third time he’s said that.”

“…Just let him enjoy it till we reach the tower.”

After the inspection, as the second-years started arriving before the Blue Dragon Tower, they stopped when they saw a senior.

The Blue Dragon Tower senior, idly tapping the tip of his snakeskin boots as if bored, stood up when the second-years gathered.

“Looks like everyone’s here. I assume there are no second-years who ended up in the punishment room? If there are, let their friends pass along a message later. I’m Perse of House Quillberk. I’m moving up to the fourth year. I was waiting to explain to you all what life as a Bronze at Einrogard is like.”

“Senior, are you… the fourth-year rep… the student council president… or whatever they have here?”

“No. I’m only here because I lost at rock-paper-scissors, and that thing you mentioned does not exist. Even if the principal says there’s a student council, don’t fall for it, unless you want to become a laughing stock. Back in my day, I got tricked into trying to become student council president because of the principal’s words.”

“……”

Perse was tall and muscular—he probably fit the White Tiger Tower more than the Blue Dragon Tower.

From the magic worked onto his snakeskin boots and the polo mallet slung over his back, Lee Han realized he must really love polo. Or just used the mallet as a weapon.

“It’s really fortunate none of you tried to smuggle. Someone falls for it every year.”

“Shouldn’t the seniors have warned everyone more?”

To this, Perse just shrugged.

“The more we warn, the more you want to do it. Funny how that works, huh?”

“……”

“Anyway, let’s get started. I’m a fourth-year, I don’t have much time. The main things you should know about for this year are clubs, classes, and jobs. Club members will come explain starting tomorrow, so let’s start with classes. Who here is taking one specialization?”

A few students raised their hands. Perse nodded.

“It’s fine to take another in your second year. It gives you more flexibility in your research. Who’s doing two?”

Quite a few students raised their hands. Perse looked satisfied.

“Blue Dragon Tower always has the most academic and clever students. Anyone doing three?”

Adenart raised her hand, and Perse bowed his head in respect.

Any mage who pursued three specializations, even a junior, was worthy of such an honor.

“My respect. It’s an impressive achievement, but if it gets tough, consider dropping one. The professors will understand.”

‘Is that so?’

Lee Han cocked his head inwardly.

Didn’t seem that way to him…