Episode 755

Fortunately, the disguises seemed to be working, and the hounds kept scattering.

There were so many beings in the area radiating an aura similar to the target that the hounds were left confused.

Professor Verdus grumbled as he watched the hounds slamming into the reverse field.

“Why do they seem to be coming for us the most?”

“Waaah! Professor! One of them is grabbing me!”

Gainando screamed.

The flying vehicle Professor Verdus had made, shaped like a broad vessel, wasn’t very stable, so the hounds crashing into it rocked it side to side.

“They can’t break through the shield anyway.”

“But they keep glaring at us!”

Gainando banged the shield that protected the vehicle, shuddering at the demon hounds dripping acidic drool.

Every time the spit hit, it smoked black—frightening to behold.

“Just throw them off yourself!”

“How am I supposed to?!”

“Figure it out, like Wardanaz!”

Professor Verdus was too busy using artifacts to sweep away the hounds charging from ahead to explain in detail.

Even if he had time, he’d have just given a half-baked answer anyway, but right now, his hands were truly full.

Click!

A golden disc-shaped artifact materialized in midair.

The artifact burned as if it had gathered the sun’s rays, belching flames at the hounds trying to teleport in from the front.

Fwoooosh!

It didn’t end there. A round drum appeared next, and with every beat, it swept away the hounds.

“Amazing!”

Angrago exclaimed in spite of himself.

Seeing these things in action, he understood why someone like Professor Verdus could remain a professor at Einrogard.

If nothing else, his artifact-making skill was in a league of its own.

“Garcia! Baegrek! Help me out!”

But Professor Verdus wasn’t enjoying having to waste his precious artifacts on mid-escape combat.

These artifacts were powerful, but their durability left much to be desired.

Each time he let loose magic at the beast-like demons, the artifacts or the vehicle would take damage.

But the other professors totally ignored him.

Professor Verdus reluctantly pulled out another artifact.

“Stupid demons! Gonadaltes should’ve swept the demon realm clean!”

“Professor!”

“These artifacts are expensive. This one’s… too well made. This one is iffy…”

“Professor!!”

Annoyed by Angrago’s persistence, Professor Verdus snapped.

“Gainando’s gone!”

“……”

Remembering Garcia’s warning, Professor Verdus’s face went just a bit pale.

• * *

“Lee Han, you really went through a lot!”

“No, thank you, Professor. And all of you…”

When they reached the main building, the remaining hounds gave up and retreated.

Professor Garcia breathed a sigh of relief at Lee Han and the other students’ safe arrival.

“Professor Bible! You did well too.”

“Mmm.”

“Professor?”

“Mmm…”

“Aren’t we missing someone…?”

Everyone quickly checked the headcount.

Gainando was missing.

“…He disappeared at some point…”

“……”

“……”

While everyone was in shock, Professor Garcia began shaking Professor Verdus up and down.

“Are you serious! Now! You’re only telling us NOW?!”

“Urk, ugh, guh…”

“Go get him! Now!”

“Okay! Okay! I’ll find him!”

Normally he would have said, “Why should I?” a few times, but with Garcia grabbing him by the collar, Professor Verdus could only accept straight away.

Thud!

“?”

At the noise outside, the students curiously poked their heads out.

The hounds had tossed Gainando back and vanished in the distance.

“……”

“How… did you get back?”

Looking dejected, Gainando answered his friends’ question.

“The doppelgänger saw me and told them to put me back where I was.”

“…That’s why he’s crazy!”

“Yeah, he’s so mad he can’t even recognize people right!”

“We’re just glad you made it back, Gainando!”

The friends gathered around, trying to comfort him.

It really was lucky Gainando made it back unscathed.

Just look at Lee Han—it only took getting caught once to suffer for nearly a week.

In a way, being sent packing right away was lucky…

“Garcia, I’m back now, so let me go.”

“……”

“Why are you looking—ack, ack!”

• * *

“Lee Han, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Wardanaz, are you alright?”

“I said I’m fine…”

“Wardanaz, the White Tiger Tower guys brought fruit as a get-well gift. Personally, I think there’s a good chance it’s poisoned…”

“……”

Having had enough, Lee Han chased his friends out and hung a sign on his private room door: -Resting, No Visitors-.

Amazingly, Lee Han was finally resting now.

After a week of suffering since being kidnapped over the weekend, Professor Garcia had ordered it.

-You’ve only got two days, so rest until the weekend. I’ll inform the other professors.

-Are you sure that’s okay, Professor? Won’t the others…

-Don’t worry. I can handle this much.

‘But I am a bit worried.’

Lee Han was concerned for Garcia.

Physically, Professor Garcia was among the most capable in all Einrogard’s faculty, but the professor world was driven by age and seniority more than that.

Being the youngest, it was a bit worrying to hear him talking like that.

Congratulations on coming back safely from the most dangerous foe. I’m sending you this book as a gift.

Illeg Chaegla

I plan to lodge a formal complaint about the principal’s doppelgänger abducting someone mid-club project. Once you’re better, let’s build a lighthouse together at the 7th-floor glacier zone. I’ll send the plans too.

Erde Marcan

I’m sending this basket for a junior who probably starved while captured. Eat well, but don’t tell other club members.

Senior Falkrius

I never imagined a top polo player could be kidnapped inside the school. Even so, respect for your escape on a griffon. Here, I picked up a few toys—try them out on your friends while you rest.

Carnella Hormashi

Unlike his classmates, Lee Han’s seniors sent letters and gifts.

From Senior Illeg, -Escape from Einrogard-, a novel about a wizard escaping Einrogard (amazingly, written by a senior who graduated decades ago).

From the stonemason club, a plan for the -Soo Binggwang Tower- in the glacial zone, which they’ve been preparing for ten years for stable reagent supply.

From Senior Falkrius, a basket crammed with beef, pork, lamb, horse, chicken, wyvern, venison, goose, duck, rabbit, and drake meats.

And a strange toy-like artifact from Senior Carnella.

‘What’s this?’

Lee Han eyed the artifact—a rod with a bell attached—curiously.

Were they telling him to shake it every time his friends studied?

‘If I train like that, maybe eventually I’ll just be able to study with this stick alone.’

-!

When he shook the rod, his basilisk excitedly hissed and flicked its tail.

That’s when Lee Han realized it was a toy for animals.

He reflected on treating his friends like pets, and quietly set the toy aside.

-Senior, thank you again for your help. I feel bad—I think I took too much of your time. Is the Black Magic school alright?

Lee Han left a message for Direte.

The reply came faster than expected.

-Don’t worry about that at all.

-But senior, I was curious. I heard Senior Yukbeltire helped too—why did she help me?

-Same tower, same enchanting magic school, right? Even if she pretends not to, Yukbeltire worries about you too.

-Aha. Thank you.

-Yeah. Get some good rest! Don’t go out for a while!

‘That’s a lie.’

Lee Han decided coldly.

As a Verdus expert, that half-baked fib was fooling nobody.

“Same tower, same magic school” sentiment never worked on Professor Verdus.

And in Lee Han’s eyes, Yukbeltire was someone quite similar.

‘Could it be she even made some weird deal to help me? Paid imperial silver…’

Or, worst of all, imperial gold.

If such an awful contract was made, Lee Han would be wracked with guilt.

Iaactus: So the situation’s handled now?

Bakwantalana: You could say that.

Iaactus: Damn. The mountains will be off limits for a while. Still, that second-year—escaped impressively. No wonder he’s a cross-school enrollee.

Bakwantalana: I usually dislike overpraising, but have to agree.

‘!’

For the first time in a while, Lee Han checked the -Guardians of Einrogard- page and found the members chatting.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Anything magical worth salvaging?

Iaactus: Probably, but unless you don’t care about dying, I wouldn’t recommend going near. Even fifth-years couldn’t do anything till the faculty arrived.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Pity. I’m interested in ancient magic.

‘A newcomer.’

Iaactus and Bakwantalana, Lee Han remembered from last time, but Beaver-Penguin-Fox was new.

‘Why did they have to pick “beaver” for their username?’

It gave him a bad feeling, but Lee Han greeted them first.

Gonadaltes: Nice to meet you all.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: …P-principal??

Iaactus: No, just a crazy newbie.

Iaactus and Bakwantalana explained about the new member’s handle.

Once the misunderstanding cleared, Beaver-Penguin-Fox filled the feed with a 29-line curse rant.

“……”

Feeling a little wronged, Lee Han protested.

Gonadaltes: Your username is weird too.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: My name? How?

Gonadaltes: It’s got “beaver” in it. Professor Verdus is a beaver beastkin.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: …I just picked some cute animals. It’s creepier that you thought that way.

Iaactus: Right, Gonadaltes. Why are you linking Professor Verdus to perfectly innocent animals? If I can’t look at beavers without thinking of that professor, it’s your fault.

‘Such mean people.’

Lee Han sighed at the hazing from the veteran members.

He clearly wasn’t the strange one, but they still blamed him. No matter where you go, there’s always hazing.

Gonadaltes: Speaking of fifth-year students, does anyone know about Direte from the Black Magic school?

Iaactus: Who doesn’t?

Bakwantalana: If you don’t, you must be a first-year.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Why?

Gonadaltes: I want to write to him for help with magic research, but what do I have to pay to get his help?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: It’ll be hard for a while. He’s helping out the enchanting magic school.

Gonadaltes: Helping the enchanting magic school?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Yeah.

Lee Han put down his quill in despair.

If he’s working with enchanting magic this time of year, it had to be Yukbeltire.

A deal more fiendish than imperial silver or gold must’ve gone down!

‘Doesn’t even deserve to be called a senior.’

Exploiting a junior’s misfortune just for personal gain—no wonder he was Professor Verdus’s disciple.

Gonadaltes: I see. Thanks all, I’ll get going.

Iaactus: Just leaving? You have to answer something before you disappear.

Gonadaltes: Then ask.

Annoyed by the newbie’s arrogance, Iaactus decided to play a little trick, throwing a deliberately difficult question.

Iaactus: There’s a rumor that a magical criminal was involved in the incident. Do you know who it was?

Gonadaltes: Antagondals. Be careful, everyone. He’s not your usual eccentric mage.

Iaactus: ……