Episode 802

A being even more frightening than the Skeleton Principal’s henchman was, undoubtedly, a henchman of the Skeleton Principal—who didn’t even know about the principalship.

That meant…

“So… Exactly who is this Lord Gonadaltes?”

Lee Han asked, hanging onto the faint hope there might be someone in the Empire with the same name.

“He’s an enlightened archmage, a noble blood of royal lineage, one destined with the great Wheel of Fate! Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“…Intarendals, where are you from?”

“I hail from the Kingdom of Margada.”

“……”

Currently, the Kingdom of Margada didn’t even exist in the Empire. Lee Han’s mind reeled at the kingdom’s name, a place he’d only ever heard of from the Three Kingdoms era.

This confirmed the other’s identity completely.

He wasn’t the Skeleton Principal’s henchman, but the mad clone’s follower.

‘Is this really okay for Einrogard’s defenses?’

Of course, as wide as the region was, you couldn’t block all infiltrations, but if there was a mad monster in your territory, shouldn’t you be a bit more alert?

To think a mad monster’s follower would just walk right in like this…

“How did you even get in?”

“What do you mean?”

“Einrogard territory is protected by powerful magic. Especially nowadays, it should be more so.”

Lee Han was afraid and in pain, but strained desperately to get any more information out of this enemy.

He’d have to report this to the death knights and have the defenses strengthened.

“Naturally, I entered with permission.”

Intarendals smiled nobly. He seemed to think Lee Han was joking.

“…Permission?”

“Yes. Are you curious about the document of authorization?”

“…I’d appreciate it if you’d show me.”

Lee Han barely held on to his composure and requested.

Amazingly, the papers Intarendals handed over were genuine.

By the seal of the Dalkard family and a drop of blood as proof of status, the following person is permitted entry to Einrogard. If the promised gold is not spent, a curse will…

Einrogard’s regulations were not sloppy.

First, to visit during Club Week, one had to prove their identity beyond doubt.

For noble families, that meant the seal on their ring and a drop of blood.

Neither was easy to forge, so it was a foolproof proof of identity.

And if you could provide such proof, you’d state ‘I will certainly sponsor or invest at least this much,’ and then be allowed into Einrogard…

“??????”

Lee Han cocked his head in confusion.

‘The Dalkard family should be Ahsan’s family.’

Ahsan, his friend from the Blue Dragon Tower.

Why would an ancient, high noble family that had been the empire’s treasurer for generations cooperate with a mad clone?

‘Ahsan… Don’t tell me you were a traitor…!’

While Lee Han was trembling with an absurd sense of betrayal, Intarendals sent him a look of concern.

It seemed the noble boy before him wasn’t in good health. He’d been looking pale and staggering the whole time.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Um… I’m just curious, but are you from the Dalkard family? I feel like I’ve never heard of you.”

“Aha.”

Intarendals laughed graciously.

Only then did he seem to realize why the boy was flustered.

“I’m not a member of the Dalkard family in the ‘present’. Besides, when I was alive, the family’s name wasn’t even Dalkard. Back then, names weren’t in this style either.”

“……”

Amazingly, the person before Lee Han was a distant ancestor of the Dalkard family.

Now, even that name was forgotten to history.

Staring at the antique signet ring and drop of blood the other presented, Lee Han was dumbfounded.

And the Dalkard family would be even more so.

Someone was impersonating their family, and it turned out to be an ancestor resurrected from the dead.

‘It’s a nightmare beyond reason.’

“I have been resurrected for a short while by Lord Gonadaltes’s command to visit Einrogard. Does that explain things a bit?”

Intarendals, once chamberlain to Gonadaltes, had briefly defied death at his master’s order.

And to visit Einrogard, he brought an old signet ring and fortune. Luckily, there was a fair bit of gold his descendants had lost track of.

‘I’ll have to… I’ll have to ask about that later. I can’t ask right now.’

Lee Han was so shocked, even after hearing about the gold, that he didn’t even think to ask where it was buried.

“I think I understand a bit. Why are you looking for a boy named Lee Han of the Wardanaz family?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that, since it concerns my mission. By any chance, do you have any ideas?”

“Ah! I just remembered. I heard he was a sixth year. Maybe you should look among the sixth years.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Intarendals turned around to bow elegantly, but the boy was already gone in a flash.

‘Impatient youth!’

• * *

“Puhuh! Where are you going?”

As Lee Han tried to make a quick escape from the seventh floor village area, Falkrius caught him.

“Senior, have you been bribed!?”

“Huh? What bribe?”

“Never mind. Please let go. Something urgent just came up.”

“What do you mean? What could be more urgent than extorting gold from an outsider?”

The pot-bellied kitchen club senior didn’t understand what Lee Han was talking about.

After all that preparation, now he was leaving?

“Puhuh… You’re scared, aren’t you? Right?”

“I am a bit scared…”

“Even a genius like you gets scared, huh. But everyone goes through it. I was the same.”

Falkrius looked across with sentimental eyes.

He recalled the moment when he first experienced Club Week as a second year.

It had been hectic and truly frightening. Even when guests asked politely, he felt like they were criticizing his magic.

-Is this magic cauldron any good?

-D-did you just insult my cauldron?!

‘Ah, memories.’

Falkrius silently apologized once again to the guest who had to be dunked headfirst in the pot because of him, and looked at his junior with encouragement.

“But Wardanaz! It’s something everyone has to overcome. Besides, if anyone can, you can do it better than anyone. If you can’t, who else could?”

“That’s not why I’m scared, Senior.”

“I said there’s never anything 100% certain, right? Puhuh. But if anyone could be close to 100%, it’d be you. You’re a rare genius even in the Empire’s magic schools.”

The pot-bellied senior thumped Lee Han’s back hard in encouragement.

He didn’t usually compliment Lee Han so he wouldn’t get cocky, but Lee Han’s abilities were good enough to let him swagger in front of any senior at Einrogard.

“And above all, there are guests who want to see you. Come. I’ll help you get some gold!”

“It isn’t a guest dressed in old-fashioned clothes, is it?”

Falkrius laughed, not understanding, and dragged Lee Han away.

Inside the kitchen club’s dining hall, several outside guests were already there, watching with fascination.

“Look, this kitchen knife will cut just the gap between bone and flesh, even for the clumsiest wielder. Imagine if the butcher guild adopted this knife!”

“Hm. But then our guild’s craftsmen might lose their competitive edge.”

“…Ah… I hadn’t thought of that. How about we cut back on the number of craftsmen?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The guests from the bakery and butchery guilds each commented on the kitchen club members’ magic research.

Then, seeing Lee Han and Falkrius, they called out.

“Falkrius!”

“Hello, Mr. Goladek!”

“I’m much better than when you stuffed me in the pot two years ago!”

“Puhuhu. My apologies!”

“No need. Thanks to your magic, I managed to put the arrogant confectioners in their place.”

Goladek from the bakery guild praised Falkrius repeatedly.

If not for this wizard from Einrogard, the bakery guild would have lost the great capital sugar war!

“Is this junior the one?”

“Yes, Mr. Goladek.”

Lee Han glanced around to shake off his tension. Luckily, there was no sign of Intarendals.

“Hello, I am…”

“You are Lee Han of the Wardanaz family, aren’t you?”

“I hear you take all the magic schools. Is that true?”

“They say you’re already recognized by outside wizards? Did Yoanen Meikin of House Meikin really recognize you?”

“Master Puyo has mentioned your name, too. Surprised me.”

“I heard you’re already discussing research with fifth year seniors. Did you really complete fifth circle magic?”

“…??????”

Lee Han was bewildered by the guests introducing him before he even got to do it himself.

What in the world?

“How do you know all this?”

“Puhuh. Wardanaz, the people visiting here aren’t fools! They do very thorough, sharp research.”

Just because someone was rich didn’t mean they’d waste their gold coins.

At least, those gathered here wanted to invest their gold in the best talent.

Goladek smiled with pride.

“Of course, even though Einrogard is a secret home of magic, our guildmasters have ears all over the Empire. Dare I say, we don’t miss a thing. Isn’t that right?”

“……”

Lee Han recalled the countless formidable foes he fought this year and last.

Then, quickly, he put on his smile.

“Truly nothing can be hidden from you. Not a single thing has slipped past!”

“Isn’t that so? Haha.”

“I want to sponsor you.”

“And me!”

Lee Han hesitated at the guests’ offers.

“I haven’t even spoken about my research yet?”

“What’s so important about research? It’s the person who matters.”

‘No way…!’

Nearby, a senior’s hand with a ladle was trembling.

They’d criticized his masterpiece, -The Bowl That Lets You Endure Eating Poison Dishes-, for poor market value!

‘This is why non-wizards…! They don’t know anything!’

Falkrius looked at Lee Han’s success with pride.

“Puhu. Congratulations, Wardanaz. Looks like it’ll go well. But don’t get too arrogant! Even mild-mannered patrons can get angry if you act like Professor Verdus.”

At Falkrius’s words, the guests instantly bristled.

“What nonsense is that?”

“Don’t even mention that ominous name!”

“…So, what exactly do I have to do?”

Lee Han asked, needing to be sure.

Free gold was great, but there’s no such thing as truly free gold.

Falkrius waved his huge, pot-lid-sized hand as if to say not to worry and explained.

“Like I said, as long as you don’t act freely like Pro Verdus, patrons and investors won’t get angry at all. Show them what you’re working on, and if there’s a request from a patron or sponsor, take it.”

“A request?”

“Suggestions on research direction… improvements, sometimes even checking whether their child has magic talent.”

‘Doesn’t sound so hard.’

For proud, fussy wizards, such suggestions might have been insulting, but as long as Lee Han got the gold, he could put on a grand magical birthday party at a sponsor’s mansion.

He didn’t know exactly what Professor Verdus had done, but…

‘…I won’t go that far, right?’

“Twenty imperial gold coins.”

“I’ll put in thirty.”

“Sixty…”

While the sponsors were discussing the sums, someone asked Falkrius:

“Is this the place with Lee Han from the Wardanaz family?”

“Yes.”

“I see. And those others?”

“They’re people gathered to sponsor him.”

“You can tell them all to leave. I alone am enough for Lee Han’s sponsorship.”

“…Excuse me?”

Falkrius was confused at what this person was saying.

Intarendals dragged out a huge, gold-filled chest and slammed it down with a bang.

“Sponsoring Lee Han of the Wardanaz family is something I can do on my own. The rest of you should support other wizards.”

“…!”

“!!!!”