Episode 812

I won.

Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

Baquantalana and Bulgasari, who’d only gotten criticized trying to tell the truth, slipped away quietly.

‘Sorry. If the truth comes out next time, yell at me then.’

If, in the future, the truth is revealed and the two rage, screaming “Gonadaltes, come out here!” Lee Han decided he’d just quietly keep his mouth shut.

This time, Lee Han was only able to win thanks to some good luck.

If the Baldrogard students hadn’t spread the rumor that “it was a 5th or 6th year.”

‘Well. They still wouldn’t have believed I did it, right? I’m still a 2nd year.’

In that sense, Bulgasari was truly a strange one.

How could anyone suspect Lee Han himself, in this situation?

Was he just naturally perceptive, or did he know something Lee Han didn’t…?

‘Should I have played the liar even more? I need more time for the rumor to spread.’

He didn’t care if the truth came out later, as long as the rumor had spread sufficiently by then.

That would make it much easier to make excuses.

“Junior. What are you doing here?”

“!”

Startled by the voice in front of him, Lee Han, who’d been manipulating public opinion in an empty classroom, froze.

Direte, passing by in the hallway, spotted the junior and asked.

“I was previewing next week’s magic!”

“…Uh, right.”

‘Oops.’

Seeing the pitying gaze from his academic senior, Lee Han realized he’d said something wrong.

It was the weekend during festival events, and he was alone previewing magic in a classroom.

Anyone would think he was a complete magic maniac.

“I just did it for a moment. Just a moment! It suddenly popped into my head!”

“Usually, people don’t study just because the idea pops in for a moment… Well, fine. Junior, come with me a bit. I’ll show you something.”

Direte waved, as if the timing was perfect.

The usual emotions in this crow beastkin student’s face were fatigue, weariness, irritation, and pity, but today, delight and joy were unusually visible.

“??”

Lee Han was bewildered.

‘Did the principal get thrown into the imperial prison or something?’

If not for that, he didn’t think that sort of smile was possible…

“Is something up?”

“Huh? Oh, can you tell? Hehe.”

‘Did he really get imprisoned??’

As Direte spoke in an excited voice, Lee Han grew even more bewildered.

Indeed, the skull principal hadn’t been seen lately.

“Should I tell you? Or maybe it’s better if you see for yourself… No, maybe I’ll just tell you now?”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Ah. It’s fine. I was rambling, wasn’t I?”

Direte cleared his throat awkwardly and calmed his emotions.

No matter how happy he was, he still had dignity as a senior.

Even the wings fluttering behind him regained composure as Direte began to explain again.

“Junior, don’t be shocked, alright? Don’t faint. Seriously.”

“…P-principal really did get imprisoned?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. So, what’s the news?”

“…A donation came into the necromancy school!!”

“Ah.”

Lee Han understood at last.

It seemed the news that Intarendals (Dalkard) family had donated gold had just reached Direte.

“…Aren’t you happy?”

Direte stared at his junior with eyes mixed with disappointment and embarrassment.

He had definitely thought his junior would be ecstatic on hearing the news.

Seeing a 2nd year junior diligently fill the necromancy coffers with gold he’d earned with his own tiny hands left him wrenched with emotion.

He’d thought that finally, the necromancy school wouldn’t have to force such dirty work on anyone anymore…

“Wowww! This is such a miracle! I’m so happy!”

Realizing his mistake, Lee Han dramatically flung himself backwards.

As he crashed to the floor and shouted, the baby basilisk hidden in his sleeve was startled enough to scream.

“…You’re really bad at acting.”

“I don’t know what you mean! I must be so surprised I can’t comprehend anything!”

“Hey. Knock it off. Anyway, did you know this already?”

“Yes.”

“How?? I just heard it myself and you weren’t there?”

“Hmm. You have to keep this a secret.”

“On my honor and my heart. Go ahead.”

Lee Han briefly explained what had happened over the weekend.

That the Mad Clone had revived an ancient subordinate, and that the ancient subordinate had used the family’s blood and wealth to make the donation…

Crash!

Direte was so shocked she fell backwards.

“Uh, was there any reason for you to fake that reaction?”

“That was from real surprise… You foolish junior!”

Muttering, she took Lee Han’s hand and got up from the hallway floor.

Direte was tormented.

No matter how you put it, it felt like blood money gained by selling a junior.

The happiness she’d felt at the donation was utterly gone, replaced by a heavy feeling.

“Hold on. Junior. Did you by any chance show ancient magic to students from other schools?”

“…Huh? I’m not sure. Did Yuk…”

“Yukveltire kept bugging me about it, so I finally asked if something was up. He said it was nothing, but there’s a rumor he cast forbidden ancient magic going around!”

“…Gasp!”

‘The rumor’s spread faster than I thought.’

Lee Han was a bit impressed.

Apparently, the Watchman Club members were more loose-lipped than he expected. For it to have reached Yukveltire himself already…

“Isn’t that a good thing? Aren’t you becoming famous?”

“…Junior, that’s… not how a 2nd year should be thinking…”

“Actually, I heard it from Senior Falkrius.”

Without hesitation, Lee Han dragged a senior into it.

He was starting to feel like he was juggling on a tightrope, but he had no other choice.

“It’s not bad, sure, but Yukveltire is prouder than you’d think. He really hates getting praised for things he didn’t do. There was a time when he couldn’t finish an assignment in time and collapsed, and I secretly helped him, but he got so sulky he ignored me for a whole week.”

“That’s just total trash!”

“N-no, it’s not quite… Maybe it is? If it’s you, I guess it’s understandable.”

Direte seemed torn whether to defend or criticize, recalling what Yukveltire had done to his junior.

“…Anyway. You did it, right? The moment I heard it from Yukveltire, I immediately thought of you, but I figured, no way, how would you even learn such ancient magic, so I just let it go.”

“Yes. Honestly, I did.”

Lee Han gave up and confessed.

He did his best to explain that he’d been forced, threatened by the Mad Clone wielding a staff.

Good-natured Direte’s heart ached hearing his junior’s story.

“That damned Clone really…! I told them it needs to be wiped out quickly.”

“You’re absolutely right!”

“But Junior, can you explain in a bit more detail what magic you used?”

Direte glanced at his junior with eager, black eyes burning with curiosity.

“……”

“Ah, no. Just academic curiosity… You know, forbidden ancient necromancy… It’s interesting… Sorry. My bad.”

• * *

Still, Lee Han eventually began explaining about the Black Lord.

A third of the explanation was just cursing the Mad Clone and the Kalarogard and Baldrogard students.

Direte felt guilty for squeezing magical details from a junior who’d been through so much, and so made no comments.

“Does it even make sense for a 4th year to come here? These Baldro bastards! I’d heard even Baldrogard 4th years were supposed to be different, but I was totally fooled!”

“Ah, well… That’s, you know. Sometimes there are Baldrogard students who actually study magic seriously, but…”

“Really?”

Lee Han reacted as skeptically as he did when he heard that “the Empire has some nice professors.”

Did such a thing really exist?

“…Students like that usually don’t come to Einrogard during festival season.”

“……”

It was true.

If a Baldrogard student was sane and studied magic seriously, they would be carefully saving every day to study, not hiring people to party at Einrogard.

“Anyway, this is how you summon. I hear that a demigod’s authority can even be controlled by the mage. Back in the day, necromancers built a demigod that could control water to create an underwater city…”

Direte’s eyes sparkled as she scribbled her junior’s words onto paper.

Opportunities to hear about ancient secrets handed down by practicing mages were rare.

“Senior, aren’t you enjoying this just a bit too much?”

“…K-knowledge isn’t a crime, okay?”

Clink!

Just then, the -Echo Stone- shone again and projected an apparition.

The Mad Clone glared at Lee Han as if he couldn’t believe it.

You’ve figured out the structure, have you.

“My disciple must have fiddled around and triggered this by mistake… My apologies.”

Is this the workshop of necromancers?

Noticing the vibe of Professor Mortum’s tower, the Black Hall, the Mad Clone looked around.

Seems it was made by a pretty competent necromancer.

“!”

Lee Han was surprised by the Mad Clone’s remark. He had rarely heard the clone speak well of a mage.

‘Well, thinking about it, it would make sense that he’s a distant disciple.’

After all, the clone had been separated from the skull principal in ancient times, while Professor Mortum was a disciple of the current skull principal. No wonder the Mad Clone would be positive about Professor Mortum’s magic.

But something was off.

“What’s that?”

It’s far too impoverished. Has a group of bandits swept through here recently?

“……”

“……”

The two necromancy students fell silent at the same time.

Lee Han, unable to say directly, answered indirectly.

“That seems to be the case.”

Those scoundrels… Disciple. Hunt those bandits down and make them pay in full.

“Yes! I will erase them from this world!”

Direte looked at the junior with pity.

Meanwhile, the Mad Clone finally noticed Direte’s presence. Looking her over coldly, he pronounced:

Are you the master’s disciple? Not bad yourself.

“No!”

Lee Han shouted in surprise.

If the Mad Clone took Direte as his disciple too…

She was already unlucky enough to be a 5th year. That would be just too much.

What are you babbling about?

“Weren’t you about to take her as a disciple?”

…Disciple. If you spout nonsense one more time, I’ll turn your tongue into lead. If you saw a decent-looking stone on the street, would you make it your disciple? Besides, she’s soft and lacks the necessary temperament. That’s a fatal flaw.

“Isn’t that a bit more like a compliment…”

Lee Han began to object, but stopped.

‘Wait. Then what about me?’

As he bristled, the Mad Clone asked again.

Who is the master of this workshop?

“It’s Professor Mortum.”

And that one?

Direte answered instead.

Since it was an ancient being tormenting her junior, her voice was quite blunt.

“A senior of the same school.”

I see. Both of you, knock…

Pop!

Lee Han turned off the -Echo Stone- again.

“Hmph. Go talk nonsense to Antagondals.”

At that, Direte, who had been watching, was rather taken aback.

…Is it really okay to talk to an ancient being like that?!