Episode 838

Fortunately, this time Lee Han didn’t get dragged off by Saratan—he just collapsed.

Lying on his back, Lee Han asked in a tone of despair,

“Did Gainando really carry me?”

“Technically… he supported you.”

“Lee Han!”

Freed from Lagesa’s magic, Gainando trotted over cluelessly.

“I held onto Lagesa for you!”

“?”

“??”

The friends were puzzled by this unfamiliar so-called strategic purpose, but Lee Han calmly nodded.

“I see.”

Smack!

“Ouch!”

“Hey, idiot. With a prophecy going around, why would you thoughtlessly touch me when I collapsed?!”

“… But it was—an, an emergency! I thought those White Tiger Tower jerks might kidnap you, Lee Han!”

-What kind of nutjob is this??

-Hey, you crazy prince! Why would we kidnap Wardanaz?!

-But it’d be kind of nice, right? Meals, magic lectures…

-Shut up.

Ignoring the protesting White Tiger Tower students, Gainando did his utmost to defame them.

Smack!

“Now’s the time to stick together, not babble such nonsense!”

“N-no… They all helped too…”

The Blue Dragon Tower students who’d helped Lee Han looked away in a hurry.

Only Adenart fidgeted in guilt, not knowing what to do.

Adenart had made the same mistake as Gainando, but since no one was scolding him, he felt even more guilty.

“Yeah, that’s right! Adenart helped too! He probably doubled the misfortune!”

‘He’s my friend, but seriously, what a piece of trash.’

The Blue Dragon Tower students were in awe. How could he drag another friend down in a moment like this?

“S-sorry, Wardanaz.”

Smack!

“You should have stopped him! You heard more about the prophecy than anyone!”

The new staff made a much crisper sound with three thwacks that cooled Lee Han’s anger.

“It’s fine. Not much we can do now, anyway.”

‘Jeez… Why not just forgive me before hitting me?’

Gainando grumbled inwardly.

If he was going to let it go, why not just do that BEFORE hitting him?

“Since it was done to avoid the prophecy, breaking the rule doesn’t mean twice as much misfortune. Maybe it’s already over.”

Tijilling spoke up to comfort Lee Han.

He only needed to avoid contact with royals to avoid misfortune, and now that it had already happened, it was all over. Even if it happened more, it wouldn’t multiply misfortune.

Siana, listening nearby, tilted her head and asked,

“I don’t really listen to divination magic, but aren’t there misfortunes that, like a shower, are over after you endure them—but also misfortunes that, like a cloud, remain no matter what? For those, doesn’t breaking the prophecy mean you just get more and more misfortune?”

“…Thank you for pointing that out…”

Tijilling, who’d tried to comfort Lee Han with a half-truth, slumped.

Lee Han also drooped. Siana only realized she’d said something wrong and hastily backtracked.

“Ah, no! Maybe it’s already all over!”

“Or maybe not. You met a demon duke and the Spirit King, so… hmm… next you might meet some dimensional monster.”

“But at least the Spirit King was kind!”

“Siana, priest, I didn’t mean the King of Broadcloth.”

“??”

Lee Han let out a light sigh and got up.

Whether the misfortune was over or just beginning and piling up from all this royal contact, he didn’t know, but it was time to get ready to leave.

Since King of Broadcloth had promised and opened this dimension, probably little time had passed outside, but if they overstayed, who knew what would happen?

Time might suddenly accelerate, or, worst case, the dimensional gate might vanish altogether.

“Let’s get going, everyone. Wait a second. Lagesa, your mana feels weird—did you drink?”

“It’s a long story, brat.”

• * *

Professor Ingeldel sat with fifth-year White Tiger Tower student Catten, reading over a stack of reports.

“You don’t need to help, Ja Han. Just train your swordsmanship.”

“It’s fine. I’ll help and train at the same time.”

Despite still being a student, Catten of the Jahn family was already famous among imperial swordsmen.

He was rumored to be a prodigy, second only to Ziklin of the Moradi family.

Professor Ingeldel, knowing this, was quite interested in Catten.

‘It’s a shame.’

As a zero-school student, Catten couldn’t help much with the professor’s work.

Since the Skull Principal would always scold her for not doing something, Catten helped Ingeldel, but the professor wished Catten would focus solely on swordsmanship.

The value of a swordsman is in the sword, not various chores.

“Hup!”

Finishing sorting papers, Catten swung his sword beside him. With dozens of slashes, a sprout shot up from the ground.

“Haha! I did it! Professor, did you see that? Only ten thousand more tries and I might be able to make a tree!”

“……”

Professor Ingeldel looked at Catten with a complicated expression.

He believed that, while he’d help students with their swordsmanship, he wouldn’t change the direction they wanted to take.

But every time he watched Catten, the words, “Wouldn’t it be better to just focus on swordsmanship?” almost spilled from his lips.

Suppressing a sigh, Professor Ingeldel held back.

Catten must know she could grow much faster focusing solely on the sword.

But while aligning talent and passion is a blessing, there’s no rule you must follow your talent if your heart’s elsewhere.

If Catten wanted, he had every right to try that path.

…Even if, as a teacher, it was aggravating to watch.

‘I suppose I’ll just read more student reports.’

Professor Ingeldel shook his head lightly and grabbed the student-submitted reports.

Reading these instead of wielding swords was strange to her, but it was part of her job as a teacher.

‘Come to think of it…’

She sensed something odd.

The students had submitted these far earlier than expected, and every single student had submitted one.

‘Did everyone move together?’

A faint smile creased the scarred elf professor’s face.

There was nothing more pleasing than seeing students cooperate.

They were always squabbling, but the second-year students always came together in times of crisis.

Feeling satisfied with how well she’d chosen the latest quiz, Professor Ingeldel resolved to hold exams like this again.

She picked up the reports and paused at a name.

“…??”

Hello, Professor Ingeldel. I don’t attend your lectures, but since I worked hard and felt wronged, I’m submitting this report. If you find anyone from White Tiger Tower who did worse than me, please let me know.

–Gainando

Amazingly, even some students from other Towers who didn’t take her class had submitted reports.

Professor Ingeldel checked the names in disbelief. It was five or six of them.

‘…How many kids ended up going?’

Had the whole second year gone? She was baffled.

Professor Ingeldel searched for Wardanaz’s report. At times like this, it was best to start with the most reliable student.

Five days with the King of Broadcloth, Duke of Pride, Spirit Oppressor, Ironhead Beech King, and the Admiral of the Southern Privateer Fleet.

–Lee Han Wardanaz

“……”

Professor Ingeldel wondered whether she should avoid giving these sorts of assignments as long as a Wardanaz was in the year.

• * *

“Senior, could you look at the shape of this staff?”

“That’s really old-fashioned.”

Yukveltire made a rare sour face after seeing the branch Lee Han brought.

This was truly a classic style, used only long ago.

“Other than that, are there any real downsides?”

“Classic styles are classic for a reason. Of course there are. But, Wardanaz junior.”

Yukveltire paused and looked at Lee Han with piercing blue eyes.

“You’re acting out of character today.”

“Ah. Really?”

Lee Han, sitting across the classroom, feigned surprise. Speaking with bottled-up mana, his voice was loud and rang across the room.

Yukveltire waved her fingers as if to say ‘just get over here.’

“Come over here and talk.”

“No thank you, senior. I have an infectious disease.”

“Infectious disease?”

“Yes, Black Magic School students are prone to infectious diseases.”

“I suppose that’s true. Direte was the same.”

Yukveltire nodded.

Bringing over any old thing just to avoid contact, Lee Han suddenly felt sad.

“That’s interesting.”

“My infection?”

“Yeah. What kind of infectious disease?”

Normally uninterested in healing or potion alchemy, Yukveltire was curious if a junior with that much mana could catch such a disease.

What kind of magical illness had gotten through all that mana?

“Uh… It’s sort of a disease combining the power of the Duke of Pride and the King of Broadcloth.”

“Really? Let me see.”

As Yukveltire approached, Lee Han hurriedly backed away and even threw up a telekinetic wall around himself.

“Junior Wardanaz. If you’re worried about spreading disease, don’t. I’m wearing defensive artifacts.”

“I see. But this disease gets through those, too.”

“Now I’m even more curious. Show me.”

“Wait. Tell me the staff’s weaknesses first. Last time, why did you recommend putting the branch as the core and covering it in obsidian?”

Yukveltire was curious about what kind of disease had both the Duke of Pride and King of Broadcloth, but held back and explained first.

“Because it’s the most efficient.”

“Are you saying this isn’t efficient?”

“That form is specialized for ancient magic. That’s why it’s classic. There’s no need to lose out when using modern imperial magic.”

“……”

Lee Han’s face stiffened as he realized the implication.

‘Damn Black Book…’

You should at least design modern-style staffs for kids learning magic these days—not just old ones because you’re an ancient spellbook!

Truly shameless.

“I can’t change the shape now, right? Especially with a sealed Spirit King inside?”

Yukveltire just stared silently.

Lee Han read her expression: ‘Are you sure you’re Direte’s junior for asking something so dumb?’

“I understand.”

“Good. Now, about that infectious—”

“In that case, I’ll see you next time I add the obsidian, Senior. Goodbye!”

Lee Han darted out the door, ignoring the call from inside.

You’ve secured the branch. As expected.

“…Master. Are you aware of the word ‘well done’?”

Without being called, the Mad Clone appeared and began offering praise, and Lee Han asked warily.

The Mad Clone smirked.

I also know the word ‘pathetic’, wretch. Don’t expect to be applauded for the obvious.

“……”

Lee Han had never been praise-hungry, but after surviving the King of Broadcloth, Duke of Pride, the spirit-smashing oppressors, and Ironhead Beech King, even he wanted a nice word or two.

‘Am I asking too much…?’

Tell me what happened.

“Yes. So this happened…”

He reported how the Black Book had used his body to unleash evil magic.

‘Wait, does the Mad Clone know what all these magics are?’

If these were spells created before their separation, he probably did.

“Do you know what these spells are?”

Yes. Dendrobium is a tree grown by royalty.

“…You grew soul-absorbing trees??”

…It is a magic commemorating the tree, wretch.