Episode 86

Episode 86

“Are, are we not in the right place? It doesn’t look like we’re inside the school…”

Yoner unfortunately couldn’t accept reality. Ihan spoke with a bitter expression.

“This is the school. It’s the punishment room.”

“…?!?”

Some freshmen had been there themselves, but for most students, the punishment room was just something they heard rumors about.

-If you get an F in three subjects, you get dragged to the punishment room for the entire vacation.

-They say the last 10 people on the midterms get dragged to the punishment room?

-This is just a rumor, but I heard among the seniors, someone failed an experiment and got sent to the punishment room.

-They say if you get caught trying to escape school, you get taken to the punishment room, but that must be a lie??

Most of it felt like lies, but rumors always contained a grain of truth.

Clunk!

“!”

Ihan, who was worriedly holding the doorknob of the private room, soon realized his worries were unfounded.

To his surprise, the door to the room they were in was open.

‘It is a punishment room but…’

Ihan realized that this punishment room wasn’t in use anymore.

The hallway outside was filled only with dust and cobwebs, and the private rooms on either side were all empty and open.

“Looks like it’s not in use right now.”

“That’s not really comforting.”

Yoner muttered in a frightened voice.

It was scarier to have a punishment room with no people than to have one with people in it.

It would be better if there were people there…

“It’s pretty hard to find the way to the punishment room, looks like it’s become a real headache.”

“How did you kn… Ah.”

Yoner looked at Ihan with an apologetic face. He knew Ihan had been to the punishment room.

“It wasn’t as bad an experience as you’d think.”

“The principal didn’t threaten you, did he?”

“No. If the principal ever threatens me to say something, I’ll put ‘I swear’ in front.”

“That’s a good idea.”

After checking, the two walked to the end of the hallway.

But there were no stairs.

“…???”

“????”

There was only a solid brick wall.

Startled, Ihan looked back. There were no other passages on the other side. They had to move forward.

‘This is…’

Ihan sensed what was going on. He’d only been at the magic school for a few weeks, but Ihan had already adapted down to the bone.

‘A magical passage.’

Just like when he tried to escape to the basement storage last time, the way was hidden with magic.

There were two ways.

Find it, or force it open.

Ihan took out a lump of charcoal wrapped neatly in paper from his pocket. Yoner asked, looking puzzled.

“What’s that?”

“I made it with Ratford just in case we needed it to escape.”

It was similar in principle to using graphite powder to find fingerprints on objects.

Yoner was lost for words at Ihan’s preparedness.

From Yoner’s odd gaze, Ihan thought Yoner was feeling envious.

‘I should teach him later.’

Yoner would definitely like this kind of skill!

“…It’s not working.”

But this time, unlike the basement storage, it didn’t open easily. There were no traces to be found.

Ihan didn’t give up.

“Yoner. Step back.”

If technique didn’t work, then force.

Just as he had blown away the defensive magic at the dormitory entrance last time, Ihan intended to blast away the magic blocking this passage.

‘I don’t need to hit it too hard. Just enough to reveal the passage.’

Stop, you idiot!

“!”

A spirit’s voice echoed thunderously in the hallway. It was a rough voice that sounded violent just by listening.

“Who’s there?”

I will not tell my name to the unqualified. Why have you come to my shadowed place? If you do not answer quickly, I will not forgive you.

“I got an introduction from Mr. Parakis.”

From Parakis?

The fierce spirit’s voice momentarily faltered, sounding confused. It seemed it hadn’t expected this.

You seem quite strong, fitting for a professor at this school, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to contract with me. I don’t know why Parakis sent you but…

“I’m not a professor, I’m a student.”

Yoner interrupted.

?

“I’m a freshman…”

……

There was an awkward silence. Ihan could feel the wave of magic flowing through the wall and ceiling.

It seemed the spirit was checking again.

A young wizard… Wait. Are you really a young wizard? Or are you disguised?

“If you don’t believe it, you can check.”

The fierce spirit seemed to have decided not to doubt them further.

Then it makes sense that Parakis sent you. He’s kind to young wizards. But I won’t make a contract. I don’t contract with those I don’t know well.

“As expected…”

Yoner spoke with regret.

“You’re avoiding it because Ihan has a lot of magic power, like the other spirits.”

…What are you talking about? No!

The other spirit was flustered by Yoner’s words.

Not just any misunderstanding, but being said to avoid him out of fear of magic power.

It was a misunderstanding that absolutely couldn’t be tolerated.

“But you’re not revealing yourself. From what Mr. Parakis says, Ihan’s very existence strikes fear in spirits.”

“Yoner… I didn’t say it like that…”

You’re making me sound weird!

“So you’re not revealing yourself for that reason?”

No! Do I look like a spirit who would hide out of fear just because of some magic power?!

“Then what’s the reason you won’t show yourself?”

This time Ihan asked, as if curious.

The spirit hesitated and spoke.

Because I don’t like meaningless fights… I was trying to avoid them.

“……”

“……”

Ihan and Yoner looked at each other. Then they spoke as if they understood.

“I see.”

“That’s fair.”

You young human wizards! Do you think I can’t read the meaning behind your voices?!

• * *

Perkuntra.

It was the name of the spirit that wasn’t revealed to the two.

Spirits summoned by wizards usually did the contracted work in the place the wizard had prepared, or came out whenever the wizard called to do the work.

The important thing here was the contract.

A wizard couldn’t ask a spirit to do more than they had first agreed upon, and the spirit wouldn’t do more than that.

But on the flip side, it meant that a spirit would defend the original contract with its honor.

So, why was Perkuntra here like this?

If it was a punishment room with people, maybe, but this was an abandoned punishment room with no one.

The answer was that there was no proper contract.

-I’ve summoned you, great spirit Perkuntra. Submit to me. Serve me. I know your true name, so kneel before me!

-Don’t talk nonsense, you stinking lich! Even if I respect the strong, do you think I’d kneel to someone like you?!

The lich principal, who had learned the name from a relic in the ancient ruins, summoned Perkuntra with that name.

Of course, Perkuntra didn’t submit just because they knew his name. If nothing else, he didn’t want to contract with a lich.

They fought for seven days and nights, without sleep.

When threats didn’t work and Perkuntra wouldn’t submit, the lich principal proposed a compromise.

-If you hate the contract that much, how about a compromise, arrogant spirit Perkuntra? If you do just one thing, I’ll give you no other orders. In return, I’ll offer tribute to you regularly!

-…What is that thing?

-I’m raising young wizards. There’s a building where I educate those wizards, so I want you to prevent young wizards from escaping from this building!

-Is that all?

-That’s all!

Perkuntra wavered at the lich principal’s words.

Compared to a horribly complicated and detailed contract, simply guarding a building and stopping child wizards from escaping wasn’t very hard.

Besides, without a formal contract, he didn’t have to be close to that damn lich’s soul.

-If you refuse…

-Arrogant spirit, this is my last offer. If you refuse, I’ll tear your whole body apart and seal you away, and the books containing your name will be buried in forgotten tombs. Will you go into eternal oblivion, or accept my offer?

-…Fine. I accept!

Knowing he couldn’t beat the lich principal, Perkuntra finally accepted.

And he thought, how often could young wizards possibly escape?

At most, they’d just go out because they missed the outside.

…But the young wizards were more capable than he expected, and escape attempts were frequent.

Perkuntra learned the reason later.

That damn lich actually encouraged escape.

-If you manage to escape, that’s skill too. Try your best to escape.

If a young wizard did something wrong, a madman should have locked them down so they couldn’t escape, but instead, if they escaped, he canceled the punishment room, so older students kept trying to escape.

Thanks to that, work in the underground prison was much harder and more exhausting for Perkuntra than he expected.

The only time he could rest was when he was alone in a closed punishment room like this.

That peace would be broken as soon as some student tried to escape again…

Still, when there were no students, he really liked this abandoned punishment room.

But today, two green young wizards suddenly came to Perkuntra’s resting place.

‘Parakis. That brat!’

He knew Parakis cared for young wizards, but didn’t think he’d go as far as sending them here.

Perkuntra grumbled.

I don’t show myself as a courtesy for you young wizards!

“Ah… I see…”

Yoner didn’t provoke the spirit outright like Gainan, but the sincerity behind his words made Perkuntra even angrier.

A spirit on Perkuntra’s level could read the thoughts behind a novice wizard’s words.

Yoner thought inside that Perkuntra was scared.

It was a really ridiculous misunderstanding.

Of course, the young wizard next to him did have an absurd amount of magic power, but Perkuntra wasn’t a spirit who’d run away scared of that.

Ihan, growing tired of the conversation, politely made a request.

“I understand. Spirit. I get that you don’t want to make a contract, but could you at least open the way for us?”

Wait!

“?”

You two young wizards are doubting my strength inside. Do you know how insulting that is?

“No…”

Ihan protested, sounding wronged.

“We spoke respectfully, didn’t we? Why do you have such paranoid thoughts?”

Do you think I can’t read such feelings?!

Ihan and Yoner felt guilty for a moment. But Ihan did not back down.

“But how can we control even our thoughts? Whatever our thoughts, I think we’ve acted honorably and respectfully.”

At Ihan’s words, Yoner nodded his head, ‘Right, right.’

They were not wrong about anything.

Of course, Perkuntra didn’t accept that at all.

Then I will show you a fragment of my power.

“I think we could see if you’d just open that wall…”

Be quiet and get ready. You! Gather your magic.

“I haven’t even been learning magic for a year.”

I know. That’s why I’ll show you in the simplest way. Use the magic you’ve gathered to convert the element!

The other side showed no signs of backing down.

Ihan gave up and gathered his magic. If he wanted to find a way out, he’d have to convince this spirit.

“What element should I use?”

With the most destructive power!

“……”

Didn’t I say not to doubt me!!

Perhaps having read his inner thoughts, the spirit got angry again. Ihan flinched.

“Burn!”

The most destructive element, of course, was fire. Ihan hoped the insight he got while petting a puppy would help as he summoned fire.

At that moment, a huge bolt of lightning shot down from the punishment room’s ceiling towards the fire.

Boom!!!

“!”

“!!”

Ihan and Yoner were startled by the thunderous sound.

And then they were surprised by what they saw next.

The fire Ihan had summoned was perfectly intact.

“…Uh, what did you do?”