Episode 901
by CristaeThe two cried so pitifully that even the Blue Dragon Tower students felt sorry.
“Wait. Stop them from crying!”
“Dalkard, can you call yourself an honorable Blue Dragon Tower student? You want to stop them because they’re crying that sadly?”
“No… You idiots! It’s a basilisk! If we lose control, we’ll all die!”
By now the baby basilisk had grown quite a bit and no longer spread its petrifying gaze or venom everywhere, but that was only when everything was normal.
When overcome with grief and bawling like that, it wouldn’t be surprising if poison flowed instead of tears.
Friends who understood Asan’s words turned pale.
“Your Highness, Your Highness! You have to steady yourself!”
“While you’re at it, can you calm the basilisk down, too!”
Uwaaah! Joulin can’t steady himself!
“Please! Your Highness, you can do it!”
“We believe in you!”
Sniffling, Joulin managed to stop crying in response to the students’ encouragement.
Then, with eyes full of sorrow, he looked at them and spoke.
Joulin has a request, too.
“We’ll do anything!”
Go up and persuade Lee Han for me…
“……”
“……”
No sooner were the words out than the students turned away. Joulin was startled by their cold reaction.
Why, why?!
“As much as we’re afraid of Your Highness, we’re just as afraid of him!”
……
Even in his grief, Joulin couldn’t believe this answer.
Are these really friends?
But the Blue Dragon Tower students were wise. (And maybe a bit pathetic.)
They knew it was always better to keep quiet and not approach when a House Wardanaz friend was in a stage 5 rage.
—Why do those people even go to Einrogard?
Grumbled the baby basilisk, watching the students dash away.
The students’ lack of comfort at least helped stop the baby basilisk’s tears.
Joulin… Joulin just wanted to be praised…
—…Your Highness..!
And maybe be called a genius dragon, have Lee Han apologize for being wrong, hear a promise that wise Joulin will be respected from now on, a guarantee to be invited next semester, and…
—…Your Highness…?
A little taken aback by such a greedy list of wants, the baby basilisk hesitated.
To think he wanted all that!
Still, seeing Joulin so down, the baby basilisk tried to console him.
—But, but! There is something good!
What?
Joulin tilted his head.
Of course, not prepared for any good points, the baby basilisk wagged his tail and bluffed.
—Um… right… uh… Master called Your Highness informally and comfortably!
…Uwaaaaaah!
When the dragon really burst into tears, water began to rise in the lounge.
- * *
“So I had to fix the lounge after it flooded at dawn.”
“Wait. Dragon tears are a valuable reagent too. Did you just throw them out?”
“……”
Lee Han shot a look of contempt, disgust, disappointment, and scorn.
It was more effective than any spell or threat. Professor Thunderstep cleared his throat.
“That was just an academic question.”
“I didn’t expect you to ask something like Professor Verdus would.”
‘What a heartless brat,’ thought Professor Thunderstep.
Just because a teacher makes one slip, to call them Professor Verdus—that was just too cruel.
“I already have enough to worry about because of the dragon stone…”
“Sorry. Sorry. But aren’t you being a little too strict? Even if His Highness didn’t listen, he just wanted to—”
“Are you serious right now!?”
Lee Han snapped.
“Uh, uh? Did I say something wrong?”
“I told him again and again not to touch the dragon stone, and he pulls it out and gives it away anyway! At this rate, next week, he’ll give someone a bone, then next month his heart. Aren’t you worried at all!?”
Professor Thunderstep was as dumbfounded as he was stunned by his student’s radical theory.
“Isn’t that a little far-fetched…?”
“Hmph. Professor, you didn’t anticipate the dragon stone, either!”
“……”
Struck where it hurt, Professor Thunderstep hesitated.
He really hadn’t expected a dragon stone.
Who would expect a dragon to hand out a dragon stone over such a trivial matter!
‘But this is so unfair…!’
To have all his carefully planned exams thwarted, and now get nitpicked like this? No one could have seen it coming.
There’s a reason they say dragons are truly unfathomable creatures.
“…No, I didn’t anticipate the dragon stone. Fine, I admit it! But His Highness only gave it because he feels close to you. He’s not going to go giving bones or hearts to anyone else.”
A young dragon might lack social experience or judgment but had instincts far beyond that.
He gave the dragon stone to Lee Han out of affection and trust—it wasn’t like he’d give bones or a heart to some villain like Verdus.
“Professor Verdus?”
“What? No, I said ‘other evil magician’. Don’t get hung up on details.”
“…Honestly, I’m more worried about myself than others.”
“Hm?”
Though he said this, Lee Han did trust Joulin to a degree.
He wasn’t Gainando or Professor Verdus or some evil outsider—Joulin wouldn’t cut his body randomly for just anyone.
But…
“What if next time I have a test and he decides I ‘need’ a bone, or if I end up dueling the headmaster and he decides I need a heart?”
“Who are you dueling?”
“Just an example. Don’t get stuck on details.”
“How can I not?”
Grumbling inwardly, Professor Thunderstep nevertheless found Lee Han’s concern understandable.
Joulin might not give body parts to just anyone, but with someone like House Wardanaz’s boy, things were different.
He’d already been specifically told not to, but still coughed up a dragon stone anyway.
Joulin was still maturing—there was a high chance he’d act on random impulses.
Maybe not the heart, but bones, maybe…
“You do have a point.”
“Don’t you think?”
“Yeah. Even after that warning, he still gave you a dragon stone—I get why you’re worried.”
“What should I do?”
At Lee Han’s question, Professor Thunderstep looked him in the eye with utmost seriousness.
“Wardanaz.”
“Yes.”
“I’m an alchemy professor.”
“And?”
“I don’t know how to educate a dragon. Good luck.”
“……”
Lee Han shot a look that mixed, among other things, exasperation, exasperation, and exasperation. Thunderstep expected it, so wasn’t fazed.
Honestly, who could know the answer to this?
Even if you searched the whole empire, you’d never find anyone who could solve this problem.
“Try Professor Lightningstep or Bendoz—no, just Professor Lightningstep, ask him. He might know something.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“So, are you still mad at His Highness? Haven’t made up?”
“I’m not angry, just worried… If I make up with him right away, he might do it again, so I’m keeping my distance for now.”
“Aside from crying, did he do anything else? I just hope he didn’t break too many buildings.”
“He’s grounded, so it should be fine. Oh, and this morning he tried to help with student meal prep.”
Professor Thunderstep was genuinely surprised by Lee Han’s words.
That a dragon would try something like that.
That much affection for Lee Han was one thing, but it would take a truly kind heart to even try.
If he were a vicious and violent dragon, he’d just have smashed up the dorm in frustration.
“Even if you haven’t made up, you praised him, right? He deserves at least one compliment.”
Lee Han answered a bit sheepishly.
“I woke up early and did everything myself, so he had nothing to do.”
“…I see…”
Professor Thunderstep couldn’t help but feel for Joulin.
How did he end up befriending someone like that!
“I’ll be going then, Professor. By the way, the seniors said Nepenthem would be on the exam—they were just wrong, right?”
“…That’s right. Don’t trust the seniors too much.”
Professor Thunderstep had to clench his fists at his annoying student’s words.
“I see. Still, if the midterm is this hard, I worry for the finals.”
“The final… shouldn’t be that hard.”
Professor Thunderstep spoke with a bitter expression, defeat plain in his voice.
The exam he designed for one student ruined, he doubted raising the difficulty for finals would do anything but backfire.
“Haha. You say that, but I know you’ll give us something hard anyway.”
“……”
- * *
‘Why did he get so angry?’
Lee Han walked away, puzzled.
The irate Professor Thunderstep had chased him out, stomping and fuming. Lee Han couldn’t understand why.
Back at the dorm, Professors Voladi and Bendozol sat in silence at the tower entrance. Because Joulin was grounded, they were guarding the front door.
‘I’d better go around.’
Not just Lee Han, but other students also chose to skirt around rather than pass through, so oppressive was the atmosphere.
“Lee Han. Where are you headed?”
“I have a question for Professor Lightningstep.”
“An exam, right?”
“No. I wanted to consult about Prince Joulin.”
“……”
Despite midterms, he was worrying about other matters—his friends shuddered.
So that’s what it means to be top of the class?
And Wardanaz was taking several times more lectures than anyone else…
“Oh, Lee Han.”
Professor Garcia, spotting Lee Han in the hallway, greeted him warmly.
“Are you off to take the time magic exam?”
“No, I wanted to visit Professor Lightningstep before the exam.”
“…?”
Professor Garcia was puzzled.
He couldn’t see what his exam had to do with Professor Lightningstep.
“Wait. Where’s His Highness?”
“Actually, I’m looking for Professor Lightningstep because of His Highness.”
“???”
Once he met a trustworthy professor, Lee Han let out a deep sigh and poured out his story.
He explained how Joulin had been repeatedly warned not to take out dragon stones, but still did so anyway, and might someday take out a heart as well…
‘That… I don’t think that’s likely.’
“I—I see. So that’s why you’re looking for Professor Lightningstep.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, but Lee Han, we have an exam in an hour, you know?”
Professor Garcia’s lecture—officially titled [On the Understanding of Very Difficult and Recondite Esoteric Magic (Only Those Without Fear May Attend)]—was in an hour.
One should be nervously preparing or meditating, but Lee Han wanted to go visit another professor instead.
“Yes. With an hour, I can go, talk, and return.”
“Lee Han, just wait until after. I’ll start the exam early for you.”
Even being too smart was a problem sometimes.
Professor Garcia didn’t like to see nice students like Lee Han suffer, but Lee Han’s composure, compared to other anxious students, was a little annoying.