Episode 937
by CristaeEpisode 937
The friends were all left speechless out of shock, confusion, and dread. Lee Han calmly advised them.
“Control your expressions. Unless you want to get caught.”
“Y-you…!”
Ahsan, who had been about to ask questions with passionate eyes, was startled, but Angrago beside him glared at Lee Han, fuming. His eyes were filled with betrayal.
“What’s your problem?”
“To think Sir Stedal was a fake…!!”
“……”
Of the second-year Drama Club members, Angrago was the most enamored with the character Stedal.
Being from a coastal knight family himself, Stedal’s life story resonated deeply with him.
He had wanted to ask how he had stolen the pirates’ treasure map and amassed a fortune, but now it turned out to be a lie.
“Is that really important right now? Actually, you only heard about it less than an hour ago—how are you this invested?”
“Shut up! What do you know!”
“Be quiet, Alpha. That’s not the issue here.”
Salko hushed his friend. Lee Han asked in puzzlement.
“Were you also part of the Drama Club?”
“Ah. Yes. But it’s not that I particularly like theater.”
The other students booed at Salko’s remark. Nillia even gave a thumbs down.
But Salko didn’t bat an eye.
“There are people who like plays, and then there are those who love palaces, halls, theaters, and stages where plays are performed. If I’m going to build such things later, it’s best to see as many as I can now.”
“I see. Very you, Salko. So you don’t particularly know about plays, do you. Let me teach you some basics. The lovers of the Alkarmaata and Ilhone families—”
“I know that, Wardanaz… I said I’m not fond of theater, not that I’m a fool with no basic knowledge.”
Salko looked at Lee Han as if incredulous. That was nothing compared to Lee Han’s own disbelief.
‘This guy… pretending not to like theater when he obviously does!’
Resolving never to believe anyone who claimed not to like plays again, Lee Han spoke up.
“Alright, everyone, listen up. Like I said, I’ve come here to get you out.”
“But Senior, isn’t it a bit much to sneak out secretly without telling them…?”
“The Seniors were the ones who commissioned it.”
“……”
The second-year friends gained a deep realization.
There really wasn’t a single person you could trust in Einrogard!
The Seniors, who were saying, ‘We came here honorably to watch a play, what’s this about escaping,’ had actually been secretly assigning the task in the back.
‘We’ll have to learn from them too.’
“Stedal! What are you doing! Come back!”
While they were talking, the nobles called for Lee Han with the familiarity of a ten-year friend.
Yoner asked in disbelief.
“How did you get so close with them?”
“Once I started telling them how I escaped the pirates, suddenly the crowd gathered. I’ll be back. You guys share the info with any Club members who haven’t heard yet, but don’t make it obvious. When the commotion starts, be ready to leave immediately.”
With that, Lee Han—no, Stedal—ran back to the nobles.
The remaining friends looked at each other blankly.
“…What kind of commotion does he plan to make?”
“He’s not planning on causing an explosion, is he? Even so, he is Wardanaz, you know?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to mention the infamously magical family name in the Empire right now…”
“The pirates, you say. It was not pleasant. Meals were dry bread or rice balls at best, and sometimes there were traps or raids on the lodgings.”
“Oh my!”
“There was a punishment r—no, a prison. If you rebelled or made a mistake, you’d be locked in there.”
“Heavens!”
“The pirate captain’s henchmen roamed around, keeping watch everywhere…”
The reason why Stedal, a newcomer who wasn’t particularly quiet or elegant, was so popular with the nobles was simple.
His story resonated deeply with their hearts.
At first, nobles suspected, thinking, ‘What an unbelievable tale! Is he perhaps a con artist?’ But hearing Stedal’s story firsthand moved them to tears.
To escape those dire circumstances and even find treasure!
Maybe divine providence really did exist.
“Stedal! Stedal!”
“Stedal, could you possibly visit my mansion next month? Let me have the chance to host you with my family!”
Once someone earned people’s favor, even small flaws started to seem charming.
The rough, laconic Stedal quickly became established as a wild nobleman with a tragic and captivating past.
‘Hmm. I’d better go with a more ordinary past next time.’
Lee Han regretted his choice as he slipped out from the crowd that was clinging to him.
He was glad not to have aroused suspicion with his thorough preparation, but he never expected to become so popular.
He’d even made his answers short and blunt on purpose; why was this happening?
‘Hmm. The back gate of the palace isn’t ideal for escaping. It’s too open and I’d be discovered immediately. There needs to be more places to hide nearby. Maybe I should consider flying mounts. Could I dig a tunnel out now? Salko would be good at that.’
Lee Han, pretending to stroll while checking the paths near the palace, stopped short.
He had noticed someone among a small group of nobles chatting that felt out of place.
‘What is it?’
In the target’s soul, he saw a strange, alien trace rooted like a twig.
It seemed only Lee Han detected this.
Of course, that wasn’t surprising. Reading souls was much harder than detecting magical power, and not many magicians could do it.
Besides, the trace in the soul was faint and blurry. It was not easy to notice without a deep scan.
Even just distinguishing the color of a soul was hard, and delving in to scrutinize its depths was even more so—
But Lee Han’s ability to detect souls had improved dramatically since the Fall.
Thanks to that, he could now spot traces he would have otherwise missed.
‘It feels evil.’
Lee Han hesitated briefly.
Frankly, he could have just ignored it.
There were all sorts of reasons why a soul might show a weird trace like that.
It could be the aftermath of some suspicious magical experiment or research, or perhaps the noble was currently taking some kind of magic or potion.
And Lee Han himself was hiding things at the moment. There was no benefit to making a scene.
‘Why is that guy staring at me?’
Madpr felt discomfort at the stare of a strange noble he’d never seen before.
He’d heard he was from the south—some Nago family or something…
If Madpr had been an ordinary noble, he’d have just let it slide, but unfortunately, he was not.
‘I need to tell Lord Prahgal’s name. I hope it doesn’t become an obstacle.’
With his wicked schemes and plans, even minor glances were hard to ignore.
“Are you Lord Nago? Greetings. I am Madpr. Is this your first visit to Granden City?”
“Greetings.”
Stedal’s voice was rough and his demeanor curt.
Ordinarily, Madpr might have taken offense, but instead, he was relieved.
If the other person was rude, maybe the earlier stare hadn’t been deliberate at all.
“Are you familiar with plays?”
“To a certain extent.”
“I see. I’m not so knowledgeable. Do you have a favorite play?”
“…You must know of the story involving the Alkarmaata and Ilhone families.”
“I’m not familiar. Please tell me!”
Of course, he knew very well, but Madpr pretended ignorance to deceive his opponent.
People liked explaining things everyone knew. If they got excited, even someone who’d otherwise dislike Madpr might warm up.
“I’m not good at storytelling, so I’m afraid I can’t.”
“Oh, what a pity.”
But Stedal responded as if he couldn’t be bothered to say more and turned away.
Again, it was rude, but this time Madpr let his guard down completely.
‘Must have been my imagination. Not a loudmouth.’
“He’s a very suspicious and evil fellow. We need to increase security.”
-Hmm!
The Death Knights were greatly startled.
To think the noble who was the talk of today’s drama gathering would come to accuse someone else.
-But without evidence, we can’t just arbitrarily check or investigate guests. Wasn’t there anything more suspicious?
“I sensed an evil trace in his soul.”
‘A most talented magician.’
The Death Knights realized that this noble Stedal was a highly skilled magician.
In the bustle of such a crowded place, to notice the discord in another’s soul.
-Understood. We will call in the knights outside, raise the alert, and check the guests.
“Please also call some of the knights who are guarding the Einrogard magicians.”
-That’s a bit… We need escorts to protect the students.
The Death Knights shamelessly made excuses. Lee Han cursed them internally.
Calling that security!
“I’m not saying use everyone. Leave an appropriate number to guard, and have the others check the area.”
-…Tsk. Understood. If there’s a suspicious person, that has to come first. But, Lord Nago, a question. An evil trace in a soul isn’t, by itself, proof of suspicion—what, specifically, made you think this person was suspicious?”
“……”
Lee Han hesitated.
If he said it was because the other didn’t know theater, the Death Knights might slap on cuffs and say, ‘Isn’t this guy a fake?’
“…I just felt it the moment I saw him.”
-I see!
After the accusation, Lee Han turned to leave, and the Death Knights began talking among themselves.
-I’d heard the rumors, but he’s a remarkable man. He also has animal instincts. Did you see his eyes?
-They say he escaped from southern pirates. He’s no ordinary man. Maybe that’s how he sensed the suspiciousness so quickly. All the more reason to be cautious.
They had only heard the rumors, but seeing him in person, his magical ability and wild instincts truly set him apart.
Where had such a man come from?
-By the way, doesn’t his name sound oddly familiar?
-It does. Almost like I’ve heard it somewhere before…
“The Death Knights are thinning out!”
“Shhh. Watch your face!”
As the Death Knights came closer, the students feigned ignorance.
Adenart tried hard to whistle though he wasn’t good at it. Rowena, who’d come as his bodyguard, quietly gave him a look not to.
-O students of Einrogard. Because we trust you, we’re going to lessen our surveillance a bit. Surely you won’t betray this trust?
“Of course!”
The students replied with affected sincerity.
And as soon as the Death Knights who’d been watching departed, they whispered to each other.
“Did Wardanaz set a fire? An explosion? I don’t think I heard an explosion…”
“He might have started a flood in another area.”
“Or a toxic cloud…”
“…Lee Han wouldn’t do that.”
Luckily Yoner defended Lee Han. Nillia almost speculated he might have summoned a giant beast but held back after her friend’s remark.
“Did you spread the word?”
“War… Stedal!”
As Stedal—no, Lee Han—returned, his friends welcomed him.
“What happened? Why are the Death Knights—?”
“It’s a long story. Good to hear everyone’s been briefed. I checked the escape routes. Now we need to assign roles. Angrago, Ahsan, you two make potions until the play.”
“Poison?”
“Monster summoning potions?”
“…I meant calming potions.”