Episode 981

Episode 981

The alchemy lecture ended like that.

Lee Han walked out of the lecture hall, pondering whether he should just burn the production method for -Thunderstep’s Immersion Incense-, but he held back.

‘Hold on. There might be a use for it later.’

Knowledge was always power.

That recipe might become useful to Lee Han someday.

Still, Lee Han resolved not to learn it right now. That was a matter of pride.

He would not dance in the palm of Professor Thunderstep!

“Teacher. Were you alright?”

Lee Han asked as he looked at the mad clone following behind.

“It wasn’t bad, but there’s a problem with the wizard who played the role of professor.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han nodded at his teacher’s words.

There certainly was a problem with Professor Thunderstep.

Perhaps it would be one thing if he simply didn’t answer a student’s question, but mocking by giving an extra assignment…

It was a very spiteful personality.

“Professor Thunderstep’s personality is kind of…”

“Weak.”

“Pardon?”

“I said weak. A teacher should not only have generosity but also strictness.”

Professor Thunderstep, due to Professor Verdus’s precedent, had been forced to act kindly, but that kindness had backfired.

He had been branded as a weak wizard by the mad clone.

‘Oh dear.’

Lee Han felt sorry for such a nonsensical misunderstanding.

Given the chance, Professor Thunderstep could rank high if you listed spiteful wizards, yet to receive this kind of misunderstanding…

“Still, he is usually a bit stricter.”

“In that case, it means he acted with an eye on the royal family’s reactions. That’s also not a thing a great wizard should do.”

‘That’s true, I guess.’

Lee Han thought even so, Professor Thunderstep had bowed too much.

No matter what happened to Professor Verdus, for an Einrogard professor, it was a bit disgraceful.

-Wardanaz. Are you okay?

Other friends coming out of the lecture hall signaled from behind.

-I’m fine.

-Really?

-Of course. But keep some distance.

“……”

Totally not fine!

Nillia and Yoner were dumbfounded.

What kind of fine person tells you to keep your distance?

“Is it okay for a wizard who kidnapped Wardanaz to just walk around like this in the open?”

“Because the headmaster isn’t here…”

“Isn’t now exactly the time we should submit an anonymous report?”

The friends grumbled, cursing the absent skeleton headmaster during such an important time.

Normally, the person who should be strictly disposing of outsiders with Death Knights and keeping Einrogard in order was missing, and that’s why it was becoming such chaos.

They were so good at catching runaway students, yet powerless at times like this.

“Everyone, think carefully.”

“Indeed. If we send a report, we could face retaliation from the headmaster later. We might be locked in the punishment room until graduation…”

“No, I didn’t mean that, I meant the content of the report. You have to write it accurately and specifically to actually damage the headmaster.”

“As expected of Meikin.”

The second-years admired their friend’s seasoned advice.

Strictly speaking, the skeleton headmaster held greater sway over imperial officials than any of the students here.

In addition, the skeleton headmaster hadn’t just been Einrogard’s lord for a year or two.

If you tried to denounce him clumsily with something like ‘The headmaster doesn’t give us bread and starves us, boo-hoo!’, he’d surely be prepared for it.

By now, the students were no longer freshmen and had gained a broader perspective.

“Let’s all record that clone doing anything dangerous.”

“Of course! Since Wardanaz attends almost every lecture, division of roles will be easy. Lucky.”

“…Let’s not say that in front of Sir Wardanaz…”

The friends firmly resolved.

For Wardanaz, they would closely monitor the evil clone of an even more evil wizard!

“But isn’t Wardanaz way too calm?”

“Honestly, when I first heard about the Verdus lecture, I wondered if Wardanaz had purposely brought her along. But no way, right?”

“…No. I asked too, and Lee Han absolutely didn’t do it on purpose.”

Upon Yoner’s words, the friends sighed in relief.

Though they hadn’t shown it outwardly, honestly a small part of them wondered ‘what if Wardanaz is purposely hanging out with her?’

• * *

Bulgasari: I really don’t think it’s a good idea to try to use this wizard. The basic rule is never to cast magic with an uncontrollable power.

Iactus: They said Professor Verdus got hit, right? Do you think we could hit Professor Bendozol too?

Bulgasari: Is anyone listening to me? The opponent is a dangerous wizard. Don’t try to use her—leave it to the professors. The headmaster will be back soon too.

Baquantalana: The most trivial, worthless thing you can do with that wizard is exacting private revenge for the professors. If possible, you should try to extract magic secrets.

Bulgasari: Are you sure you’re seeing my messages?

Ipheldrem: I can see you!

Bulgasari: Thank you so much… Iactus. Even if you ignore me, I’ll keep writing! Try ignoring me if you want.

Iactus: Alright, alright, Bulgasari. I didn’t ignore you on purpose. But you do have a knack for ruining all the fun, you know.

Bulgasari: Wh-what an outrageous insult…! I absolutely cannot accept that! Apologize!

‘She… has a point.’

The Watchman Club members of Einrogard were having a rare, heated discussion.

Of course, the topic was the recent rumor: ‘How can we use the mad archwizard?’

Iactus wanted to use her to take down professors.

Baquantalana wanted to extract her magical secrets.

Bulgasari insisted both professors and secrets were irrelevant—just keep away, since she’s dangerous. Surely the least fun and least popular position.

Iactus: Plus, the Wardanaz junior hangs around with the headmaster’s clone anyway, right? Just seeing that, I don’t think she’s that dangerous.

Bulgasari: That’s absolutely wrong! The Wardanaz junior got kidnapped!

Ipheldrem: Ki-kidnapped? Do students get kidnapped at Einrogard? And the kidnapped one was that Wardanaz?!

Bulgasari: …It happens very rarely; usually it doesn’t.

When the newly-joined Baldrogard student hesitantly poked in, the other members realized their mistake.

They’d forgotten what they might look like to outsiders, babbling as though only Einrogard students were present.

Lee Han moved his quill to soothe the new member. No matter what, you shouldn’t air all your dirty laundry in front of the Baldrogard student.

Gonadaltes: Right. ‘Kidnapping’ is probably an exaggeration. Maybe just a bit of aggressive magical instruction. And that Wardanaz guy tends to embellish things…

Ipheldrem: H-how can you talk about kidnapping so casually? And Gonadaltes, just like last time—you really are rude!

“……”

First impressions mattered in human relations more than expected.

The Baldrogard student, who had already been put on guard after receiving blunt criticism from Lee Han last time, now bristled further.

To dismiss both a fellow Einrogard student and a kidnapping as nothing—how could someone be so rude?

She even wanted to see who it was, face to face.

Gonadaltes: …Iactus. You explain instead.

Iactus: Well, kidnapping isn’t a common thing, but geniuses are always like that, aren’t they? If mad wizards are crowding around trying to teach you their magic, that means you’re truly a genius. It’ll happen again—don’t be too surprised yet.

Gonadaltes: What nonsense are you talking about? That sort of thing doesn’t happen these days. Don’t talk about the old times.

Iactus: What? Why so angry?

Gonadaltes: Not angry.

Lee Han carefully managed his emotions.

If he reacted immediately to an offensive comment, he could be found out.

Iactus: Anyway, it’s all in the past, and now it’s fine. The clone is just wandering around the main building’s lecture halls.

Bulgasari: That’s right. It’s fine. Don’t worry too much.

Ipheldrem: Okay…

Bulgasari: You’re not misunderstanding Einrogard, right? If so, ask now.

Ipheldrem: N-no, I’m not misunderstanding.

‘Everyone’s bad at soothing people.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue.

Looking at the vibe, it seemed they’d only made the Baldrogard student more afraid rather than dispelling her doubts.

Not that he was one to talk—the person she was most wary of was Lee Han himself.

Since he was an outsider who could roam freely, it was better to ease her vigilance if possible.

But how?

‘If I say I’m Wardanaz, they’ll think I’m crazy…’

Revealing it carried high risks and could backfire.

Lee Han fell into thought.

Surprisingly, having the mad clone in tow wasn’t much of a problem.

Listening to the other members, all they really wanted was to induce her to attack professors or learn magic from her. No one like Joulin last time, who coveted his body.

Then again, even Einrogard students wouldn’t easily pick a fight with the headmaster’s clone…

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Everyone’s having a hard time with lectures. Hang in there.

“!”

• * *

Ellendil left a message in the Watchman Club out of a trifling whim.

‘Everyone’s forgetting what really matters.’

Einrogard students were so obsessed with magic and its evaluation that they forgot what was important now and then.

But not Ellendil. She knew better than anyone what truly mattered.

The forest.

A magical space where all kinds of spirits and plants lived and breathed.

Compared to tending and nurturing this space, Einrogard’s lectures were utterly trivial.

In fact, Ellendil skipped most lectures. Such boldness was unusual for a fourth-year student.

But this dryad half-blood had not a hint of regret.

Look at those students obsessed with lectures and teachings.

Because of that obsession, they kept getting entangled in external accidents and suffering.

In contrast, Ellendil could focus solely on her own affairs in the quiet forest…

-Senior! Are you there?

“……”

Hearing a familiar voice in the distance, Ellendil was stunned.

Why?!

Why did that junior come to the forest?!

‘R-right!’

Only after seeing the artifact, -Echo of the Demigod-, installed deep in the forest, did Ellendil remember.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t just received that artifact for free.

The junior had set a condition: to let him tame the artificial demigod and practice evil ancient magic here in the forest.

‘I can’t believe I forgot that…!’

Ellendil blamed herself and went to reply.

-Don’t call out crudely. Send a paper bird.

-Yes. Understood.

“…!”

The moment she realized there was more than one person, Ellendil, true to her status as a senior, reacted immediately.

She dug deep into the ground and hid underground.

The skill with which she persuaded the earth and asked the rocks to enter the underground in such a short moment was worthy of an upperclassman of Einrogard.

‘U-unbelievable. Why is this happening to me…!’

Was it divine punishment for mocking the other students’ lectures?

Ellendil deeply repented.

If mercy was shown just this once, she promised never to ridicule other students again…

“Senior! Senior! …Where did she go?”

“Below.”

“Pardon?”

“She’s below.”

The mad clone jerked her chin as she spoke, and Lee Han laughed incredulously.

“What senior would be underground like a mining dwarf? Why would she be under the forest?”

Crack!

With a wave of the mad clone’s hand, the ground split, and Ellendil, who had been hiding far below, was revealed.

The half-dryad senior stood up quietly, having been crouched down.

“H-hello…”

“……”

“Uh… Can you at least say something…?”