Episode 987

“That’s impossible. Our dimension is vast, and the number of wizards is endless. How do you expect us to find such a wizard?”

Catten refuted, incredulous.

It never occurred to her that the culprit might be one of her juniors.

The frost giant didn’t immediately draw his weapon despite Catten’s brazen attitude.

An extraordinary warrior deserved respect.

-Nobody said you had to search your entire dimension. I’m sure the wizard is still in this dimension. Compared to others, this dimension is rather small—you should be able to find him.

“I don’t understand. How do you know the wizard is still here?”

Catten pressed again.

Were the frost giants sure of the wizard’s location, they’d go themselves.

The fact that they hadn’t, but were still instructing others, meant they didn’t know for sure.

Yet they were confident the wizard remained in this dimension.

-Warrior, think about it. Why else would a challenger recognized by the king return to this dimension?

From behind, Giselle muttered,

“Because the professor assigned it.”

“Shh. Quiet.”

Fortunately, the giants didn’t hear. The frost giant continued, certain of his logic.

-That challenger is obviously seeking the relic we’re looking for. And since he hasn’t gotten it yet, he must still be here. I can sense it. He’s lurking somewhere in this dimension, watching us!

“……”

Lee Han wanted to tell him to see a healing mage.

How was he sensing an enemy that didn’t even exist?

But Catten seemed convinced by the frost giant’s words.

“I see… If warriors of your caliber sense it, it must be true.”

‘It’s not true at all.’

-Exactly. Not just me—other giants sense it, too. The traces of that one, somewhere in this dimension.

‘The whole tribe needs healing magic therapy.’

While the two juniors were pessimistic, Catten seemed to make up her mind.

“Very well. I’ll look for this person myself. But remember, if he seeks the relic for greedy or evil reasons, I’ll tell you his location, but if his reason is righteous, I’ll keep silent.”

-Ha! Spoken like a warrior.

“I’m a wizard.”

-…What? You were a wizard?!

“I said earlier, there were three wizards here.”

-I thought you meant there was another wizard behind you.

The frost giant was confused.

She looked like a warrior to anyone.

The two in the back definitely seemed like wizards, from their unique aura regardless of posture.

But Catten didn’t give off any magic at all—just a pure warrior’s presence.

Catten admonished the giant,

“It’s disappointing that a powerful race like you would succumb to prejudice. Reflect on that!”

-So… really a wizard? Was I mistaken?

Leaving the stunned frost giant, Catten walked away with her juniors.

“Frost giants are strong, but arrogance blinds them, juniors. If you ever have to fight them, exploit that.”

‘It didn’t really seem like arrogance, honestly.’

The two juniors exchanged uneasy glances as Catten continued.

“Anyway, to earn their acknowledgement, we’ll have to find this wizard first. Hm… I’m curious about him. Recognized by their king, coveting the relic—he must be a wicked sorcerer.”

Catten’s concern wasn’t unfounded.

The frost giant king was a brutal and powerful being.

A good mage would have little reason to seek him out and issue a challenge.

All the moreso if he also wanted the giant relic.

“…Senior. Actually, that’s me.”

“?”

Catten perked up her ears.

Her junior’s words registered as if a curse had been cast—it took a moment to sink in.

“I must have misheard, junior. What did you just say?”

“I’m the one the frost giants are looking for…”

Lee Han explained gloomily.

Last year, he’d had the unfortunate luck to meet the frost giant king, and ever since, the frost giants had been giving him a hard time…

It was so pitiful that Giselle even jumped in to defend him.

“It’s not Wardanaz’s fault, senior. The frost giants have been—”

“I’m not blaming him. Wait, then why the relic?”

“They stole the relic, too.”

Lee Han explained the mission handed down by Arsil, his kinsman from the same family.

The relic sought by the frost giants was originally not theirs.

Since they had also stolen it, as a Wardanaz wizard, Lee Han also had the right and duty to recover it…

‘Hmmm. Sounds a bit like nonsense.’

Lee Han was careful as he spoke.

Arsil could get away with spouting nonsense because the other spirits would just go along; Lee Han might get hit for it.

If Catten said, “If they stole it, the original owner should step up, not a Wardanaz wizard,” then what?

“I see. In that case, you do have a legitimate claim, junior.”

“…Senior!”

Lee Han was moved.

Catten, another Einrogard student, had taken his side.

“Then, there’s only one thing left, juniors.”

“What’s that?”

“Cut down the frost giants by strength—”

“I’ll report to Teacher first.”

Lee Han quickly stopped Catten.

Her cute appearance could fool you, but the “Beastfolk Niceness Inverse Cuteness Hypothesis” mustn’t be forgotten.

This senior could draw her sword without hesitation!

• * *

“They kicked you out?”

The mad clone’s response to the report was not what Lee Han expected.

He’d expected indifference or sarcasm, but instead she was far more intense.

“How dare they send back an envoy under the royal name! These giants must be lost in the mists of time. Time to remind them who holds their leash. Prepare yourself!”

Lee Han replied, flustered by the stern order.

“Teacher, we didn’t mention your identity, though.”

“…?”

The mad clone paused.

“You negotiated without revealing the teacher’s identity?”

“…I did have an audience with the frost giant king before…”

“……”

Her disciple coming out with something completely unrelated was almost too much, but the mad clone held her patience.

Their rapport had earned her some patience.

“…So I was half-forced into a challenge, and the rumor spread among the frost giants…”

“I see.”

Only then did the mad clone nod, finally understanding.

“So you were challenged as a duelist even before mentioning your teacher’s identity. Makes sense.”

Given their violent and battle-hungry nature, it made sense.

Her disciple must have been challenged as a duelist before declaring royal identity.

To duel for honor after being recognized by the frost giant king!

“I hid it, though…”

“What?”

“I… hid that I was the challenger.”

“…Why?”

“I just think a good wizard shouldn’t reveal his identity recklessly…”

The mad clone reached out to silence her disciple’s nonsense. Listening further was a waste of time.

“Go reveal your identity and fight with dignity. Don’t come back until you win.”

A true archmage—she anticipated the next complaint and flung Lee Han into a ravine before he could protest.

-…Isn’t this too much!

From afar, his disciple’s voice echoed, but the mad clone didn’t react.

• * *

-Can she do it? A mere mortal?

-I trust that warrior. Though her people are weak, she has a giant’s soul in her eyes.

-You say that much?! Now I’m intrigued.

The frost giants chatted about the beastfolk warrior who’d recently visited.

Meanwhile, a new guest approached from a distance.

A magician with the stone bestowed by the king at his staff’s tip—a frost giant would recognize at a glance.

-!!!!

-No way!

“I heard you were looking for me…”

Lee Han tried to sound as bold as possible.

No point pretending to sneak around or hide—he’d have to look like a challenger arriving confidently!

Smack!

The frost giant warrior punched a companion in the face.

The other reached for the club standing against the wall, but was a step too slow. As a result, he fell flat on his back.

“??!”

Giselle, bewildered, asked Catten,

“What’s with that?”

“Don’t Einrogard students do that too?”

“Huh?”

As she puzzled over the cryptic reply, Giselle soon realized.

The frost giant who struck down his comrade cheered.

-Now the challenger’s honor is mine alone!

“……”

He wanted to fight Lee Han one-on-one and claim the challenger’s honor for himself—so he took out his teammate.

Giselle was shocked, but it did seem oddly familiar. She’d seen it at Einrogard too.

-You’ve finally arrived, challenger! I’ve been waiting for you!

“There’s been a misunderstanding. I wasn’t hiding to seize the relic, just training my magic alone!”

-Was that so? That’s not important.

‘These guys…’

After all that bluster, now they didn’t care?! The frost giants and their barefaced shamelessness matched even other giants.

-Challenger, I want the honor of defeating the one recognized by the king!

“…I want recognition. If I win, don’t challenge me anymore. You must promise to guarantee my honor to the other giants under your name.”

-Agreed!

The frost giant accepted heartily.

Who cared if no one else got to duel—the first-come, first-served rule applied.

If they wanted a go at the challenger’s honor, they should’ve waited here!

Behind him, Catten whispered,

“Let us know if you need backup, junior.”

“I’ll find out when they announce the contest type. If it sounds like something Wardanaz can’t handle…”

Even under the mad clone’s orders, Lee Han wasn’t crazy enough to fight head-on without safeguards.

He had safety nets—namely, the two in the back.

Depending on the contest type, if it looked impossible, they’d step in and wreck things!

-Challenger, I’ll propose a contest. Look at that glacier!

Lee Han looked over.

The glacier beside the giants’ valley was ice tangled with dimensional magic, not something that would melt naturally.

That kind of ice required being dispelled by magic or disrupted by enormous power.

-Inside that glacier is a white flower. Whoever brings it back first, wins.

“I’ll have to do this one.”

Catten immediately reached for her sword, sensing Lee Han might be in trouble.

But Giselle seemed a bit less concerned.

“At that level… I think it’s doable…”

“?!!”