Episode 1003
Episode 1003
"Are there really no creditors who don't resort to rough threats?"
"..."
"Well, there are a few who use gentler threats."
"..."
"...Are there really no creditors who don't threaten at all?"
The Skeleton Principal slowly shrugged at those words.
"Your magic has improved considerably, yet you still ask such foolish questions. In that situation, who would willingly hand over gold and cooperate?"
The people of the Empire weren't fools. No matter that the Skeleton Principal was the Emperor's Magic Tower and the guardian of the Magic Barrier protecting the Empire, they wouldn't just hand over gold.
Especially when the Skeleton Principal's Thought-form appeared in the Einrogard territory, and its purpose—to permanently imprison the Thought-form in another dimension rather than reverse summon it—was unlikely to win support.
It would be easier to find people willing to invest in Professor Verdus's new artifact...
"This is absurd! How could they—"
"It's the truth. Regardless of his personality, Professor Bible is a renowned artifact craftsman in the Empire. What does it matter if a master craftsman has an eccentric personality to those who want masterpieces? If anything, it only increases the value."
"Tch! These foolish people!"
As his disciple grew angry at the Empire's foolishness, the Skeleton Principal felt unusually satisfied.
Any outstanding mage would naturally feel righteous indignation toward the Empire's people.
The boy from the Wardanaz family was simply walking the path that all must tread.
"I'll print pamphlets and distribute them! Warn people not to be fooled by Professor Verdus!"
"..."
"You can do that later if you want. For now, let's focus on the creditors."
"Ah. Right."
Lee Han came back to his senses. 'Hmm. What about noble families?' There's a reason the term 'academic connections' exists.
Fortunately, Einrogard had several students from noble families with whom Lee Han was friendly.
Of course, even these families wouldn't agree to the Skeleton Principal's request.
But Lee Han thought he'd have done the same. 'I'd have refused such a request too.' If the Skeleton Principal—who was already suspiciously always asking for sponsorships and investments—flew in demanding gold to permanently imprison a Thought-form, even Lee Han would have found it dubious.
But what they needed now wasn't additional gold—just an extension of the deadline. A much more persuasive situation...
Though the Skeleton Principal had used rough threats...
"I trust in your ability to persuade the noble families."
"!"
At the Skeleton Principal's words, Lee Han realized they'd had the same thought.
"Can I really do it?"
"Haha."
The teacher smiled at his disciple's question.
Then his expression turned serious as he answered.
"It's not about whether you can or can't—you must. Otherwise, your seniors will have to conduct magic research next semester using only mud, stones, and twigs."
Lee Han felt the crushing weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
"......"
Then he paused.
"Wait, why isn't anyone else...?"
At Einrogard, higher grades normally came with greater responsibilities.
So why was this responsibility falling solely on Lee Han, a second-year?
The Skeleton Principal kindly answered.
"Shall I call Yukveltire? Or Catten? Name any senior you want. If needed, I'll summon them for you."
"...What about Senior Diret or Senior Illeg..."
Lee Han grumbled at the Principal's attitude of only mentioning unhelpful seniors.
But the Skeleton Principal shook his head.
"Those two have personalities too kind for persuasion."
"I see... Wait a minute."
Lee Han felt something was off.
Then what about me?
"And those two are needed to resolve this situation."
"Well, that makes sense. The professors must all be busy too."
"Come to think of it, there really wasn't anyone else to call upon."
The professors and fifth-years were either too busy or couldn't help, and the fourth-year seniors were currently the busiest year...
"I suppose I can handle persuading the noble families... but how should we approach the bureaucrats?"
"I trust in your abilities to handle the bureaucrats."
"......"
Lee Han wondered if he'd misheard.
But the Skeleton Principal was dead serious.
"Even those iron-blooded bastards wouldn't be so heartless as to refuse when the Empire's future pillars come asking for help."
"...Understood."
Though slightly dumbfounded, it wasn't completely incomprehensible. After all, hadn't Lee Han been the one to deal with the bureaucrats just last year?
Fundamentally, the Empire's bureaucrats didn't particularly like the Skeleton Principal.
How could they possibly admire a grand mage who wouldn't hesitate to uproot the Empire's very foundations for Einrogard's sake?
Even those who'd never been directly threatened by him often foamed at the mouth and fainted at the mere sight of him.
Surprisingly, however, these same bureaucrats were quite lenient with students.
Unlike the wicked Skeleton Principal, Einrogard's students were talents who would go on to shine throughout the Empire after graduation.
"Persuading noble families... I'll do it. Persuading bureaucrats... I'll do that too. Who else did you threaten this time?"
"Just a few magic towers and mage guilds here and there. Needed more hands, you see."
Grand magic wasn't something that could be completed with gold alone. Even with all the necessary reagents prepared, it required far more manpower than one might think.
It wasn't for nothing that mages gathered to build magic towers and form guilds to hone their skills.
"Those I gathered separately were preparing magic. Among them, I brought the skilled ones to Einrogard."
"Huh. I don't recall seeing them."
"They were waiting below. No need to have them duel with my clones."
"Aha. So they must have left while I was unconscious."
"Not entirely wrong."
The Death Knight side-eyed its master.
To be precise, after the battle ended, when the mages kept pestering, "Why aren't you using the spells we prepared?", the Skeleton Principal had chased them away, telling them to scram.
And now he's spinning it like this?
"...Wait. 'Not entirely wrong'? That sounds suspicious. There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"
"'Truly, my disciple,' the knight inwardly smirked. A mage must know how to find clues even in chaotic disorder!"
By the time they arrived at the Empire's capital, Lee Han had fully grasped the details of all the creditors involved in this incident.
First, the Empire's bureaucrats.
Thanks to the Skeleton Principal's rough coercion, the treasurer and his subordinates had finally opened their vaults and handed over the gold coins.
These were the ones Lee Han had to persuade.
Next, the various noble families.
Thanks to the Skeleton Principal's rough coercion, the family heads had finally opened their vaults and provided the necessary reagents.
These, too, Lee Han had to persuade.
Lastly, the magic towers and mage guilds scattered across the Empire.
Thanks to the Skeleton Principal's rough coercion, they had halted their ongoing research and spells to lend their aid.
And these, too, Lee Han had to persuade...
"......"
Having finished organizing the information, Lee Han stared pointedly at the Skeleton Principal. 'Isn't this division of labor a bit odd?' Shouldn't the Skeleton Principal have handled at least one of the three?
"What's the matter?"
"Wouldn't it be better for you to persuade the mages, Headmaster?"
While the Skeleton Principal might be the Lord of Terror and Brutality to Einrogard's students, to the outside mages, he was the most revered grand mage.
The wisest and most wicked—no, sagacious—among those currently called grand mages in the Empire.
For such individuals, it might have been better for the Skeleton Principal to approach them with his authority and persuade them.
"What do you mean?"
"You could offer them lost ancient secrets, or advise them on stagnant magic research..."
"Those methods were already used in the past, so they won't work now."
"......"
The Skeleton Principal had exhausted every trick in his long history.
By now, even the magic towers and guilds had grown too accustomed to respectfully accepting the great mage's 'wise counsel.'
"Introducing an outstanding mage would be far more effective. I once took Professor Garcia along in the past."
The Skeleton Principal reminisced about old times.
When mages from the Stormcloud Magic Tower, Daylily Magic Tower, Green Jade Magic Tower, and others saw young Professor Garcia, their eyes had sparkled like Einrogard students spotting candy.
'If a magic tower's mage doesn't covet a genius attending all academic disciplines, they're unworthy of the title...'
"Your Excellency! Once Kim graduates, please send him to our tower! No need to pressure him—just say a few good words about our Stormcloud Magic Tower!"
"Lord Gonadaltes! If you send Kim to our tower, we'll funnel this year's entire imperial gold support to you!"
The Skeleton Principal's gaze softened at the hazy memories.
"Thanks to that, we managed to secure quite a generous budget back then..."
"..."
"Wait, Professor Garcia came directly to Einrogard, right? Did she serve at another magic tower before arriving?"
"No. She came straight here. Because she was smart."
Professor Garcia had followed the pureblood Einrogard mage's path.
Einrogard enrollment, advancing to fifth year instead of graduating, becoming a professor instead of graduating...
Lee Han felt an inexplicable lump in his chest.
"Then... didn't the other magic tower mages protest?"
"Of course they protested. But what could they do? Professor Garcia made her choice."
The Skeleton Principal shrugged lightly.
Even a great mage couldn't force someone to change their mind.
Though various towers had sent gifts to win her favor, that was their choice alone.
Naturally, the responsibility for their failure also fell solely on them.
"......"
Lee Han shot him a disdainful look, but the Skeleton Principal ignored it.
"It'll work a second time. Frankly, I think it could work up to three times."
"I'm a bit worried whether I can measure up to Professor Garcia. As you know, I'm far inferior to her in many ways."
"?"
"?"
From the Death Knights to the Skeleton Principal, everyone looked puzzled.
'What exactly is this Wardanaz brat inferior to the young Professor Garcia in?'
'Arrogance?'
'Rudeness? But he's already plenty rude.'
"I'm not a troll hybrid, so my physical strength..."
"...Don't worry about that."
The Skeleton Principal was baffled by his disciple's concern over the most irrelevant aspect.
Why would physical strength matter when visiting magic towers...?
"Then let's go knock down—no, persuade the bureaucrats first."
Passing through the city gates, the Skeleton Principal gave orders to the knights acting as coachmen. Lee Han suddenly remembered something and asked,
"Could I meet His Highness Jowurin?"
"That's not possible."
"Ah. I suppose he's in seclusion."
Come to think of it, Jowurin had achieved the unprecedented feat of deceiving both the Emperor and the Skeleton Principal to escape.
Given that, it wouldn't be strange if he were under house arrest.
"No?"
"Pardon?"
"What seclusion? He hardly ever goes out anyway. Don't judge His Highness's pureblood children by imperial laws."
"Then why can't I meet him?"
"Because if you visit, he'll keep you trapped until the vacation ends."
"......"
"He might not let you go even after vacation."
"Tsk. His Highness isn't so stubbornly unreasonable."
"Haha. Look at the dragon expert here. Anyway, meet him after we're done. I've warned you clearly. Turn right. The path's blocked ahead."
"Would you prefer flying there instead?"
"No. This month calls for humility and reflection. Last time, I got impatient and sliced through the city wall."
Lee Han instinctively glanced outside the carriage at those words.
One corner of the capital's wall was cleanly sheared off in a straight line, as if cut by a sharp blade.
Though burning with curiosity about what had transpired, Lee Han exercised superhuman restraint.
'Don't ask. Nothing good will come of hearing it...'
He mentally rehearsed what to say when meeting the bureaucrats.
The opening line would be:
"I sincerely apologize on behalf of our headmaster."