Episode 1020
Episode 1020
'Yes. Even if you hate sins and people, you must never hate an archmage.'
Erindarbel was among the most responsible and devoted of the Empire's archmages.
Knowing this, even the Skeleton Principal turned a blind eye. If it had been any other irresponsible archmage, he would have personally reported them to the Emperor immediately.
If an archmage was drowning, they should crawl out on their own—they shouldn't drag others down with them.
'But...?'
The Skeleton Principal noticed a mage with a pale expression, sweating far more profusely than Erindarbel.
It was Alsicle of the Pengerin Family.
'...Why is he acting like that?'
The Skeleton Principal and Erindarbel had committed wrongs, but what in the world had he done?
'I'm finally going to the Empire's prison.'
Alsicle clenched his eyes shut as the thought crossed his mind.
Following in the footsteps of countless senior mages who had gone before him, Alsicle was finally about to enter the Empire's prison.
Perhaps it wouldn't be the ordinary Empire prison—maybe he'd end up in Einrogard's secret Punishment Room. Alsicle hoped, just a little, that the Skeleton Principal would look out for him.
'No. It'd be better to hope that Wardanaz looks out for me... But I don't know if he'd even come all the way to where I am.'
"Why are you acting like this?"
The Skeleton Principal asked, clearly not understanding. Alsicle moved his beak with a gloomy, tormented expression.
"I guaranteed Wardanaz's abilities and took him along with the investigation team..."
Ah!
The Skeleton Principal immediately understood the situation.
Come to think of it, the investigation team had eyes and hats—they wouldn't have just blindly taken an Einrogard student along.
Clearly, Alsicle had misunderstood and brought him along.
The Skeleton Principal smiled gently. It turned out there was a mage with even greater responsibility than them.
Oh dear, oh dear! To do something like that. Now that he thought about it, the biggest culprit was right here!
"...Isn't the one who delivered the wrong letter more at fault...?"
What nonsense was that? Letters could always get mixed up. The real problem was the one who ignored that and recklessly took him along.
Alsicle felt like he was sinking deeper into a swamp with no way out.
And though the Skeleton Principal hadn't intended it, others had been swept up in this mess too—the other members of the investigation team.
"...We also gave our permission..."
"We never imagined the letters would get mixed up..."
Seeing the investigation team members gloomily resigning themselves to joining Alsicle in the Empire's prison made the Skeleton Principal even more amused.
Erindarbel wiped away nervous sweat as she tried to soothe them. It wasn't just ordinary guilt—she felt terrible that promising talents of the Empire were going to prison because of her.
"N-No, the biggest responsibility is mine—"
Shh. Quiet now.
"But my mistake—"
If you get dragged into this, it'll be a hassle for me... No, I mean, failing to confirm is a greater crime than the letters getting mixed up.
"But the younger students—"
Do you know Empire law better than I do?! Then you take the Spirit Offering Hall's position!
"......"
"There's no need for all of you to worry."
Lee Han, who had just returned after finishing his conversation with the successor of the Green Jade Magic Tower, cut in.
"I didn't actually participate in the investigation team."
"...Huh, does that work?"
"It has to. Everyone, you'll have to keep it a secret."
"Wardanaz...!"
Alsicle, who had been about to be moved, flinched under the piercing gaze of Professor Voladi.
Though his eyes were as indifferent as usual, Alsicle's guilt made them feel unnaturally sharper.
It was as if he was digging into his lies.
"G-Lord Gonadaltes. Voladi Bagrak is looking at me like he wants to kill me."
You should address him as Professor, Pengerin.
"...Professor Bagrak is looking at me like he wants to kill me."
Professor Voladi's eyes have always been like that, so don't mind...
The Skeleton Principal trailed off as he turned to check.
Professor Voladi was still silently staring in their direction. Somehow, his gaze seemed even more intense now.
Hmm. No. He's suspicious. Everyone needs to be careful.
"......"
"......"
Outstanding combat mages were also skilled at interrogating others and extracting the truth.
When Professor Voladi waved his right hand—a merciless weapon—and called over the familiar adventurers from the investigation team, their faces turned deathly pale.
And on the opposite side, he also had his left hand—an even crueler weapon.
"Mind if we have a quick chat?"
"Y-y-y-yes, of course!"
Wait! Seeing them stutter like that, I'm worried about aftereffects from the dimensional erosion. Go get them checked.
Fortunately, the Skeleton Principal intervened.
The Skeleton Principal had his death knights escort the adventurers to the back to check for any lingering effects.
"......"
Professor Voladi. Don't misunderstand. The monster that crossed dimensions this time wasn't an ordinary one—it came from the void. We need to thoroughly examine its residual effects.
"Yes."
Those abominations were so vicious that even after burning the entire space, their traces still remain.
"Yes."...
You suspect me, don't you?
"Yes."
Professor Voladi answered with brutal honesty. The Skeleton Principal cried out indignantly.
Why don't you believe me, Professor Voladi? Have I not earned your trust?
"Yes."
'This bastard.' The Skeleton Principal glared at his former disciple, now a fellow professor, with irritation.
If it had been Professor Garcia, she might have feigned defeat out of a soft heart. If it had been that Wardanaz brat, he would've pretended to lose out of flattery. But this ruthless vampire mage had no such tendencies.
Then ask Wardanaz directly.
"It would be more accurate to ask others."
Professor Voladi wasn't fooled.
Given his disciple's personality, it wouldn't be surprising at all if he was colluding with the Skeleton Principal to lie.
Since he enjoyed visiting dangerous places to test his own limits and strength, he wouldn't give a straight answer even if questioned properly.
Instead, Professor Voladi fixed his piercing gaze on the penguin beastman mage. He was the only mage present who could be interrogated without mercy.
Pengerin also needs rest after fighting extra-dimensional monsters. Right? Wardanaz?
"...Yes! Look! He's collapsed and groaning right now!"
Lee Han pointed at Alsicle, who had fallen to the floor. Professor Voladi replied bluntly.
"He just seems exhausted."
"Just how powerful must those monsters have been to do this?"
"There's no need to lie to me, your teacher. Be honest."
When Professor Voladi suddenly brought up their master-disciple relationship, Lee Han was taken aback.
It was an ambush he hadn't anticipated.
Playing the emotional card? How cheap.
After all, he had received help during the Crazy Doppelganger incident, so his conscience was already wavering. 'Should I just tell him?'—Absolutely not!
The Skeleton Principal urgently sent a separate telepathic message.
Given Professor Voladi's temperament, if Lee Han spoke up now, at least a few members of the investigation team—including Alsicle—might end up in the Empire's dungeons for real.
-Don't fall for it! Only by enduring this crisis can you become a true liar. 'You really suck at comforting people!' "...
I don't know."
"I see. Understood."
Professor Voladi nodded and withdrew cleanly.
After exchanging a few words with the mage from the Green Jade Magic Tower, he left with them.
Lee Han felt an inexplicable guilt and unease watching his retreating figure.
"...Will they be alright?"
Pengerin and the others? They'll be fine.
"No, I meant Professor Bagrak..."
Professor Voladi? He definitely won't be. His disciple openly deceived him.
"......"
And you won't be fine either. You'll have to take his class again next semester.
"Would it be okay if I said I'd repay all the gold coins I borrowed while going around the magic towers right away?"
Calm down. Haha.
The Skeleton Principal chuckled awkwardly and apologized.
Unlike other disciples, this particular student could deal a significant blow to Einrogard if provoked seriously.
Professor Voladi isn't the petty type—he'll understand. Look at the people you saved.
The Skeleton Principal pointed at the expedition members behind him, including Alsicle.
As a mage, one should take pride in saving these innocent lives.
"If the Headmaster had just properly pointed out the contents of the letter in the first place, none of this would have happened."
'He's not buying it.' The Skeleton Principal clicked his tongue inwardly.
This disciple was far too clever—tricks like Professor Garcia's tactic of glossing things over with vague atmosphere would never work on him.
"Does it make any sense that we had to leave for the capital without even taking our final exams because of the Headmaster?!"
Gainando trembled with rage as he shouted.
All the parties he had meticulously planned for the break—the frenzied Wizard Card party, the mystery party (where Gainando was supposed to be both the first victim and the hidden culprit), the dessert party, and more—had been canceled.
Without Lee Han, the other friends would only react with indifference—"Why should I?" or "Gainando, pay me back for covering your duty last time instead of throwing some party"—making Lee Han's absence absolutely critical.
"Honestly, even if Lee Han were here, he probably would've refused most of those parties anyway."
"Hmph. I knew that, which is why I prepared so many! Even if just one works out, it's a win."
"...!"
Yoner was stunned by her cousin's sudden spike in intelligence.
Since when did Gainando come up with such clever tactics?
"But the Headmaster ruined everything! No—wait, the Headmaster is still the Headmaster! If the school has no money, he should sell treasures or work to earn it!"
"Whoa, why is His Highness suddenly making nothing but valid points today?"
"Hey, didn't that guy beg Wardanaz for money when he was broke?"
The other friends inside the carriage whispered among themselves.
The Einrogard students, having just finished the semester, were now traveling to the capital in several rented carriages.
Originally, most would have stayed in Granden City to enjoy their break, but news that their friend had left early for the capital to help the Skeleton Principal changed their minds.
-If we leave him like this, Wardanaz might get dragged around all vacation!
Surprisingly, many students had joined the mission to rescue their friend from the Skeleton Principal.
Yet despite the large number of participants, not a single one expected the matter to already be resolved.
"Because of the Headmaster, Lee Han might not get top marks this time."
"Nah. Wardanaz is taking first place. I checked before we left."
"Perfect scores across the board. Your Highness, did you even check your grades at all?"
"......"
Gainando quickly steered the conversation away from the topic.
"Is it easy to get gold coins?"
"Of course not. Can't you just ask for donations since you're the prince?"
"Well..."
Gainando hesitated.
"My allowance is one thing, but they won't let me get away with passing off donations as personal spending..."
Lady Kraha was lenient with the small sums Gainando spent as pocket money, but she became quite strict when the amounts grew larger.
He had once tried to convince her to acquire the rights to produce Wizard Cards but failed.
'Wasn't that just impossible to begin with?' Siana tilted her head in silent confusion.
"True. Her Ladyship is an excellent businesswoman—she wouldn't frivolously throw money around."
"...Even I wouldn't lend money to Einrogard."
The mood among the second-years suddenly turned gloomy as reality sank in.
Now that they thought about it, no one would willingly hand over gold coins to Einrogard.
"Hey. Let's just write petitions. That's our only option."
"Should we?"
"If we scatter hundreds of petitions near the palace, even the Headmaster would have to release him."
Fortunately, the students had matured even further.
Faced with a near-impossible crisis, they remained unshaken and devised the best countermeasure.
The indomitable spirit of Einrogard had already taken firm root in their hearts, standing tall and unwavering.