Episode 1023

The habit of asking senior mages for help when problems arise was more important than one might think.

Just look at how much trouble Lee Han had to go through because he hadn't developed that habit.

If only Lee Han had asked a senior mage for help during this dimensional erosion investigation... 'Wait, no.' Come to think of it, Senior Mage Alsicle had dragged him along, so this was an exception.

But still, Lee Han had called Alsicle.

Surely an unhelpful exception wouldn't happen twice.

"Senior Alsicle!"

"Huh? What?!"

Alsicle, who had been purifying poisons in the reagent storage room with the priests, was startled when Lee Han called out to him in an urgent voice.

"There's a ghost here!"

"What?!"

Crash!

Not only Alsicle but the other students immediately drew their staves or swords and came running.

"Where?!"

"Here."

"...There's nothing here?"

"I already cast a spell at it."

"......"

The other students looked at Lee Han with extremely awkward expressions. Giselle thought to herself, 'Being too quick to react is also a problem.' Because he'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taken it down too quickly by himself, there was nothing left for the others to check.

"W-well... good job. Counterattacking is important..."

"What kind of ghost was it?"

"How should I know? You just smashed it."

Alsicle grumbled as he checked near the fireplace.

Though a faint trace of the spirit's energy could be sensed, there was nothing more. It seemed Wardanaz had delivered a proper finishing blow.

"It really was a ghost. And likely a mage's ghost at that."

Statistically, mages often caused trouble even after death.

It was so common for magic laid down in workshops to leak after the owner's death and wreak havoc that it wasn't even worth mentioning, and there were also frequent cases where the restraints on summons or dimensional portals would break, allowing monsters from other dimensions to swarm in.

Even if a mage had tidied up their workshop properly, the danger wasn't completely eliminated.

The mage's own soul and body, having experienced countless magical energies and mysteries, were themselves hazardous.

A mage's powerful will to pursue arcane secrets often resisted the decline of the flesh, creating bizarre phenomena.

"Ah. Like the Headmaster?"

"...N-no. Well... he is a lich, but putting him in the same category is a bit too..."

Alsicle floundered at Gainando's innocent question.

While lichification was indeed one method mages used to resist death, the gap between that and these ghosts was too vast to consider them in the same category.

Lichification was an advanced grand magic that only mages who had reached the pinnacle of the black magic school could perform, while ghostification just required...

"Lots of lingering attachments and grudges."

"There should be plenty at Einrogard, so why haven't we seen any?"

When someone voiced this doubt, Alsicle responded as if the question was ridiculous.

"The mediocre ghosts would've been exorcised immediately. Do you think Einrogard is like Baldrogard?"

"Ah."

While the others were talking, Lee Han, who had been deep in thought, suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, I think the ghost said something about wanting us to undo its magic!"

"Naturally. That's quite a common goal among mage ghosts. Prince, didn't you hear anything like that?"

"I just told it to get lost and drove it away."

"Hmm."

Alsicle seriously pondered the ghost's differing reactions.

While non-malignant ghosts like this usually weren't that dangerous, there were no absolutes in magic.

Hadn't they almost been sent straight to the Empire's prison during the dimensional monster chase because they'd acted carelessly?

"Didn't you ask Gainando because you didn't trust him?"

"Maybe..."

"Surely that can't be the reason. Everyone, think seriously about this."

Alsicle lectured the Einrogard students. Meanwhile, Lee Han continued inspecting the kitchen and asked,

"Is it difficult to completely exorcise a ghost through combat?"

"No. Given how easily you blasted it away earlier, it doesn't seem like a particularly combat-capable ghost. It was probably a non-combat mage in life too. But with these things, it's better to resolve things peacefully..."

"Ah, right. There's no need to fight and damage the facilities, lowering the mansion's value."

"...W-well, that too, but... a mage's mansion usually holds many secrets. It wouldn't hurt to inherit them properly from the owner."

"Then let's change plans and head down to the basement."

Gainando made a disgruntled face at the messy kitchen, but the others enthusiastically agreed.

"Good thinking, Wardanaz. Skipping one meal won't kill us."

"Let's check the suspicious places first."

"Ugh. This is why people from other towers..."

At Salko and Giselle's reactions, Gainando grumbled, but even the Blue Dragon Tower students wanted to inspect the basement first.

"I hope it's the Alchemy School."

"I'd prefer Summoning. If there's any useful research, it could be helpful."

"......"

Gainando sulked and moved behind Lee Han. There were many people, but few reliable friends.

"Tsk. You must be hungry, Gainando. Want to eat this?"

"...!"

When Lee Han pulled out a sandwich from the basket, Gainando's eyes widened in shock.

"When did you make this?!"

"While cleaning up after the Dimensional Erosion earlier."

"Lee Han...!"

-Release the magic I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left behind...

"...Waaah!"

Gainando screamed and threw the chicken sandwich.

The mage ghost had reappeared near the staircase leading to the basement.

Lee Han deftly caught the sandwich with psychokinesis, shoved it into Gainando's mouth, and pushed him back. It was almost an art form.

Alsicle watched in admiration. 'The mages of the Green Jade Magic Tower would weep with emotion!' It was rare to see a mage who had refined their psychokinetic control to such a meticulous degree.

"What magic do you want released?"

Lee Han asked, ready to counterattack at the slightest provocation.

Even if the ghost seemed harmless, he couldn't let his guard down.

-My research... is below... follow me...

"Wait! Why didn't you ask the prince here earlier and just chased him out instead?"

Curious, Ashan pointed at Gainando and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠asked.

The mage ghost answered in a slow voice.

-Those unworthy... are not questioned...

"......"

"...I knew it!"

"N-no, I don't think that's what it meant?"

Alsicle hastily intervened as the students began to nod in understanding.

There was no way the "worthiness" referred to magical ability.

How could the ghost possibly guess Gainando's Einrogard grades at a glance?

"Spirit, for your own sake, please answer. What does this 'worthiness' refer to?"

-The magic... he has mastered... that mage... is worthy...

"The magic Wardanaz has mastered?"

Only then did the students realize it wasn't about Einrogard grades.

"A Summoning mage?"

"Or maybe an Enchantment mage."

"Well, since the prince was rejected, probably not a Black Mage."

"...I'll just ask directly."

Lee Han cut off his friends' speculation.

There were simply too many possibilities.

"Which magic are you referring to?"

The ghost pointed at Lee Han's staff.

When it indicated the blue gemstone from the Frost Giant King, Lee Han was startled. 'Was he connected to the Frost Giant race!?'

"Lee Han. I think it's pointing at the Teleportation Ore next to the stone, not that one."

"Ah."

Lee Han flushed slightly.

So it was related to spatial magic!

"Still, it's impressive you deduced I've mastered spatial magic just from this stone."

Teleportation Ore was a convenient item even mages untrained in spatial magic could use.

The mage ghost replied in a faint voice.

-The clock...

"?"

-Such... a flamboyantly enchanted object... only those who specialize in spacetime magic would carry it around...

"Ah!"

Only then did Lee Han realize what the ghost was talking about.

The cracked, <Limited Time Acceleration>-enchanted pocket watch!

It was referring to the artifact created by one of Einrogard's professors during their school days.

"Th-this is what you call 'flamboyantly decorated with magic'? It looks perfectly ordinary to me."

-Read... the space...

Puzzled by the ghost's words, Lee Han cast <Spatial Perception>.

Even if there were distortions in the surrounding space, this spell would allow a mage to perceive accurate measurements through absolute spatial awareness.

Yet nothing registered.

-Deeper... Focus harder...

"???"

Though confused, Lee Han concentrated his senses further.

He suspected the ghost might be mistaken, but having already cast the spell...

"...!"

Surprisingly, Lee Han's senses picked up a faint distortion. Along the pocket watch's outer surface, twisted space was engraved like decorative patterns.

The most astonishing thing about this intricate magic was how utterly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠useless it was.

What possible purpose could such localized spatial distortions serve?

Only a mage capable of spatial perception would see it and think, 'Impressive! Such meticulous decoration!' But would they really? Wouldn't they just consider it a waste of effort?

-Don't squander magic on such frivolities...

"......"

The ghost seemed to share this sentiment, offering unsolicited advice.

Showing off with methods only one in a hundred could perceive was, by any measure, an idiotic endeavor.

"...This wasn't my spell. And the mage who cast it is dozens of times wiser than you."

-I don't see it...

The ghost didn't seem to pay much heed to Lee Han's words.

And honestly, Lee Han doubted whether the ghost could even think properly. According to Alsicle, such ghosts were incomplete beings.

Unlike liches, who retained nearly all their knowledge and abilities from life, ghosts invariably had missing pieces—who knew what was lost?

"But the upper floors' facilities didn't seem related to spacetime magic. Did you study other schools of magic as well?"

-I know nothing of other schools...

"Surely other... Ah."

Lee Han paused.

"Do you happen to know Archmage Erindarbel? A great mage, kind-hearted, though prone to occasional blunders..."

-I don't... 'The ownership must have changed hands multiple times.'

Come to think of it, there was no guarantee this ghost was the immediate previous owner.

It wouldn't be strange if the ownership had changed several times since. In fact, given the chaotic mess upstairs, it was more likely that multiple mages had used this place.

"But the previous mages—didn't they undo the magic?"

-They tried... and all failed...

"!"

Lee Han grew slightly worried.

Hearing that other mages had failed suddenly sapped his confidence. 'Can I really solve this?'

"Wait. Even if you failed, couldn't you seek help from another mage? Would that be against the rules?"

-No... Doesn't matter...

The ghost couldn't care less about receiving help.

As long as the magic it left behind was completed, nothing else mattered.

-But the other mages... all begged me to keep their failures a secret...

"......"

Lee Han was speechless.

What kind of nonsense was this? 'What's the point?'

If they failed, they should've told another mage to solve it. Hiding it out of pride until the mansion was sold?

And it wasn't just one mage—multiple had done the exact same thing.

Mages truly were...!

'Hmm. But if I can't solve it, I'll have to keep it hidden until sale too.'

Separate from his disbelief, Lee Han learned another lesson:

When selling a mage's workshop, conceal its flaws as much as possible.

-Here...

Upon reaching the end of the long, spiraling underground staircase, the ghost passed through a door.

Lee Han tried to open it and step inside—but the space beyond fractured into countless fragmented dimensions.

"???!?!"

-I sought to create an infinitely shifting space of possibilities, shaped by the mage's will... but it became uncontrollable... Undo this magic...

"...Hold on, I'm calling for backup."

Lee Han immediately gave up and prepared to summon Professor Garcia.