Episode 1051
Episode 1051
Even if the Skeleton Principal was like that, when Professor Garcia joined in, Lee Han became slightly sullen.
'Isn't this too harsh from both of them?'
Of course, the two had known Professor Voladi for much longer.
Especially in the Skeleton Principal's case, he likely knew Professor Voladi from his student days.
From Lee Han's perspective, this was certainly difficult to understand.
'He probably went through a rebellious teenage phase.'
It wouldn't have been strange if he'd spat while walking through Einrogard's corridors, threw punches at other tower boys on sight, or shot magic at beaver beastmen.
But anyone can change, right?
In fact, Professor Voladi had recently shown surprisingly changed behavior after his school's disciples increased by 100%.
With sincere persuasion from his disciples, it might be possible to stop him!
'This kid. He's having pointless thoughts again.'
The Skeleton Principal looked at his disciple with disdain.
This Wardanaz family boy often had unnecessary stray thoughts.
His emotionless, statue-like features made him appear deeply contemplative even when idle, fooling other professors...
But the Skeleton Principal wasn't fooled.
Thwack!
"Stop having pointless thoughts."
When hit with the staff again, Lee Han was startled.
"How did you know?"
This teacher occasionally displayed wicked mind-reading abilities.
Though he'd scolded Lee Han saying 'if there were magic to read thoughts through your mana, I'd build another castle in Einrogard's territory', exceptional archmages were naturally skilled at lying.
'Is he really reading my mind with illusion magic?'
Thwack!
The Skeleton Principal hit him once more before speaking.
"Take notes."
"Yes."
"The evil god who fell and disappeared was named Sanguiros. His worshippers called him the 'Fair Regent'. Old western vampires favored him..."
Normally, such information about evil gods wasn't shared unless necessary.
Even the Skeleton Principal, who respected near-infinite freedom, kept certain knowledge restricted - including information about such evil gods.
According to cynical archmages like the Skeleton Principal or the Wardanaz Family Head, divine entities were forces formed from the collective unconscious of mortal souls.
Conversely, this meant that simply knowing could entangle one with them.
Most cases wouldn't be problematic, but occasionally, when misfortunes compounded, lives could be ruined.
Take the Prahgal Cult - they usually appeared as foolish groups trying to transform into disgusting tentacle chimeras...
But when people faced desperate situations, the life and regeneration powers of the evil god Prahgal could urgently come to mind.
Particularly for Einrogard mages who actively engaged in strange activities, extra caution was needed.
"But you'll probably be fine."
"Student Lee Han has already interacted with so many evil gods that hiding this wouldn't make much difference."
"...Professor, have I done something wrong??"
Even if the Skeleton Principal was like that, Professor Garcia's words stabbed sharply at his heart.
Her attitude seemed almost resigned!
It was hard to believe this came from Professor Garcia who loved her students.
"No. Nothing. We're just half-giving up on and trusting Student Lee Han."
"Professor...!"
Lee Han was moved again. Truly Professor Garcia.
"Why are you pretending not to hear the part about giving up?"
The Skeleton Principal sarcastically continued his explanation.
This evil god Sanguiros was unusually titled 'Fair' due to his unique characteristic.
He granted power commensurate with sacrifices offered.
Laymen might ask 'what's special about that?', but it truly was special.
"Because fundamentally, divine beings don't necessarily return favors just because you offer them something."
If such equivalent exchange truly existed, the students at Phoenix Tower would have been freely using divine magic by now.
"Well. I did receive a few divine magics thanks to sheer luck, but it's generally quite difficult."
"Student Lee Han, it's not luck but simply your mana... No. Never mind. Let's continue listening."
In any case, Sanguiros' trait of promptly providing rewards in exchange for offerings left a profound impact on his worshippers.
Compared to gods who never responded no matter how much you called upon them, how appealing must that have seemed?
"That's suspicious. A deal that good can't possibly exist without a catch."
"My, you've become quite sharp."
Of course, if it had ended there, he wouldn't have been called an evil god.
Sanguiros fundamentally preferred blood-soaked sacrifices, granting greater rewards to those who offered more blood.
This system inevitably led to a structure that could only bring violence and ruin...
"He was eventually exposed and fell from grace. These types never last long anyway."
Compared to this Sanguiros, Prahgal and Ksaxarigol were practically tame.
It was impossible to go unnoticed when drenching entire regions in blood.
"There must have been a large-scale extermination campaign."
"Large-scale? Hmm... Well, you could say that. Anyway, that's the gist of what he was like, so don't be fooled if some stranger approaches you offering power through 'fair deals.'"
"Do you take me for some kind of fool?"
"Don't even trust them if they say they'll teach you magic."
'Does he actually think I'm a fool?' Lee Han grew slightly suspicious.
Otherwise, why would he be so worried...
"Just be cautious if you see someone lurking around who seems oddly strong and has a thing for blood."
"That sounds like half the people at Einrogard."
"You'll have many outings starting second semester, and I'm already worried."
The Skeleton Principal said this while looking at Professor Garcia.
From the second semester of the second year, Einrogard students had to earn gold coins through odd jobs—no, through legitimate and noble commissions.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford the insane magic expenses that piled up from third year onward.
With the inevitable increase in outings, it was impossible not to worry.
"Professor Bagrak will still be at Einrogard anyway, so what's there to worry about?"
Though Lee Han asked in confusion, the Skeleton Principal ignored him and continued speaking with Professor Garcia.
"If we just send the Wardanaz kid out alone, magic criminals will swarm him like flies. But if we assign Professor Bagrak as an escort, remnants of evil god worshippers might cling to him like mosquitoes."
"That truly is a difficult problem."
Much like the puzzle of safely transporting the wolf, goat, and cabbage across the river, this problem was equally complex.
If they sent Lee Han alone, magic criminals would swarm him. If they assigned Professor Bagrak, evil god worshippers would swarm him instead...
"!"
The Skeleton Principal, who had been pondering various solutions, suddenly furrowed his brow.
He sensed an eerie disturbance near the mansion outside the dungeon.
"There are mosquitoes buzzing around the mansion."
"Huh? What lunatic would dare—?"
Rather than trembling in fear at the thought of pursuers lurking near the mansion, Lee Han was simply stunned.
This was, after all, a dragon's mansion. Though Jowurin was still immature, her combat prowess was anything but weak.
'If anything, that makes it even more dangerous.'
He didn't even want to imagine the destructive potential of a dragon that couldn't control itself.
Moreover, wasn't the Skeleton Principal—the very embodiment of Einrogard's end—present here as well?
The Water Spirit seemed to share the sentiment, pausing its dungeon maintenance in bewilderment from a corner.
What kind of insane mortal would dare lurk around here?
"It seems they really have been resurrected. Show yourself!"
As the Skeleton Principal barked the command, the intruder—who had been eyeing a way to breach the mansion walls—suddenly appeared at the end of the passageway.
"!"
The intruder momentarily showed surprise but quickly regained their composure.
Given that they had entered what was currently the most dangerous place in the capital, their appearance was far too ordinary—so much so that it was surprising in itself.
Dressed in a worn brown tunic and holding a round work plate in their hand, they looked unmistakably like a guild worker from the city.
But as the intruder approached, Lee Han noticed something distinctly off.
It was their eyes. The worker's eyes were gleaming with a murderous red glow.
"I-I've come to pay my respects to the Archmage."
The voice that seeped from the worker's throat was entirely mismatched—an unfamiliar voice brimming with intense power.
The Skeleton Principal seemed to find the situation itself humiliating and unpleasant—that some lowly Evil God Worshipper had chased them down just to "pay respects."
He looked at them as if they were an insect and said,
"If you came to pay respects, get to the point and die quickly. I don't want to listen for long."
"Th-that I shall. Archmage, you have a grudge with us."
"Like I don't have grudges with you lot already."
"B-but it was you, Archmage, who dealt us a fatal blow. S-so... await our vengeance."
"Then get in line at the very, very back."
Even as a subordinate of the resurrected Evil God Cult came to declare war, the Skeleton Principal remained indifferent.
"Done talking? Seems so. Then—"
"Headmaster. His Highness is still here."
"Good point. Excellent."
For once, the Skeleton Principal praised his student.
Showing the prince how to turn someone into dust wouldn't end well.
If Jowurin later decided, "I want to try that too!" and took it up as a hobby, a summons from the imperial palace would arrive immediately.
"I'll take them away and dispose of them. Your Highness, my apologies for bringing in such a nuisance..."
"Intruder!"
Jowurin shouted belatedly. The Skeleton Principal and Lee Han looked at the dragon with concern.
Had the shock been too much for him?
"A d-dungeon intruder has finally come! To my dungeon too!"
Jowurin was surprised—just not in the way the two had expected.
Intruders targeting dungeons didn't just enter any dungeon. They only went where the dungeon had value.
"Your Highness, that guy was actually an Evil God Worshipper who came chasing after the Headmaster—"
"Shh. Be quiet."
The Skeleton Principal covered his student's mouth.
Explaining the Evil God in detail to Jowurin wouldn't do any good, and...
Seeing him this happy, there was no need to ruin his mood.
* * *
"Don't worry about it, junior. It was just a crazy Evil God Worshipper."
"......"
Eandurde gave the senior a dubious look.
After whispering in the corner with the Skeleton Principal and Professor Garcia for a while, they suddenly disposed of the intruder and now claimed, "It was nothing, just a crazy Evil God Worshipper." It was hard not to find that suspicious.
"...Understood."
Still, Eandurde chose to trust her senior.
Even if they were hiding something, she believed it was because she wasn't meant to know.
Eandurde shifted her gaze.
Jowurin had been still this whole time.
Seeing his serious expression, she worried he might be dwelling on the unsettling aura from the intruder.
If this dragon started prying without tact...
'I'll have to step in and persuade him.'
Lee Han. Lee Han.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?"
If the mansion had been exposed to intruders, didn't that mean Jowurin could be in danger? Shouldn't he relocate for a while?
"Where to?"
Somewhere safe would be good! A place with many mages and the Magic Tower. Ideally, somewhere that starts with an 'E' would be even better.
"Indeed."
"What do you mean, 'indeed'?! Are you trying to bring someone else here?!"
The Skeleton Principal scolded his student in alarm.
Who on earth was he planning to bring over now?!