Episode 1091
Episode 1091
"Magical energy, you say?"
"Yes."
'Did something like that exist?' The Head Butler grew puzzled again internally.
Noble families didn't just purchase mansions haphazardly.
Buying without asking questions or haggling just for the sake of a cheap deal was something only done at Einrogard's Black Market. Noble families checked things far more meticulously than one might think.
They verified the mansion's previous owners, recent incidents, which noble families resided nearby...
Not only that, they even hired mages to inspect the mansion for any potential anomalies. Naturally, this villa had also undergone such thorough scrutiny.
There had been no particular issues, though?
"W-well, indeed! I, too, had suspected something about this mansion's magical energy a few times. Whenever I tried to verify it with the magic Senior Zandanni provided, it strangely kept failing..."
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han nearly blurted out, 'That's just your senior's lack of skill.'
'Whoops. What am I doing?' He had almost walked right into a trap.
His opponent was sharper than expected. Lee Han steeled himself, reminding himself that he must never let his guard down.
"You saw correctly. It's because the mansion's underground magical energy is subtly distorted. It's so faint and difficult to perceive that it's easy to miss, but such distortions often have a significant impact on high-difficulty spells."
"Good heavens! Even after checking multiple times..."
The Head Butler's face paled as he exclaimed.
For someone of his standing to have missed something like this—it was a disgraceful oversight.
"It's not your fault, Head Butler. These things aren't easy to notice. Don't worry. I'll take care of it right away."
"Th-thank you!"
The Head Butler was slightly moved by the considerate behavior shown by the young man from the Wardanaz Family.
Perhaps this was why Einrogard mages always insisted on inspecting the basement first.
Lee Han summoned the Skeleton Legion, led by the Skeleton Warrior Gonadaltes.
For combat, he would have summoned a golem, but for menial labor in the basement, skeleton warriors were far more suitable.
My disciple...!
The Young Prince was moved once again.
From the alias for the club to the names of his summons—this disciple's thoughtfulness seemed deeper than the ocean.
'...'
I must never reveal the origins.'
Lee Han steeled himself with that resolve and began digging. With his psychokinesis and the skeleton warriors carefully excavating the basement floor, the work progressed swiftly.
"Shall I help too?"
Irendi, who had been glancing around waiting for an opportunity, cautiously asked. Lee Han readily agreed. There was no reason to refuse.
"Certainly. What kind of magic will you use?"
"I'll show you my Gem Dancers!"
Irendi held a ruby, opal, sapphire, and garnet between her fingers as she declared.
This magic, which summoned intricately designed inanimate summons based on the mana embedded within the gems, was one of Irendi's specialties.
Though the gems evaporated after a single use, it was worth it. Summoning such entities without contracts from other dimensions was no easy feat.
Lee Han barely suppressed a scream.
"...That won't be necessary. We already have enough workers."
"Oh... I see..."
Gainando's distant relative nodded with a sullen expression.
She had wanted to showcase her skills in front of the senior mage from Einrogard!
Clank—
"—!"
A sound, qualitatively different from digging dirt, rang out.
It resembled a metallic clang but, upon closer inspection, was distinct—a mana rupture only a mage could perceive.
Disciple. Be ready.
Lee Han nodded and gripped his staff.
"The hidden vault of the Young Prince should appear any moment now..."
THUD.
A bronze guardian emerged from the excavated pile of dirt.
Though such guardians created to protect dungeons or ruins were fairly common, Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine.
His keen senses immediately recognized the spells imbued within the construct. 'What the...?!' High-grade fire resistance, high-grade frost resistance, high-grade lightning resistance, high-grade darkness resistance...
Not only was it covered in every type of resistance imaginable, but the resistance spells themselves were intricately complex. They resembled ancient magic, with multiple layered traps to prevent external counter-spells.
The moment he saw this, an image flashed through his mind.
This was undoubtedly the work of the Skeleton Principal in his younger days.
'Does this mean even a casually molded bronze guardian by an archmage can possess such power?!'
Gritting his teeth, Lee Han began casting.
The most powerful penetrating spell that came to mind was the 5th-circle magic <Wardanaz's Lightning Transformation>, but he doubted whether pure lightning would be effective against such heavily resistant defenses. 'In that case...'
A skilled mage must remain flexible.
Instantly, Lee Han changed tactics. Spheres of water materialized in the air, spinning rapidly.
Though the guardian had strong resistance against water-element attacks, the cumulative impact from the spinning motion would still be substantial. Pressing down on the opponent with psychokinesis, Lee Han immediately took aim.
-Intercept. Intercept.
Surprisingly, the bronze guardian's surface shifted, revealing hidden spells that activated in response.
The sheer density of engraved incantations and formulas made Lee Han's head throb. '...A psychokinetic spell that immobilizes all moving objects within a certain range... No, wait—!'
A telekinetic-type magic that indiscriminately froze all incoming projectiles without hesitation.
Gritting his teeth at the Young Prince's meticulous preparations, Lee Han cast his next spell. Now was not the time to stand still. 'Spatial Teleportation!'
Even his newly learned magic was brought into play.
Due to the guardian's high magic resistance, he couldn't teleport directly through its body, but he could bypass its interception.
The spinning water orbs chaotically traversed the basement—not in a linear motion, but flickering in and out like scattered points.
Though it lasted mere seconds, the battle was fiercely contested. The bronze guardian attempted to bind and immobilize the projectiles, while Lee Han tried to outpace it by teleporting them just a fraction faster.
And the victor was Lee Han.
With his overwhelming mana reserves fueling a relentless barrage, he finally seized the advantage. 'Got through!'
No longer feeling the obstruction, the water orbs slammed into the guardian's torso with resounding impacts.
One hit, two hits, three hits, four hits...
For a brief moment, the guardian's magic resistance wavered. The spells inscribed within became clearer, and Lee Han wasted no time. Using the black magnetite embedded in his staff, he cast reverse magic. 'The priority spells to disable are...!'
The water resistance and magic defense spells momentarily stalled. Seizing the opening, Lee Han teleported a Water Prison Bomb directly into the guardian's core.
A critical strike.
The accumulated shockwaves erupted violently alongside the structural damage.
THUD.
"Hah. I made it."
Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
Digging through someone else's mansion basement had put him on edge more than usual.
Had this been Einrogard, he wouldn't have cared if the building got wrecked in the process—but unfortunately, this was a noble family's estate. If he hadn't neutralized the guardian quickly, it could have turned into a disaster.
Mostly in Lee Han's coin pouch...
'More importantly, they didn't even warn me about this.'
Lee Han pulled out his notebook with an accusatory expression.
To not mention the most crucial detail—
For a brief moment, he even wondered if this was deliberate, like how the Skeleton Principal or Professor Vol would intentionally provoke fights.
Disciple?
Disciple. You didn't have to fight them. Since I'm here, they wouldn't have attacked you.
Disciple? Ah. You wanted to test yourself against them, didn't you? I'll cheer you on.
You did great! Magnificent!
"......"
Lee Han's expression darkened as he read the newly added scribbles in that brief moment...
This was honestly unbearable!
'How was I supposed to check this in such a short time?'
In magical combat, speed was everything.
The moment you saw your opponent, you had to strike immediately.
In fact, Lee Han's fight with the Bronze Guardian had lasted less than ten seconds—a short, intense battle.
If he had hesitated even slightly, he could have lost. There was no way he could have stopped to read every word in the notebook and then act...
Your unyielding spirit of challenge only further illuminates your noble character, Disciple.
"...Thank you for the praise..."
* * *
"I-I had no idea something like this was underground...!"
The Head Butler couldn't contain his shock.
He had never imagined that the "disturbed magical energy" would mean something like this.
It wasn't just murky mana—was it?
Lee Han quickly composed himself before speaking.
"That's correct. While there are cases where mana becomes turbid, there are also instances where ancient magical constructs lie buried in the earth."
Though it wasn't exactly what the Young Prince had anticipated, they had still arrived at the intended destination.
The two looked at Lee Han with eyes full of reverence.
Truly, an upperclassman from Einrogard was on a whole different level!
"Did you see that just now? That Watcher had dozens of spells embedded inside it, and you still took it down!"
Irendi exclaimed excitedly. Flustered, Lee Han reflexively asked,
"You could sense that?"
She had gauged the number of spells engraved within the Bronze Guardian?
Even he hadn't been able to count them precisely in that short time, but just estimating it in the double digits was impressive enough.
"Huh? Yes?"
The Baldrogard student answered with a completely oblivious expression, unaware of how remarkable her ability was.
"...You're related to Gainando, right?"
"Yes...? I am?"
"And you're a student at Baldrogard?"
Irendi nodded in confusion, not understanding what he was getting at.
Even if Divination Magic isn't absolute, for someone like this to be at Baldrogard...!
Lee Han shuddered internally.
He had seen talented mages like Alsicle Pengerin who hadn't enrolled at Einrogard before.
But for a mage like this to be at Baldrogard? This was fate playing too cruel a joke.
Shouldn't I report this to the Headmaster and have her forcibly transferred to Einrogard?
He paused mid-thought.
Now that he considered it, that was an extreme idea that completely disregarded her own wishes.
There was a 99% chance she'd just end up miserable.
Ah, what am I thinking? The Skeleton Principal must have rubbed off on me during break.
No matter how he looked at it, he wouldn't normally entertain such a radical notion. It had to be the Skeleton Principal's influence.
"Are you alright?"
"...Yes. I'm fine. Could you give me a moment? I need to check for any other threats..."
Lee Han subtly avoided their admiring and expectant gazes before checking his notebook again.
"What should we do now? Dig further?"
No need. I've already retrieved it and draped it over your shoulders, Disciple.
"???"
Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Lee Han glanced around.
Strangely, he couldn't feel anything...
Was it some kind of cloak only visible to good people?