Episode 1098
Episode 1098
The banquet had ended. Students walked out laughing.
It wasn't that Lee Han was hallucinating. The students were genuinely laughing.
Uman had forced them to.
"Students of Einrogard. The meal is now over. However, your bodies have not yet fully recovered from fatigue. Now, everyone shall laugh."
"Huh?"
"Quickly! Laughter is beneficial for both soul and body."
The students wanted to protest—how could they possibly laugh after such a meal?—but before they could, Uman pulled out a booklet titled <Wholesome Jokes for Mages>.
As the first joke made its grand appearance, the students began laughing to survive.
I don't want to hear any more!
"Haha, hahaha. Hahahaha."
"We're out now, so you can stop laughing. Gainando, you too."
"Hwahaha. Haha... Hwaheung!"
"Don't cry while laughing... It's creepy."
Not just Gainando—several seniors were also sniffling.
"How can things get even worse here? Graduates never had to suffer like this. Why just us?"
"If only we'd enrolled a year earlier, we wouldn't have had to see this..."
"Students, there are new directives for you."
Death knights waiting in the hallways and staircases called out to the students.
"What now?"
"As you've already heard in the banquet hall, cooking within the domain is prohibited as usual. Instead of unsanitary and unbalanced meals, you shall be served His Highness's healthy cuisine for every meal."
"......"
Not only were they being forced to eat his meals, but now even cooking was banned?
The students wore expressions as if they were suffocating under a dragon's love.
"Th-That goes against the spirit of Einrogard!"
Someone shouted, and everyone nodded in agreement. Lee Han thought to himself:
'What even is the spirit of Einrogard?'
He had talked to seniors and professors, but he still didn't quite understand what exactly the "spirit of Einrogard" was.
It seemed to be something like scraping together whatever ingredients they could find while sleeping rough outside, but...
The knights, despite their fleshless faces, clearly conveyed annoyance.
Already exhausted from external inspectors, these knights had no intention of persuading the students.
"The following actions are also prohibited: preparing meals for friends, selling them cheaply, or bartering..."
"??"
"Does anyone even do that?"
The seniors were baffled, finding the rule as absurd as something like 'Prohibition of acting kindly toward Baldrogard students.'
Even if there were no rules, who would act kindly in the first place?
"......"
"......"
But the second-years looked deeply unsettled. Lee Han was no exception.
'Wait. His Highness Uman is an outsider—how would he know?'
This rule was unmistakably targeting Lee Han specifically.
In fact, the knights were staring straight at him...
Did the Skeleton Principal snitch?!
'Highly likely.'
Lee Han shuddered.
The inspectors were here because of his mismanagement, and now he was being petty like this?
It was hard to imagine someone could stoop so low.
"Anyway, those who... ahem, students who usually engage in such activities should be cautious."
"......"
Did he just almost name a specific family before stopping himself?
Lee Han grew even more certain—this was definitely aimed at him.
"Additionally, the following actions are prohibited: receiving excessive help from friends, receiving magical instruction..."
"Why is that banned?"
Lee Han had intended to stay quiet, but the words slipped out before he could stop himself.
Just why would that be banned?
The knights answered in a thoroughly exhausted tone.
"An anonymous, great mage advised it. Receiving excessive help from a fellow student would bring misfortune—both to that student and to others."
"......"
"......"
Gradually, not just Lee Han but the other second-years were realizing the danger of these new rules.
If enforced, other seniors would suffer moderately. But the second-years...
Since they were already accustomed to a certain level of hardship in their daily lives, they had adapted to some extent.
But for the second-year students, it was highly likely they would suffer as if they had been thrown into hell.
Precisely because they had been living relatively comfortably until now, it would be all the more unbearable!
"Why are the knights making such a rule?"
"No idea. Did they drink some bad undead liquor?"
In reality, the seniors were just blankly listening to the new rule. Except for a few sharp-eyed seniors, most didn't even seem to understand why such a rule had been introduced.
'It's not like we ever help more than necessary anyway, so why bother with a rule like this?'
"This is ridiculous!"
"What's ridiculous is that you all got lucky with your enrollment year and have been living happily ever since. Honestly, is this Baldrogard or Einrogard?"
One of the spiteful knights retorted.
Lee Han had known that the Skeleton Principal held a grudge against the second-year students, but to think he would exploit the visit of an external inspector to pull something like this...
It was a masterful move that even made one admire his cunning as a subordinate. Truly, becoming a Grand Mage wasn't for just anyone.
"It'd be best not to even think about secretly helping others behind the scenes. His Highness Uman is far more thorough and persistent than you'd expect."
One of the knights whispered to Lee Han.
Normally, the Skeleton Principal turned a blind eye when students procured supplies on their own, but Uman was different.
He was the type to relentlessly monitor, chase after, and lecture anyone who stepped out of line—and then some.
Lee Han responded with a bemused expression.
"But why are you telling this to me specifically...?"
-...
"Just thought you should know? Haha."
The Death Knight blinked his blue-flamed eyes and winked. Lee Han could easily decipher the meaning behind that gesture.
'So I'm the prime suspect.'
Seeing that even a relatively friendly knight was whispering warnings like this, it seemed Lee Han had been properly marked.
Well, among the second-year students, he was the only one who'd go out of his way to help others, so...
'Even so, do they really have no shame?'
Lee Han felt absurd at the Skeleton Principal's scheming.
Just how long had it been since Uman arrived? And yet, the man who had been grumbling about him earlier was now shamelessly exploiting the situation.
"Hmph. It seems both His Highness Uman and the Headmaster have forgotten one crucial fact."
-What fact would that be?
"The fact that I, too, can send a complaint outside the school."
The knights tilted their heads in confusion at the meaningful tone of the Skeleton Principal's successor.
-What exactly would you send?
"That His Highness Uman and the Headmaster have maliciously conspired to prevent me from helping my friends with their assignments and making meals for them..."
As he spoke, Lee Han suddenly felt a strange dissonance.
Huh?
'Weird. Why does it sound so odd when I say it out loud?'
The knights seemed to share the same sentiment.
-Lord Successor.
"Don't call me that."
Even in the midst of this, Lee Han immediately scowled.
-Understood. Lord Wardanaz. That... while we are indeed subordinates who serve our master, objectively speaking, the contents of that complaint don't seem very effective.
"......"
Lee Han had no choice but to admit he'd been logically defeated by the Death Knights.
Even if it were the Emperor himself, he wouldn't read such a complaint and think, "This skeleton has finally lost it! Let's immediately make Wardanaz help his friends with their assignments and cook meals for them!"
-Frankly, while our master likely enacted this to torment the second-year students, isn't it somewhat beneficial for you, Lord Wardanaz? From our perspective, you've been overworking yourself quite a bit.
"I won't deny that I've been busy, but this goes against the spirit of Einrogard!"
Though he had lost the logical argument, Lee Han stubbornly clung to his point out of sheer frustration.
And as people often do when they're being unreasonable, he naturally invoked the "spirit of Einrogard" in his defense.
Instead of answering, the knights exchanged glances.
'Honestly, the new rule seems well-made, doesn't it?'
'Quite right. If not for this, the honored successor would never have rested.'
"Are you listening? The spirit of Einrogard is..."
-Yes, yes.
-I also think it goes against the spirit of Einrogard.
(Though I have no idea what that is!)
The second-year students of the Blue Dragon Tower gathered in the common lounge, exuding a gloomier atmosphere than a funeral parlor.
To hear advice from other seniors (and to incite the seniors to join forces together).
"Right. Everyone, take back what you entrusted to me."
Lee Han spoke first to ensure he wouldn't forget.
Currently, the young prince's basement was packed to the brim with contraband items his friends had left in his care.
Since there was no telling what His Highness Uman might do next, they had to return the items to their owners as quickly as possible.
'It's terrifying not knowing the extent of dragon magic. Could they even detect something as simple as sharing meals?'
Considering the knights' earlier warnings, it was clear they shouldn't underestimate the situation.
Still, strictly speaking, this didn't violate the rules. They weren't distributing food—they were merely returning items entrusted to them by fellow students.
"L-Lee Han."
"What?"
"I... didn't bring much food this time..."
Gainando muttered with a pale face.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I... didn't either."
"Honestly, me too..."
Surprisingly, it wasn't just Gainando—a significant number of students had barely brought any food.
Since Lee Han usually kept such ample supplies, they had assumed, 'I don't need to bring extra—I'll just pack something else instead.'
Gainando stared blankly at the chocolate box inside a chocolate box inside yet another chocolate box.
Was this really supposed to last him an entire semester?
"Th-this damn book! Because of this damn book! I'll burn them all!"
Lee Han quickly restrained his friend, who had flown into a rage and was about to set fire to his black magic books.
"Calm down. I'll figure something out. I don't know how they're monitoring us, but there must be a way to get food delivered."
"No. Such a method doesn't exist."
"......"
At the sound of that familiar, world-crushing voice, Lee Han turned his head.
Senior Yukveltire was walking toward them.
"What is it, Senior? If you're not here to help, please leave."
"Didn't you want to know about dragon magic?"
"!"
At those words, not only Lee Han but all the second-year students widened their eyes.
"Do you know how His Highness detects things?"
The senior nodded.
Lee Han let out a shallow sigh at the sight. Adenart, standing beside him, asked curiously,
"Why do you look like that?"
"How many people is he going to bother with this again? Ugh. If only Senior Diret were in the same tower..."
"...H-he wouldn't do that, would he...?"
Adenart timidly defended her family, but Lee Han ignored her and grumbled.
"He'd probably make us participate in some dangerous experiment and then throw ourselves in harm's way to block the magic."
"His Highness Uman possesses the <Scale of Souls>."
Surprisingly, Yukveltire cut straight to the explanation.
Adenart stared pointedly, but Lee Han didn't back down.
"He's going to demand something from us later."
"......"
Whether the juniors were talking or not, Yukveltire continued with what she had to say.
The <Scale of Souls>, passed down among dragons, was a powerful artifact mentioned in numerous fairy tales and legends.
Its effect was nothing short of terrifying—it bound a person's soul to a scale and forced them to confess their sins.
"What kind of nonsense... You're saying such an artifact actually exists?"
Lee Han was stunned by its effect.
Even after hearing it, it was hard to believe. Yukveltire nodded.
"According to legend, it's one of the artifacts inherited alongside all rights to Wizard Cards."
"What does Wizard Card rights have to do with—never mind. Fine, let's say it exists. Are you sure he really has it? And he'd use such a relic for something this trivial?"
"I just went to see it."
Whether the dragon turned the school upside down or not, Yukveltire moved for his own purposes.
Since there were rumors that Uman might possess the <Scale of Souls>, he had gone to request a viewing—and, of course, Uman had gladly agreed. The righteous dragon would never refuse something that could help the students.
"And he said he'd use it to correct the students' corruption."
"......"
"...Send me to Baldrogard!! Send me to Baldrogard!!!"