Episode 1121
Episode 1121
Before anyone could stop him, the junior had already vanished somewhere, leaving the Black Magic students utterly bewildered.
What in the world?
"Where is Wardanaz going?"
"Must be another lecture. Maybe Summoning Magic or..."
"Illusion Magic, Enchantment Magic, Divination Magic, Transmutation Magic, perhaps?"
"You should include Healing Magic and Alchemy too."
Dirimpa watched Ogoldos and Diret's conversation with a strange expression.
What kind of conversation was this, exactly?
"Ah, Dirimpa. That joke just now was about how our junior attends multiple departments..."
"O-Oh, I see."
Dirimpa thought to himself that the department had picked up some odd jokes while he wasn't looking.
Honestly, wasn't it more unsettling than funny?
Whoosh!
Just then, a paper bird suddenly flew in.
Given that it was made from paper dyed dark blue with Black Magic reagents, it was undoubtedly sent by Professor Mortum.
"What did the professor say?"
"...He says he'll write the report himself?"
Diret blinked, slightly confused.
Something felt off. The juniors seemed to share the sentiment, each voicing their thoughts.
"Is this a trap? If we say yes, he might sulk for a whole week..."
"It feels so plausible that it's annoying."
"Gasp, gasp! Did something happen?"
The junior who had disappeared had returned in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to Enhancement Magic and even borrowing knights' secret techniques, his speed was almost arrow-like.
"Professor Mortum says he'll write the report himself."
"Wow! That's fantastic news!"
Lee Han clapped insincerely without changing his expression.
By now, Professor Mortum was probably cursing the Empire's totalitarian political system while drafting the report.
"...Something's weird about this..."
Diret glanced sideways at the junior.
He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but the junior's demeanor seemed to be hiding something.
Even the professor was acting out of character.
"Let's go see the demons together, Senior. When it comes to squeezing demons, no one in the department can match you."
Ogoldos spoke in a tone full of respect.
Though, respect didn't necessarily make everything he said sound pleasant.
'He still comes off as a terrible person.'
"No. Like I said, I'll just unlock the door for you. Even if you don't have to write the professor's report, there are other things to do."
For a fifth-year, one could be as busy or as free as they chose to be.
And Diret, of course, was the former.
Since he didn't have to write the Eastern Region Black Magic report, he planned to use the extra time to draft warnings about the Nightmare Echo Forest for the juniors.
Lately, whether due to the inspectors or because students had set fires to spite them, the frequency of evil spirits appearing nearby had skyrocketed.
"What's the matter?"
"Huh? I'm thinking of writing precautions and countermeasures for the evil spirits in the Nightmare Echo Forest and distributing them on the 7th floor..."
Lee Han glanced at Ogoldos and Dirimpa. His silent question was whether this was also part of the Black Magic department's duties.
Naturally, the two shook their heads and mouthed silently.
'The senior is... acting like a pushover.'
'I have... no idea... why he's like this.'
"You two. I can hear you mouthing off."
Diret warned the juniors muttering behind his back.
By fifth year, one could understand their juniors even when they spoke without making a sound.
"Understood. I'll be right back."
"......"
The junior dashed off again like an arrow.
Shortly after, a paper bird arrived from Yukveltire.
It was a letter vehemently condemning the authoritarian behavior of the Empire's inspectors, who wasted her time ordering her to deal with useless juniors.
'...This is really weird!!'
The demon Orlach whistled as he swept the dust from the basement with a broom.
If other demons—full of vigor and never having made a contract with humans—saw this, they'd flip their eyes and spit blood in outrage.
"How could a demon who once served as the Pride Duke's flag bearer in duels stoop to such menial tasks?"
Most demons would rather die than perform such trivial chores.
But Orlach thought differently.
'Heh. I'm not like those foolish demons.'
Having once worked under a certain family, Orlach possessed a distinctly superior perspective.
One of his tenets was, 'It's better to act first than to endure punishment later.'
Thanks to such brilliant insights, even the Pride Duke and Arsil had praised him.
"Speaking of which..."
After finishing his cleaning, Orlach glanced around the basement.
Even upon second glance, it was worlds apart from the mansion of that family.
There, despite the abundance of dangerous artifacts, he had never sensed poverty. But here...
...Beyond the chaos and disorder, there was an overwhelming air of destitution.
'Well, they are black mages... Ah, no. That can't be. A Wardanaz mage is among them, after all.'
Orlach steeled himself against the creeping doubt.
A sinister whisper in his mind urged, 'Remember just how impoverished black mages are,' but Orlach gritted his teeth and resisted.
Since he had to work here now, such thoughts were pointless.
He had to focus on the positives!
-Hey.
Suddenly, a squeaking sound came from beneath a shelf in the basement. Orlach bent down, still holding the broom.
"...What? A hamster?"
-Do I look like a hamster to you, demon? You must be a particularly dim-witted one.
"Whether you were once a mage or a dragon that scorched the skies, you're a hamster now. Spare me the petty taunts."
Another demon might have flared up, but Orlach merely scoffed in amusement.
If he were the type to lose his temper over such provocations, he'd never have survived working under that family.
'...Not bad, this demon.'
The Magic Criminal Hamster, Antagondals, was impressed.
A skilled mage could gauge a demon's caliber with just a few exchanges.
Had Orlach lashed out at the insult, he'd have been an easy plaything—a trivial demon.
But instead, he remained composed. That spoke of his competence.
-Fine, fine. I take back the 'dim-witted' remark. But you can't be enjoying your current situation either, can you? A demon trapped in this basement must be bound by a contract.
There was no point hiding it, so Orlach readily admitted it.
It wasn't hard to deduce. What else would a demon in the Magic Tower be doing here?
"What's your point?"
-We could cooperate. Help each other escape.
"Oh-ho."
Orlach's expression showed immediate understanding. The hamster inwardly cheered.
Competent demons were so much easier to deal with.
A prideful, foolish one would have snarled, 'Why should I join hands with a mere mortal?' But a clever demon skipped the pointless ego battles and got straight to business.
Of course, this convenience would vanish once their goals were met. The smarter they were, the quicker they'd betray you at the first opportunity.
Not that the hamster minded—he planned to do the same. Once free, he'd stab the demon in the back to reclaim his lost power.
"Cooperation, huh? What exactly do you want? Just so we're clear, my capabilities are limited... hamster."
-I don't ask for much. Just a few reagents and a bit of magic. I need to break this curse.
Though 'a bit' was a blatant understatement, neither pointed it out. They both knew better.
"A curse... Must be a powerful one."
-Exactly! That's why I'm stuck here like this!
For a moment, the hamster lost control and growled.
If he could turn back time, no matter how intoxicated by the power of Ancient Magic, he'd never have stepped foot inside Einrogard.
No matter what happened, he had naively thought that he could simply collapse his physical body and escape with just his soul—who could have known he would end up bound like this?
It was indeed a heavy lesson, but the price he paid was truly brutal.
To be turned into a hamster and forced to roll around among foolish students...
And worse, the mage boy who had inherited him from the Crazy Doppelganger didn't cherish him or seek his wisdom—instead, he carelessly left him in the magic tower's basement.
Lately, the hamster had even begun to suspect that the mage boy had forgotten about him entirely.
Surely not...
-If the curse is lifted, I'll personally find the contract that binds you and destroy it. I can swear to that even now.
The hamster spoke cunningly.
Once the curse was broken, he planned to immediately collapse his body and escape. The price for breaking the oath would be paid by his flesh—not him.
"Tempting. Very tempting!"
Orlach nodded repeatedly, his face half-convinced.
"Can you explain in more detail? What's your plan, and how far have you prepared?"
-Look.
The hamster used the seeds and carrot pieces he had gathered to create a map.
Though trapped in the basement and unable to go outside, he had managed to map out the magic tower based on sounds and mana fluctuations alone. It was truly an astonishing skill.
-Here, two floors up—the study. And next to it, a hidden storage room. We need to break through here first. We'll have to find a way to gain access somehow. I think there's Black Spirit Gold stored there.
"Indeed. Indeed."
-Next, we'll need to obtain the Mermaid's Tears, but... Wait! Someone's coming.
Hearing footsteps, the hamster let out a squeak. The two quickly returned to their original positions.
Clank!
With the sound of a lock turning, light spilled into the magic tower's basement. The hamster quietly retreated into the corner beneath the shelf.
Once they left, he would resume plotting.
"Young Master! That hamster bastard is planning an escape! He's a very bad little creature!!"
-!!
The moment the door opened, Orlach rushed to Lee Han and tattled about what had just happened.
The hamster's pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
Though he prided himself on knowing demons well, even this magic criminal had his limits.
The cunning of a demon who had served a certain family for a long time surpassed common sense.
When the opponent schemed, they would egg them on while simultaneously preparing to betray them.
That was the ironclad rule of demons who worked for that family.
"......"
-......
Lee Han stared silently at the hamster inside the cage. The hamster couldn't say a word.
Orlach chattered excitedly beside him.
"You wouldn't believe how cunning this hamster is—it's shocking!"
-...You promised to free me and then vanished without a word!
Finally exploding, the hamster squeaked furiously.
"I don't recall making any promises..."
"You insolent hamster! How dare you raise your voice in this place?!"
Orlach scolded him in extreme outrage.
To show such rudeness to a descendant of the Wardanaz family—had Arsil been here, this hamster would have faced the harshest punishment.
"Uh. Hey. Orlach."
"Yes!"
"That's a bit excessive..."
"?!"
Orlach was startled.
What?!
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Just... all of it is excessive. Seriously. And by the way—meeting me during the break is a secret. You've never seen me before today."
"What about your ties to the Wardanaz family? Is that also a secret?"
"That... that's just embarrassing, so let's keep it secret too. Anyway, stop it."
If Orlach went around boasting in front of the Black Magic seniors about who Lee Han really was, he wouldn't be able to show his face in the Black Rock Hall for at least two days.
To avoid that humiliation, he had to shut it down now.
As the two bickered pointlessly, the hamster exploded in rage again.
-Answer me, damn it!
"Ah. Sorry. I was a bit busy. But I did leave plenty of food for you..."
'His mocking skills are truly impressive.'
Orlach was in awe.
As a former jester of the Duke's court, he could appreciate the high-level mockery the young master of the Wardanaz family was displaying.