Episode 1126
Episode 1126
Just as Lee Han had suspected the Skeleton Principal might have mind-reading abilities after witnessing his exceptional magic skills, Siana also suspected Lee Han might possess mind-reading abilities after seeing his outstanding magical prowess.
"Got it... Don't believe it."
"I said I believe you!"
"But if you were summoned for that purpose, how did you manage to get away?"
At Dijiling's question, the other two priests also made expressions of 'Huh?'
Upon reflection, it didn't seem easy to escape from such a situation.
"That's... I was too well-suited for Einrogard, so they gave up on recruiting me."
'It's a lie, but it's strangely persuasive in a weird way.'
Siana thought to herself.
Why was it only in these strange aspects that he sounded plausible and realistic?
Then, a spirit's heat could be felt from the back of Lee Han's hand. It was obvious who was making contact.
Lee Han pretended not to notice and ignored it. At least he couldn't respond right now.
"I feel some heat."
Nigisor muttered.
"?!"
Lee Han was startled by his priest friend's sharp senses.
To detect an attempt at contact from the spirit realm...
No matter how much Nigisor had the bloodline of spirit contracts passed down from his ancestors...
"Right? It got a bit warmer."
"It seems like quite a serious problem."
Only then did Lee Han realize he had misunderstood.
The group had been commissioned by the order to address the drought and heatwave issues in the western region, and naturally, the nearby areas were experiencing unseasonable heat.
Nigisor hadn't sensed the General of Fire Heaven but was talking about the weather outside.
"Yeah, right. Haha. I really feel the heat."
"??"
When Lee Han answered slightly awkwardly, Nigisor looked puzzled.
"Lord Wardanaz. If you're worried about this Nigisor, you don't need to be. I won't go looking for flames in a place like this."
Although Nigisor was a priest deeply interested in strong flames, he didn't say things like 'Oh, maybe there are traces of flames here' in an area suffering from severe heat damage.
If he had been the type to say such things, he would have joined an Evil God Cult instead of the Afha Order.
"R-right. You're reliable."
-Student Lee Han! Get off at the next village!
Professor Garcia, who was in another carriage, sent a signal.
Looking out the window, they could see the flags of several orders already fluttering weakly in the village ahead. Priests had come to solve the problems, but the affected area was so vast that their numbers seemed insufficient.
The professors, having experienced such situations many times, weren't particularly surprised. Professor Garcia gave instructions.
"Professor Bagrak, please check the surrounding security and prepare for any potential unrest. Professor Ku, please comfort the villagers. Students, each of you check the village's condition and identify what's needed. We'll have to delay meeting with the bishop for a bit."
Originally, they were supposed to meet the order's group at a different destination, but they couldn't just leave in this situation.
Lee Han tried to ignore the persistently clingy General of Fire Heaven and focus on what needed to be done now.
'Heal the injured with healing magic, repair collapsed structures with enchantment magic, refill dried-up wells... Ugh. This bastard. Why does he keep blinking like this.'
"Lord Wardanaz. Shall we move together?"
Nigisor asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Lee Han hastily replied.
"No. Let's split up. There's somewhere I need to go first, so I'll be off!"
"...Uh, okay..."
As Lee Han quickly distanced himself, Nigisor was too surprised to continue speaking.
It was the first time Wardanaz had so blatantly created distance like this.
Siana, who had been watching from the side, remarked.
"See, you should've been suspicious in moderation."
"You were suspicious too, Priest...!"
Nigisor's hair flared up as if expressing his feelings of being wronged.
Seeing the two bickering, Dijiling subtly distanced herself, not wanting to share in their unpopularity.
"Do you really want to die?"
As soon as they arrived at a secluded corner of the village where no one could see them, Lee Han growled.
At his words, the hamster, who had been quietly sitting in the makeshift cage attached to his waist, jumped in surprise and exclaimed.
-What did I do?
-Hmph. Your very existence is annoying.
The baby basilisk, sensing its moment from within the sleeve, hissed sharply. The owner's adorable pet believed it alone was more than enough.
The hamster, who had just been unexpectedly cursed at from inside the sleeve, was utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell?
Whoosh—
Only when fiery spiritual energy flared up like flames from the back of Lee Han's hand did the hamster finally realize the words hadn't been directed at him.
-A spirit? It looks quite powerful.
Call me General of Fire Heaven.
-General of Fire Heaven!?
The hamster was even more shocked.
As a magic criminal, he knew well enough that this was the title of an exceptionally formidable spirit.
It was downright astonishing where this mage from the Wardanaz family had managed to pick up such a spirit.
This guy already had multiple spirits under his command, including the Thunder King!
-Impressive. To contract with a spirit like the General of Fire Heaven in such a short time.
Seems like you've gained a wise companion while I wasn't looking! A very clever... hamster, you are.
The General of Fire Heaven wanted to compliment the hamster, but not only was he naturally poor with words, there simply wasn't much to praise when it came to a hamster.
The hamster, indignant, shot back:
-This form is only temporary. For a spirit to be bound by the shape of a physical body—how pathetic.
My apologies. I won't say it again.
The General of Fire Heaven was uncharacteristically kind and gentle, given what he wanted.
This attitude only made the hamster more suspicious.
Wasn't this guy supposed to be a notoriously violent spirit?
Spirits only acted against their nature when they wanted something.
'Suspicious...'
Well, now that you know of my might, how about persuading this mage here to form a contract with me? Hmm?
-You haven't contracted yet!?
"Unless both of you shut up, one of you is going back to the spirit realm. The other? The basement."
Lee Han's icy warning made the hamster freeze in realization.
'You damn spirit brat...!'
Of course he'd assumed they'd already contracted—who would've guessed they hadn't?!
No wonder the spirit was acting so oddly friendly. It clearly wanted the hamster's help to secure the contract.
'...Wait, but this isn't my fault, is it?'
Anyone would assume a spirit of that caliber had already been contracted. Who'd think it was still begging for one?
-Why haven't you contracted yet? Did the spirit demand something outrageous?
How dare you say something so rude? I've never done such a thing!
Lee Han severed contact with the General of Fire Heaven and shook the hamster's makeshift cage violently from side to side. The petty revenge made the hamster curse inwardly.
-I was just asking...!
"That spirit pissed me off, so I didn't contract."
-...Just because of that?? W-wait! Stop shaking me! Stop it!
Though the reason was absurdly irrational, the hamster chose not to point it out.
Doing so would only earn him another round of violent shaking.
-Well, violent spirits do tend to be arrogant and full of themselves.
"Shut up. Since you've opened your mouth, how about some actual advice?"
-What kind of advice?
"How do we resolve this situation?"
Lee Han gestured broadly at their surroundings.
Outside the village, the land was already bone-dry, not a drop of moisture left, while waves of heat rolled relentlessly through the air. To anyone, this was clearly a magical disaster out of sync with the season.
-...How do you expect to resolve this? Just wait until its energy runs out.
The hamster sounded incredulous.
A natural disaster of this scale was beyond the power of any single mage to overcome. Though called a magical disaster, wasn't it the result of hundreds, thousands of factors converging into one outcome?
If it were just some rogue spirit running amok or an entity from another dimension encroaching, the solution would've been simpler.
But what if this was the result of fire spirits steadily gathering in one place, their energy concentrating, while overlapping scorching dimensions amplified the effect in a chain reaction?
For something so structurally complex, waiting for the energy to exhaust itself was the only answer.
"Can't we just bring the ocean here or something?"
-That kind of absurd solution isn't standard practice...! And what mage would go to such lengths just to solve a drought every time it happens?
'Shouldn't have asked.'
Lee Han gave the hamster a disappointed look. The insult in his gaze was palpable, making the hamster even more resentful.
"To think you'd ask a question with no answer in the first place, you damn brat...!"
"Then how about the General of Fire Heaven?"
He actually called him again! Haha.
Despite being kicked out mid-contact, the General of Fire Heaven bowed obsequiously without any trace of anger or warning.
That very sight sent shivers down Hamster's spine.
'That spirit bastard... He's not normal...'
Powerful spirits are inherently arrogant and prideful by nature.
To see one suppress that and grovel like that was downright chilling.
Just how insane must this spirit be...?
"Last time, we agreed you'd find more and bring them. Did you manage to contact any others?"
Not yet, but... Wait! Hold on! Just give me a moment. How was the information I provided last time?
"It was utterly worthless garbage without a shred of nutritional value."
Lee Han lied without batting an eye. Even Saratan, who was listening, clicked his tongue in admiration.
That's...! That's those lunatics' fault, not mine! Who could've guessed those bastards would abandon their sanctuary without a shred of pride?!
The General of Fire Heaven vehemently condemned the Evil God Worshippers.
If they'd just been captured, he could've proven his worth and secured a contract, but these idiots ruined it!
Wait! Instead, let me offer another suggestion. Aren't the mortals around here suffering from this heat?
"That's true, but..."
This General of Fire Heaven has a way to solve that.
The spirit puffed up proudly. Lee Han and Hamster immediately responded:
"That's a lie."
-Nonsense. He probably means reducing their suffering by burning all the mortals here to ashes.
...That would work too, but you're wrong. To doubt this General of Fire Heaven's abilities like this...
"General of Fire Heaven. This hamster here might look pathetic, but he was once an exceptional archmage. If even a mage of his caliber says there's no solution, how could you possibly have one?"
Hamster squeaked happily before freezing, suddenly feeling self-loathing for being pleased by this.
'Damn it!'
A mage's methods differ from a spirit's. I know the master of the overlapping dimensions covering this area. I can recognize him just by scent. If you ask, I'll personally step forward to negotiate.
While completely blocking the scorching heat blanketing the region would be impossible, it would be a significant help for this immediate area.
Hamster had to admit—assuming the spirit actually knew who he claimed.
-That bastard. Does he really know? He doesn't seem like the type with wide connections among spirits.
"Can't hurt to try... Fine. Go ahead."
Wait! For negotiations, we'll need an offering. The other party won't just accept contact without one.
"What kind of offering do you need?"
Just sacrifice twenty-two villagers as burnt offerings.
"......"
-Hmm. Twenty-two people... That's worth considering...
"Get lost."
Lee Han dismissed the General of Fire Heaven and shook Hamster's cage violently.
Then he trudged off to get back to work.
Though not particularly confident in magic relative to his skill level, Lee Han did have a few areas of expertise.
One of them was menial labor. He genuinely believed he could represent an Einrogard Menial Labor school if one were established.
Low-circle spells requiring minimal mana and mental energy were perfectly suited for this.
After repairing village facilities, refilling wells, and healing the collapsed villagers, the first-arriving priests were moved to tears.
But Hamster grumbled internally.
'What a waste of time.'
Considering the village's population of several hundred, the General of Fire Heaven's proposal wasn't that bad.
Sacrificing the elderly and terminally ill could've pushed back the overlapping dimensions and cooled the heat. To just dismiss it like that...
Though magically talented, Lee Han was frustratingly lacking in these aspects.
'...What the hell? Why am I feeling regret?'
If the kid had a softness that could be exploited, that was only good for Hamster—certainly not bad.
Hamster shuddered to shake off the thought.
Just then, the General of Fire Heaven reestablished contact and whispered:
I used my own treasure to contact him! I'd appreciate some recognition for sacrificing such a precious item!
"Hmm. Good job."
-...!!!
Hamster stared at Lee Han in shock.
Don't tell me this mage anticipated this and coldly dismissed him just to extort him?!
'To think he'd milk a spirit like that...!'