Episode 1142
Episode 1142
"......"
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han thought Professor Garcia had cast a time-stop spell. Everyone in the lecture hall had suddenly frozen in place.
But that wasn't the case. The frozen people were all staring blankly at the classroom entrance.
Despite sensing an ominous future, Lee Han turned his gaze. And was horrified.
"Professor Verdus!"
"Indeed. I suppose I should take my leave now."
Yukveltire reacted immediately. Lee Han glared at this fifth-year senior with the urge to smack him.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?"
"If the professor has been released, shouldn't I be free too?"
"If you wanted to talk about freedom, you shouldn't have joined the Enchantment Magic department. No, you shouldn't have entered Einrogard at all. Once you're in, there's no such thing as freedom, so stay put."
"That's such a forced—"
Yukveltire tried to argue back, but her junior wouldn't listen.
The stonemasons from the Stonemason Guild outside were pointing at Professor Verdus in bewilderment.
"Why is Professor Verdus here now...?"
"There are circumstances regarding that."
"And why is he crawling on all fours?"
"...There are circumstances regarding that too. Actually, that's Professor Verdus's way of showing remorse."
"Professor Verdus is saying that?!"
The stonemasons were more shocked that Professor Verdus was attempting to apologize than by the fact he was crawling on all fours.
At this sight, Yukveltire showed slight disappointment.
Though he wasn't the type to boast in front of unworthy opponents, defeating Professor Verdus was an exception. He wanted to tell everyone he met about it.
'It was me who brought him to his knees.'
"How much damage has the professor caused you all during this time? And how rudely has he behaved?"
"Frankly, I still want to throw a hammer at his face just thinking about it. Honestly, we've been debating every night whether to put a bounty on this bastard."
When the stonemasons, who had been laughing heartily just moments ago, spoke with serious expressions, Lee Han flinched slightly.
Given their large builds and physical labor, their imposing presence was extraordinary.
"...Though this apology may not even cover a ten-thousandth of the debt, I'd appreciate it if you could accept it as a gesture of sincerity."
"Honestly, I'm shocked and can hardly believe it... but I don't feel entirely bad about it. Who knew Professor Verdus could change...?"
Lee Han and the stonemasons continued their conversation, leaving Professor Verdus sprawled on all fours by the doorway.
Lee Han quickly whispered to his senior.
"Senior Yukveltire. Please make sure the professor doesn't say anything unnecessary for now."
"Got it."
Surprisingly, Yukveltire nodded readily.
The only command this fifth-year senior would happily obey was one to attack Professor Verdus.
"...You're trying to attack me!"
True to his reputation as an outstanding mage, Professor Verdus sensed his student's hostile intent.
The artifact in his hand was the <Instrument of the Silent Practitioner>, a powerful artifact that would seal the tongue and vocal cords upon impact.
Few things were as troublesome to a mage as such an artifact.
Though most of his artifacts had been confiscated during his time in the Punishment Room, Professor Verdus desperately tried to summon one from thin air.
Thud!
Right then, the Death Knights seized Professor Verdus's arms, immobilizing him.
-[Proceed.]
"Ugh! Ughhh!"
With the knights' help, Yukveltire easily applied the artifact. Gagged, Professor Verdus writhed in frustration.
-[Calm yourself, Professor. We'll release you since you have lectures to give. Just stay still while the successor explains the situation.]
"Ughhhh!"
-So you were planning to fill this even while in the Punishment Room.
Thanks to the knights' help, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief as he gained some time.
At the very least, it seemed the situation with Professor Verdus suddenly appearing had been somewhat resolved.
"Professor. Since those people have kindly agreed to cooperate, please release the artifact and proceed with the lecture now."
Seizing the moment when the stonemason guild members had stepped back, Lee Han quickly spoke.
Professor Verdus, having resigned himself, nodded in agreement.
"Ughhh."
-Wait. Let's not remove it yet.
-Why not? Of course I'd also like to keep it filled, but...
-Do you really think that's why I stopped you? Well, that's part of it, but first, you need to explain what you've been teaching until now.
The knights didn't trust Professor Verdus one bit.
Though he had verbally agreed to proceed with the lecture, no one could be sure if it would actually resemble a proper lecture.
If they released him, he might just coldly say something like, 'Go build a structure yourselves and bring it back,' ruining the mood.
At the very least, they needed to know what kind of lecture Yukveltire and Lee Han had been conducting.
-That makes sense. How were you teaching it?
"It wasn't me—it was the Senior who was conducting the lecture."
-Right, right. Let's skip the minor details.
The knights gestured as if to say they understood and brushed past it.
They'd seen this successor say things like this more than once or twice!
'For some reason, I feel like hitting them.'
Perhaps because the frustration from earlier with Senior Yukveltire still lingered, the death knights seemed oddly irritating.
Suppressing his mixed feelings, Lee Han began speaking.
"So, about how this <Magic Architecture and Its Materials> lecture started..."
Yukveltire, who had been temporarily taking over Professor Verdus's lecture, fiercely resisted the newly added assignment.
"I absolutely refuse to agree. I'll protest to the Headmaster."
"Currently, the real authority lies with His Highness the Inspector."
"Then I'll protest to the Inspector. You, the junior from the Wardanaz family, should help too."
"How exactly am I supposed to protest to His Highness the Inspector? His Highness is a terrifying tyrant and an evil dragon. If I say even one wrong word in front of him, I'll be devoured whole."
At Lee Han's words, Yukveltire looked puzzled.
This was quite different from what she had heard.
"That doesn't sound like his personality. Even among the royals, he has a good reputation, and when I saw him at the banquet..."
"That's all just cunning deception."
"I heard that you, the junior from the Wardanaz family, have significant influence over the Inspector. How did that happen?"
"That's a misunderstanding. I'm just being dragged around and threatened. I'm only doing as I'm told."
Lee Han lied without changing his expression.
It wasn't like Yukveltire would meet the Inspector separately anyway.
"But perhaps you, Senior, unlike me, might be able to persuade that evil and powerful tyrant and dragon. Would you like to assist in my stead?"
Yukveltire immediately made her refusal clear.
"I refuse. That's absolutely unacceptable. I already have enough unnecessary work because of the Inspector..."
The recent evil spirits appearing in the Nightmare Echo Forest were a prime example.
Originally, this wasn't something a fifth-year should have to handle.
It was the kind of thing where odd friends like Diret would unnecessarily worry about juniors and step in—something that had nothing to do with Yukveltire—when suddenly, a letter arrived from the Inspector.
And not just any letter—one that explicitly named Yukveltire and gave direct orders.
"Cough, cough."
Suddenly, Diret, who had been standing nearby, began coughing as if he had something stuck in his throat.
"Are you alright, Senior? Here, have some cocoa."
Lee Han snatched the cup of cocoa in front of Yukveltire and handed it to Diret.
"Th-thank you. That..."
"?"
"...Never mind."
Diret gave up mid-sentence.
How could he possibly voice his suspicion that his junior was arbitrarily wielding the inspector's authority?
If Yukveltire and the junior were trying to use each other, Diret had no choice but to side with the latter.
Especially since he was in a position where he was receiving help from his senior.
"Indeed, Senior Yukveltire's magic research lab environment seems poor, causing you to cough. Senior Diret, wouldn't it be better for you to return and focus on your own research?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? I've never heard anyone say the environment here is poor. Point out exactly where it's lacking with coordinates. If you're even slightly wrong, it doesn't count."
"I'll finish this much before leaving, so stop fighting, you two..."
Diret tried to mediate. Lee Han shot him a displeased look.
After diverting work by using Professor Mortum and Senior Yukveltire, who would've thought he'd come to help!
But some personalities were simply unavoidable. Resigned, Lee Han opened his mouth.
"Anyway, Senior, you should go prepare your lecture. I'll assist you."
Normally, he wouldn't have cared, but since he'd recently abused the inspector's authority to dump numerous tasks and lectures on this senior, Lee Han felt somewhat responsible.
Other seniors from the Enchantment Magic school wouldn't lift a finger even if the sky were falling...
"Good. That's thoughtful of you."
Yukveltire nodded as if it were only natural.
Seeing her take without giving, Lee Han cursed inwardly.
'Why did I offer to help? Should've just dumped the lecture on her.'
"Wait. Where's the cocoa?"
"What cocoa are you referring to?"
"The cocoa you, the junior from the Wardanaz family, prepared. I hadn't taken a single sip yet, saving it to drink after finishing my work."
"Perhaps you're mistaken?"
"How could I mistake something like—"
"That's not important right now. Let's hurry. If the lecture preparations aren't done properly, Her Excellency the Inspector will burn and devour you."
-The cocoa must be delicious.
"Do knights drink cocoa too?"
-We can barely taste sweetness, but we can sense magical energy. As you know, when the heir brews it...
-Ah. Let's not waste time on trivialities. So you're helping Student Yukveltire prepare the lecture? How benevolent of you.
Since Lee Han omitted the details, the knights had no choice but to marvel.
"Euh?"
-What's he saying?
"He's probably asking why you're helping with something that's not even your responsibility."
"Euh euh!"
Professor Verdus nodded brightly in agreement. The knights looked at him with contempt and disgust.
"Just ignore him. Anyway, we went to see Professor Knighton..."
"Had it been Professor Verdus alone, I would've chased him away, but I can't treat you all the same. Here are the lecture materials I've used so far."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Traditionally, people from the Capital Stonemason Guild will come. They prefer practical things, so a free discussion with students would work well. But..."
"Yes?"
"...Why is Wardanaz helping with lecture preparations?"
"Haha. He's my junior."
"...?"
The old professor tilted his head in confusion.
By that logic, Yukveltire had dozens of juniors, yet he'd never heard of any of them assisting with lecture preparations.
"Anyway, I leave it to you. Be especially careful with them—they're the ones whose building collapsed because of Professor Verdus."
"......"
"I'm aware."
Lee Han stared at his senior with a dumbfounded expression.
Who knew it was such a famous incident!
'I already don't want to meet them.'
However, the reaction of the stonemasons from the capital was completely contrary to Lee Han's expectations.
At their first meeting, the first words they gruffly uttered were:
"Which mage was it that beat up Count Bouillon?"