Episode 1160
Episode 1160
"I knew your magical skills were impressive, but I didn't realize your spirit-handling abilities were also extraordinary."
At Lee Han's muttered words, Saratan bristled.
'This bastard?'
No spirit enjoyed being subdued by a mortal and forced to work.
And if the process was humiliating, that made it even worse.
Saratan was a notorious ruffian in the spirit realm who took pride in his infamy.
The fact that such a spirit had been forcibly captured and made to work by a mortal mage was a secret so explosive it wouldn't be fully contained even if all dimensions were destroyed.
-Absolutely never speak of this anywhere! If you do... if you do...!
"Understood. Got it. I wouldn't go around talking about this."
While mages beloved by spirits like Nilia could engage in all sorts of miscellaneous conversations with spirits, Lee Han was far removed from such things.
For one, the number of spirits he knew was extremely limited, and most of those spirits were strange and eccentric beings...
'It's impossible to have normal conversations...'
If he tried calling Perkuntra to chat about today's events, this lightning spirit would immediately summon the Skeleton Principal.
Finally, your disciple has gone mad and is causing a scene!
"But exactly how were you captured? Could you perhaps tell me too?"
Lee Han asked with a voice tinged with expectation. That sinister tone made Saratan's skin crawl.
'This... this bastard, don't tell me...!'
-I don't remember at all. Not one bit!
Though Saratan had never once felt camaraderie with other spirits, this time he felt a sense of responsibility.
He had to protect the spirits.
From that terrifying mage bastard!
"Is that so? What a shame."
Disappointed, Lee Han secretly downgraded his evaluation of Saratan by another notch.
If he couldn't even remember this, he truly was an incompetent spirit through and through.
'Seems like the most useless spirit I know.'
Judging by how he'd even messed up the warning from the General of Fire Heaven, this spirit really seemed to have no talents beyond fighting.
Then again, if he'd been that skilled and capable, the Talking Oaks wouldn't have handed him over so easily to an outsider like Lee Han, no matter how much of a criminal he was.
-What are you thinking about?
Saratan grew uneasy when Lee Han fell silent and asked.
Was he perhaps plotting to imprison more spirits?
"Ah. I was just wondering what kind of magic might be inside if this really is Bakwantalana's ruin."
Lee Han lied without changing his expression. Saratan fell for it completely.
-Bakwantalana created countless ruins for magical research. In the process, he wouldn't hesitate to commit atrocities like capturing innocent spirits and forcing them to work if necessary.
'How impressive.'
Lee Han's eyes sparkled momentarily.
He couldn't understand why the same actions seemed despicable when done by the Skeleton Principal but cool when done by an unknown mage.
"High-difficulty spells require enormous costs and time to develop and perfect one by one. It's not strange at all to create new ruins for them."
The costs mentioned here weren't just limited to reagents but included locations and labor as well.
Researching high-difficulty magic almost always required an environment with pure mana.
If such mana couldn't be obtained naturally, a mage would artificially create the facilities...
...and those facilities would later be discovered as one of the excavated ruins.
-Any mage would do the same, but Bakwantalana was especially a perfectionist.
"There are mages like me too. Not all mages are perfectionists."
-Bu...ll... That's why he completely destroyed the ruins of failed spells.
Saratan nearly lost his temper and started cursing after falling into Lee Han's trap, barely managing to restrain himself.
'That was close.'
"Were you about to swear just now?"
-Absolutely not.
"Hmm... I see. Anyway, if the ruin remains intact, there's a high chance it contains completed magic, right?"
What if he discovered an as-yet-undiscovered spell researched by Bakwantalana?
Lee Han shuddered.
Just how many things would be possible with that power.
Saratan, watching from inside the staff, suddenly grew curious and asked.
-What would you do first if you obtained it?
Though he himself was a ruffian of the spirit realm, this mage was no less of a monster.
He was genuinely curious how this mage planned to shake the Empire with such powerful magic.
"First, I'd make Professor Verdus walk on all fours... No, wait. He's already doing that. Then I'd make him roll left and right. I'd threaten him that if he doesn't obey my orders, I won't show him even a fragment of magic. I'd make him do all my chores every day..."
-......
Saratan cursed inwardly.
It was such petty ambition that he almost felt ashamed for having treated this mage as his equal just moments ago.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot about Senior Yukveltire. I'd make her do Senior Diret's chores every day. Polish Senior Diret's shoes, prepare Senior Diret's breakfast..."
-I get it, please just stop already...
Garko of the Arjo family was a mage of the Transmutation Magic school, worthy of his family's long-standing reputation.
Some gossips even claimed that if Garko had been a penguin beastman instead of an elf, he would have been rated higher than Alsicle of the Pengerin family.
Unlike penguin beastmen, who were beloved by most races in the Empire, elves tended to be more divisive.
Of course, Garko would get angry whenever he heard such talk.
-Alsicle of the Pengerin family is a genius mage who will lead the next generation of the Empire's magical academia! How dare you insult such a mage like this!
-Sigh, but Mr. Garko. The Pengerin ignored all those letters you sent him.
-He must have been busy. Such dedication to magic is yet another proof of his genius, isn't it?
While most mages of the Transmutation Magic school were cheerful and sociable, Garko stood out even among them.
The fact that he persistently sent letters to Alsicle, who remained holed up in his tower without replying, spoke volumes.
As such, the adventurers accompanying Garko treated him with a mix of respect.
"To be honest, we were quite worried about this request, Mage. We've had some bad experiences with mages before."
"Oh dear. Let me apologize on behalf of mages. We tend to be so absorbed in our magic that we sometimes make mistakes in etiquette."
Garko spoke with genuine regret.
Als... no, many mages often made this mistake when dealing with outsiders.
Being so engrossed in magic, they couldn't distinguish whether their actions were rude or not.
To avoid this, they needed to regularly participate in social events and interact with people, but unfortunately, many mages didn't.
"Not at all. Please don't mind my companion's words. And the real reason for our concern wasn't the mages, but the rumors circulating lately. The North has been restless, you see."
The Empire's North had always been a harsh land, but recently it had gotten worse.
Monsters were running rampant, rumors of Evil God Worshippers were spreading, and criminals from the West were flooding in for some reason...
While it was common for Northern criminals to head West when times got tough, the reverse was rare. Even if disasters had struck the West, it didn't make sense.
Some older adventurers even suspected it might be part of some grand conspiracy.
"Indeed. It's truly concerning."
"Is that so? I thought you weren't afraid at all, Mage. After all, you hired us and came all the way into these ruins."
"What does death matter when magic awaits?"
"Hahaha, what a joke... Wait, that wasn't a joke."
"Oh dear. My sense of humor is so exceptional that you all misunderstood! That wasn't a joke at all."
"......"
The atmosphere among the adventurers grew slightly chilly.
The fact that their employer didn't fear death wasn't exactly pleasant news.
This client currently held the most information about the ruins, but if they were reckless and fearless...
"Of course, I don't mean I want to die! There seems to be a misunderstanding. To clarify, I'm saying that if I were to die for the sake of magic, it would be perfectly understandable. That I could face death with dignity."
Despite the mage's friendly explanation, the adventurers already had chills running down their spines.
Suddenly, an old adage came to mind: don't get too close to mages.
They hadn't recalled it earlier because of how amiable the mage seemed—why was it surfacing now?
"Ahem, hmm... So, what exactly is in these ruins?"
One of the adventurers quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. The others, seemingly curious as well, nodded in agreement.
Currently, they were escorting the mage down to the cave ruins located halfway up the mountain.
Whether by luck or not, they hadn't encountered any real danger so far. There were no traps, and all the passages were neatly paved with stone.
Other wanderers had turned back after gathering what they could, but this exceptional mage had located a hidden passage leading underground and opened the door.
Thanks to that, they were now descending deeper.
"Ah, if I were to reveal the true nature of that magic, I'd have to detain all of you and erase your memories afterward."
"...That's not a joke either, is it?"
"Hm? Correct. I wouldn't jest about something like this. You don't think of me as someone frivolous and shallow, do you?"
"Absolutely not."
The adventurers suddenly found themselves missing that 2nd Circle mage they'd met before.
Sure, he had been insufferably arrogant just because he could use magic, but at least talking to him didn't send chills down their spines or make them uneasy.
Even his life goal had been oddly relatable.
"Earning enough to retire"—what a heartwarming aspiration that was.
Wa... ter... na... ra...
"D-did you hear that just now?"
It was unmistakably not the voice of a mortal with flesh. The adventurers tensed at the ominous, otherworldly voice, as if it belonged to something from another dimension.
But Garko didn't hesitate and immediately commanded, "Finally! It must be the Watchers of the ruins. Let's advance."
"How should we handle them?"
Though nervous, the adventurers moved diligently, fulfilling their contract. They were prepared to deal with the Watchers under the mage's direction.
"That depends on what those Watchers are like. I'll need to see them first."
"Understoo— Wait, you at least have some general information, right?"
One of the adventurers asked just in case. Surely they wouldn't approach blindly without any intel.
'That can't be.'
This mage had a reputation backed by several imperial magic towers and had even found and opened the hidden passage flawlessly.
They must have some information to act with such confidence.
"I don't. But I promise I'll do my best."
"......"
"It's coming! Block the path!!"
The adventurers had no time to argue and swiftly sprang into action.
"Listen up, everyone. Even if we find any useful magic here, the right to blackmail Professor Verdus belongs solely to me."
"No one's interested in that right, Wardanaz."
The White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han with disbelief.
They simply wanted to leave their mark on the excavation of a great magical ruin.
That alone was a glorious achievement for any mage.
And honestly, no matter what magic came from these ruins, Wardanaz was probably the only one capable of learning it anyway.
It wasn't like they'd find 2nd or 3rd Circle magic here...
-You made the right call not mentioning whose magic this is. Even trusted allies can betray you.
Saratan whispered so only Lee Han could hear. Lee Han thought to himself,
'I didn't say anything because I thought you might be wrong.'