Episode 1192
Episode 1192
Professor Zorjik was taken aback by the other's utterly shameless rudeness.
As a gentleman of the Empire, Professor Zorjik never tolerated rude behavior, but someone pounding the ground with their fists while bawling their eyes out was a slight exception.
After all, no gentleman of the Empire would want to deal with a madman.
Professor Thunderstep asked curiously,
"Are you crying because the dragon is too beautiful, or because you're resentful that Wardanaz transformed into a dragon?"
"I don't know myself!"
'Must be both.'
The human heart is complex indeed.
One could shed tears both from being moved by the dragon transformation and from burning jealousy at the same time.
From Thunderstep's perspective, Professor Bendozol was experiencing both.
He was moved, yes—but simultaneously, his heart was being consumed by jealousy!
Who even called this professor here?
Lee Han, now transformed into a dragon, already sounded exhausted as he asked.
He had initially been relieved that Professor Verdus hadn't shown up, but now an even noisier professor had arrived without any notice.
"Sniffle, sob, hiccup, wail!"
"......"
"...Has he already transformed into a beast by any chance?"
Instead of answering, Professor Bendozol only let out increasingly louder sobs.
He cried so pitifully that a puddle of tears formed beneath him. Professor Thunderstep grimaced, lifting his boots to step away.
"P-Professor Bendozol. Calm down. I understand you wanted to transform into a dragon, but magic doesn't always—"
"Hic-sob-why-hic-hic-I-sniffle!"
"Why... me...? Ah."
Professor Thunderstep barely managed to pick out the words mixed within the sobbing and nodded in understanding.
"Dragons are just like that, you know? Please stop crying."
That's right, Professor. If you must cry, go outside and do it.
"...Wardanaz is worried about you too."
Professor Thunderstep cleverly twisted his student's words.
"Here. If you stop crying, I'll gift you one of the student's scales."
But won't those disappear once the transformation wears off?
"Shh. Shut up. For a bit."
The professor glared at his tactless student.
This kid really...
Still, Professor Bendozol, having seemingly drained all the moisture from his body, hiccuped and rose from his spot.
The professors swarmed in to console him.
"Who knows? Maybe the dragons will grant you permission someday, Professor."
"That's right. You've done so much for dragons, haven't you, Professor Bendozol? Though the dragons probably aren't aware of most of it..."
"I also believe you'll be the next mage to receive the dragons' blessing."
The professors comforting Bendozol gestured at Lee Han, urging him to say something too.
Uh...
"Hurry! Say something!"
B-being a dragon isn't all that great, you know?
"......"
"...Just stay quiet. Professor Bendozol, let's pretend we didn't hear that."
Though Professor Bendozol was an exception, succeeding in transforming into a dragon had its advantages in many ways.
Most notably, the remaining professors were now more than willing to let Lee Han go.
-Ah. So it was because Professor Bagrak disappeared that they went crazy with the exams... Couldn't they have just asked for permission in advance? If they'd just said something, they could've substituted it with the final exam.
-Ah. I didn't think they'd allow it.
-So that's why you turned into a dragon?
-I only turned into a dragon because other transformations weren't working well, so I went with the first one that did.
-...Fine! Just get out of here already!
Lee Han found the professors to be far kinder and more considerate than he had expected.
Upon hearing of a student's concern for his teacher, they had chosen to extend their kindness despite the school's strict rules.
"That's how I was able to come out like this."
"...I, I see."
Dawn.
At the shrubbery in front of Einrogard's main gate, Professor Kirmin, who had secretly met with his student, wore a bewildered expression.
He had anticipated that Wardanaz would break through all the exams and emerge, but this level of kindness from the professors was unexpected.
Of course, Wardanaz's magical abilities had already been thoroughly verified without needing exams, but...
Was this really acceptable?
'No. First, let's just think about Voladi.'
Professor Kirmin shook off his distracting thoughts.
Before this outing, Wardanaz had already requested Professor Kirmin's company.
Given Professor Voladi's skills, if the student approached alone, he might not only fail to capture him but also get beaten and chased away.
"Where's Professor Kim?"
"I didn't call him."
"What do you...? Didn't you say you would?"
"That was a lie. I thought you'd worry too much."
"......"
Professor Kirmin was stunned.
'Like teacher, like student'—he was already picking up such mischievous habits.
No matter what, lying even to Professor Garcia!
Whether the professor before him was shocked or not, Lee Han pulled out the prepared request form.
"Since this outing isn't related to any official request, I technically shouldn't be allowed to leave. So I prepared a fake request form."
He had gone out on requests so often that jokes circulated among the students like, 'Has Wardanaz already become a professor?' But Lee Han was still just a student.
Without a valid request, he couldn't leave the school.
He could have used another request as an excuse, but Lee Han didn't want to waste even that time. From the start, he intended to go all out to find the professor and return immediately.
"Let me take a look."
To the mage of the Wardanaz family, in the name of the Kraha family,
We entrust the following request:
Organize and analyze the applicable magic...
Professor Kirmin's eyes widened in surprise.
Masters of Illusion Magic were highly skilled at forgery and fakes. Naturally, Professor Kirmin was no exception.
Yet, Professor Kirmin couldn't spot a single flaw in this fake request form.
The Kraha family's seal was accurate, the stationery was the distinctive saffron paper used by the Kraha family, and even the handwriting and signature...?
"How did you make this? The Kraha family isn't the type to let their belongings be forged so easily."
"It's not a forgery. It's real."
"?"
"I requested it in advance and kept it. A blank request form with the seal ring stamped on it."
It was only natural that Professor Kirmin couldn't find any flaws in this 'fake' request.
Because while the words were fabricated, every other element was genuine.
Gainando's mother had personally stamped the family seal on the stationery and written the necessary text.
"!!!!"
Professor Kirmin was truly astonished.
Such a fake request form wasn't something you could just hand out to anyone. This was a fully completed request form with the family's seal and format intact.
With ill intent, one could fill in the blank spaces with any desired content.
Even if someone added a promise of mountains of gold coins as payment, the Kraha family would have a hard time refuting it—because every element, including the seal, was authentic.
Yet here was a boy from another family holding such a fake request. It was hard to believe.
"Ah... Could this be something the prince had? In case he needed to go out..."
"No. Gainando didn't receive one. She only gave them to me. I received them directly."
"......"
Lee Han's answer sent a shiver down Professor Kirmin's spine.
He was well aware of Lady Kraha's reputation as the head of one of the wealthiest families in the Empire, but this level of boldness was staggering.
...And the thoroughness of not giving such a thing even to her own son, Gainando!
'No wonder the Kraha family is so wealthy.'
Professor Kirmin felt an unwarranted sense of respect for Lady Kraha, who wasn't even present.
It's easy to say, but who in their right mind would give such an item not to their own child but to their child's friend instead?
Without absolute confidence that Wardanaz would step in if Gainando truly needed it, such a thing would be impossible.
"I thought I wouldn't need to use it since there are so many requests, but it seems I'll be using it after all. Let's go. We need to convince the knights."
"R-right."
This semester, Lee Han had been escorted by knights every time he went out.
Which meant that to go out under a fake request, they'd have to deceive and take these knights along as well.
No matter how much most of the Death Knights favored Lee Han, if they were caught using a fake request...
-Urgent request? Let's go.
-I'll call the ones who are slacking off. Hey, bring the Iron Pot guy too.
The resting Death Knights stood up without even glancing at the request form.
Lee Han and Professor Kirmin were slightly taken aback and asked again,
"Aren't you going to check the request...?"
-There must be dozens of requests this semester. When would we have time to check them all? Just tell us where you're going.
"...Yes..."
Hiding his bewilderment, Lee Han nodded.
It was clearly a good thing, yet somehow it felt unfair.
After going through the trouble of even using the Kraha family's stationery...
Amrek Bark, the older brother of Batrek Bark and a dwarf belonging to the Moonless Night Knights, gazed down at the roadside below the third-floor inn with cautious eyes.
The knights under his command were currently tracking a professor from Einrogard.
The sheer power of mages from Einrogard had always instilled fear in the Empire's knights.
And if that mage happened to be a professor...
'But we can't just avoid them out of fear.'
Amrek waited for his subordinates' reports with eyes brimming with conviction.
No matter how exceptional a mage might be, they couldn't continuously evade the eyes of the Moonless Night Knights.
The tightly woven network built over decades and centuries wasn't something easily shaken off.
"We've found him!"
A subordinate knight rushed in with an excited face. After giving a light word of praise, Amrek asked,
"Where is he staying?"
"The Severed Moon Inn. It seems he's mingling with wandering mercenaries from outside."
"Impressive disguise. This is why combat mages are such a pain."
Amrek clicked his tongue.
Unlike bookish mages, combat mages who'd experienced real battles and witnessed the horrors of war were usually anything but foolish.
Despite thoroughly casting transformation magic, he was staying in a shabby facility with mercenaries just in case.
This wasn't the work of an amateur.
"But Sir Bark. Why are we chasing this mage?"
"Huh?"
Amrek hesitated.
Truth be told, he had no good answer if asked for a reason.
How could he explain that he couldn't just stand by when his foolish younger brother had such a genuinely caring friend?
Especially in front of his subordinates, it was even more difficult.
"Well..."
"You idiot! If he could tell us, he would've said so already. Don't you understand how important this is when we're talking about an Einrogard professor?!"
Another knight scolded his comrade.
Secretly tracking an Einrogard professor was absolutely no ordinary matter.
Clearly, Amrek must be holding some immensely critical information.
He was likely keeping it secret to protect his subordinates.
"R-right... My apologies!"
"Ah, it's fine. That's exactly it. I can't tell you, but it's extremely important."
Amrek sighed inwardly with relief and looked back down at the roadside.