Episode 1196
Episode 1196
Unable to bear watching the professors' ugly quarrel any longer, Lee Han spoke up.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just ask me directly?"
"That wouldn't be proper."
Professor Voladi once again brought out his principled argument.
When evaluating a student's magic, one couldn't rely solely on the testimony of the person involved.
Only by securing objective testimonies from verified third parties could a relatively accurate assessment be made.
Pretending not to notice Professor Kirmin flipping him off behind his friend's back, Lee Han continued,
"But since you've already deserted your posts, wouldn't it be more proper to ask the Headmaster directly?"
"Why do you say that?"
Professor Voladi asked back with genuine puzzlement.
Just because professors deserted didn't mean they should stop sharing educational information.
That would be irresponsible behavior for lords of Einrogard.
If it was the Skeleton Principal they knew, he would clearly distinguish between official and personal matters and give a proper response.
-Well, normally people don't send letters after deserting, so I guess that makes sense...
One of the knights muttered.
Throughout Einrogard's long history, all sorts of madmen had come and gone, but none who deserted and then sent letters asking how everyone was doing.
"Shall I suggest you send a letter then?"
There was a hint of sincerity in Lee Han's words.
He wanted to convey the absurdity their group was feeling to the Skeleton Principal as well.
-I wouldn't recommend that. Unlike the Young Prince, the master doesn't get angry when receiving such letters.
In fact, given the Skeleton Principal's personality, he might include in his reply things Lee Han would rather not know.
Hearing this, Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine.
"Truly, you knights are battle-hardened veterans who've seen everything! You're far wiser than I am!"
-I'm not sure why you're realizing that during this particular conversation... but thank you for the compliment.
The Death Knights showed awkward expressions despite receiving praise.
While they might have felt proud receiving compliments after cleanly beheading monsters or sharply detecting enemy traps, being praised for advising against sending letters to the Skeleton Principal left them feeling somewhat hollow.
Just how had he been viewing them all this time?
As Lee Han chatted with the knights, Professor Kirmin gave as brief and simple an explanation as possible about recent events.
"During the Northern request, we encountered black mages, and in the process made a contract with The Crone..."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Who told you to desert? The black mages invited us. The Descendants of Ahrag and..."
Professor Voladi shook his head. These weren't very appealing conditions.
"I don't like this."
"The Legion of Oondorgu."
"Even less so."
"I'm not explaining this to get your approval, so be quiet."
Perhaps sensing his friend's sincerity, Professor Voladi fell silent.
The discussion progressed rapidly until they reached the topic of midterms.
"Professor Thunderstep was unfortunately quite shocked."
Professor Voladi stared pointedly at his friend.
His gaze seemed to ask why he was bringing up such unimportant and uninteresting matters.
Though usually prickly and curt, even Professor Kirmin had to admit his mistake this time.
"Well, this really isn't important. I'm not sure why I mentioned it either."
"When do you plan to discuss the transformation magic?"
"Wait a moment. I was just getting to it."
-......
The knights felt deep sympathy for Professor Thunderstep.
These young professors were truly going too far.
"About transforming into a dragon..."
"Professor. At this point, we must press on without rest. Lord Langbern's subordinates may not have noticed anything unusual yet, but if such incidents keep repeating, sharper enemies might grow suspicious."
"I understand. But about transforming into a dragon—"
"Please provide us with the list of enemies you're currently targeting, Professor. We'll combine our strength to take them down!"
"......"
Professor Voladi, having arrived at the hideout, stared piercingly at his student. In the past, Lee Han would have immediately backed down, but recently he had trained himself to be quite shameless.
With a completely serious expression that suggested he had no idea what the problem was, he met his teacher's gaze.
"It would be best to refrain from transforming into a dragon."
'Ah.'
But Professor Voladi was still one step ahead.
He had seized upon his disciple's momentary lapse in vigilance and delivered his lesson. Lee Han realized that, intoxicated by his sense of victory, he had left an opening between breaths.
'I should have relentlessly interrupted him without pause.'
"The mana consumption might be manageable, but the other burdens are significant."
"I'm aware. Unless I'm facing a formidable enemy or need physical capabilities, I don't plan on transforming unnecessarily."
Currently, the advantages of Lee Han's dragon transformation lay in its overwhelming physical prowess.
The destructive power from his dozens-of-times-larger frame, combined with the species' innate defensive capabilities.
As for the various Authorities dragons could wield, he hadn't yet mastered them. These abilities were so difficult that even dragons required decades of training, which was only natural.
Thus, unless the situation called for sheer mass and defense, there was no reason to transform into a dragon.
Unless, perhaps, he wanted to startle a powerful foe.
'He couldn't possibly be referring to Voladi as the "powerful foe," could he?'
Professor Kirmin thought to himself.
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't shake the feeling that the "powerful foe" wasn't an Evil God Worshipper but Voladi himself.
Surely not?
-This hideout hasn't been exposed yet, but there's no harm in maintaining caution. Professor Bagrak, state the target.
The hideout the group had arrived at was originally an external safehouse used by the Knights of Death.
Since these knights spent more time outside the school than within, they naturally maintained multiple external networks and hideouts across the Empire. Not all problems could be solved by strength alone.
Such hideouts were periodically checked for security and relocated. Even if no issues were found, the knights never let their guard down.
This hideout would undoubtedly be changed soon, now that they'd used it.
'This is beyond wasteful.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
This two-story building near the city gates clearly required a substantial investment.
Most impressively, while multiple spells had been layered inside, the exterior was meticulously designed to appear completely unenchanted—a far more intricate preparation than the conspicuous mansions of prominent mages.
And yet they replace it after just one use?
No wonder the Skeleton Principal was always grumbling about budget shortages...
"The next target is the mage Enster."
Mage Enster belonged to the Summoning Magic school and was particularly renowned in the city of Alquie for his expertise in crafting small-to-medium golems.
His reputation extended even beyond the western regions, with mages in other areas recognizing his name—proof of his undeniable skill.
Amrek, who had been listening attentively during the meeting, gasped in shock.
"Mage Enster? Surely there must be some mistake?!"
The Moonless Night Knight's surprise stemmed from Enster's usual demeanor.
While Lord Langbern had also been shocking, at least he had the excuse of being reclusive and avoiding contact, which made him somewhat suspicious.
In contrast, Mage Enster actively engaged with other mages, generously sharing his knowledge without hesitation.
Not only that, he was kind even to non-mages. The fact that beggars frequently visited his workshop spoke volumes about his benevolence.
Professor Voladi remained unperturbed by the young knight's protest and calmly explained.
"It's a disguise."
"A... disguise?"
All former associates of Sanguiros were experts at concealing themselves.
Those who weren't had been captured and punished during the purge.
Enster's current lifestyle was a kind of mask, behind which lurked a sinister mage secretly utilizing the knowledge and power granted by Sanguiros.
"He's transforming victims into sacrificial offerings to create combat golems."
"......"
Amrek shuddered.
Even though the knight order was responsible for such a vast area that gaps were inevitable, he never imagined such a villain had been operating right under their noses.
He found himself reflecting on this anew.
"B-but... how did you uncover this?"
Once the self-reflection ended, curiosity took over.
How had this professor discovered a mage's secret that even the knights hadn't uncovered?
"Heard it from a demon Enster recently contracted."
"????"
Amrek doubted his ears.
Heard it from a demon?
"A demon would actually... tell you that?"
Demons weren't exactly cooperative informants. If they answered questions willingly, they wouldn't have earned their infamous reputation.
"Well, something like that."
Professor Kirmin quickly interjected, already guessing what methods his friend might have used.
He probably captured the demon and forcibly extracted the information.
"Einrogard has its own arcane methods. Hahaha."
"...Ah! I see!"
Even though it was clearly nonsense, Amrek nodded as if he understood and glanced at Lee Han.
Kirmin was even more baffled by that reaction.
What exactly did he "see"?
"I've heard about it from my younger brother! That Wardanaz here persuades demons to serve him like servants! So that's the arcane method, right?"
A past, incomprehensible anecdote suddenly made sense to Amrek, and his eyes lit up with realization.
"......"
"......"
Of course, Professor Kirmin and Lee Han both lowered their heads with pained expressions.
Lee Han gritted his teeth inwardly.
'That bastard Batrek...!'
If Batrek was spreading rumors like this, he couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of false tales his White Tiger Tower friends had been spreading in their own families.
-From the fact that Enster is still alive, it seems he's more cautious than Langbern.
One of the Death Knights muttered quietly.
Lord Langbern's biggest mistake was refusing to give up his fame and wealth despite his past crimes.
If you had that kind of history, you should've fled beyond the distant seas west of the Empire or beyond the eastern mountain ranges and never returned. Instead, he arrogantly settled elsewhere in the Empire and acted like a noble.
It was arrogance deserving of death.
In comparison, the mage Enster was far more cautious.
He didn't flaunt himself like a noble, nor did he suspiciously isolate himself...
-Is his workshop well-defended?
Professor Voladi nodded. The knights clicked their tongues.
-Then he must have prepared a few escape routes as well. Mages who are good at running away are always a nuisance.
"Absolutely right."
Lee Han agreed enthusiastically.
Professor Kirmin felt there was something pointed about that remark but chose not to comment.
-First, let's hear the successor's opinion. Do you have any ideas? Even an incomplete plan is fine.
Amrek wasn't paying much attention.
He knew Wardanaz was an exceptional mage, but he was still just a second-year, wasn't he?
Figuring out how to breach a fortified mage's workshop was something a knight like himself should be handling.
'To catch him off guard or lure him out...'
"Well, I can issue limited commands to other Evil God Worshippers. Sending them might make the target let his guard down a little."
THUD!
Amrek toppled backward, still in his seated position.