Episode 1231
Episode 1231
'Wh-what is this feeling?'
As an unidentified emotion boiled up inside him, Uman felt bewildered.
Somehow, it felt similar to when the Skeleton Principal teased him.
Could this be anger...?
'That can't be! Th-there's no way I, Uman, would feel anger... My elder sister must have had some other intention.'
Just as when Jowurin had taken Uman's toys long ago, there must surely be some deeper meaning to this incident as well.
It was simply that Uman was too lacking to realize it.
"...Then I, Uman, shall take my leave..."
"What nonsense. You're coming with me."
Of course, Lee Han didn't let it slide.
Trying to reduce their numbers from two to one without any proper explanation—there was no way that would work.
In the end, Jowurin was forced to leave with a sullen expression, being herded out into the corridor together. Yoanen watched their retreating backs with longing, passionate eyes.
If only she could summon those dragons to her workshop!
"Lady Maykin?"
"I wasn't thinking anything!"
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Yoner cast cold glances at the alchemist.
They had clearly seen the look she'd just given the dragons.
'Are you planning to kidnap them?'
'I don't think my sister has ever looked at me with that kind of expression...'
Finding herself cornered, Yoanen tried to gracefully change the subject.
"Ahem. Gainando, sir."
"Why suddenly me... And why the sudden honorifics...?"
Gainando, whose perceptiveness had recently improved due to various incidents, seemed to sense something ominous as he answered hesitantly.
She hadn't addressed him like that when they'd met at the mansion before, had she?
"By any chance, have you been spreading strange rumors about our workshop recently? That it's not a good place to sell reagents, or that you have to work 25 hours a day..."
"!!!!"
Lee Han and Yoner looked at each other in shock.
This was bad!!
'What do we do?'
They knew all too well why Yoanen was suddenly asking such questions.
Their previous outing using Stedal Nago's identity had come back to haunt them.
After handling the club matters and dealing with those wicked Evil God Worshippers, they'd gathered friends to refine reagents in their spare time, thinking they might as well work and earn some gold coins.
The problem was that due to Lee Han's magical power, the quality of these reagents turned out to be far better than expected.
As a result, various alchemy workshops in the city began scrambling to secure reagents from this Nago family...
...and in the midst of this, Yoner had carelessly suggested, "My sister's workshop is too smart to fall for this, so we should probably sell elsewhere," only to get caught.
With no other choice, the two had resorted to a desperate measure.
-...Actually, it was Gainando who said it.
At the time, they hadn't thought it would be a problem. How often would Yoanen and Gainando even meet?
But the world always had a way of bringing things full circle. Lee Han deeply regretted his actions.
'Ugh.'
Yoner shot him a look from beside him.
'There's only one way out of this now.'
'What is it?'
'We throw Gainando under the carriage.'
'...Let's think of another way...'
Lee Han shuddered at his cousin's ruthlessly cold-hearted suggestion.
Meanwhile, Gainando was sweating profusely as he spoke.
"H-how did you know about that?"
"?!!"
"We received a reliable anonymous tip. How unfortunate, Sir Gainando. The alchemists in our workshop don't work 26 hours a day."
"But just now you said 25 hours..."
"That only happens under very exceptional and limited circumstances. Do you understand?"
"Yes..."
Gainando hung his head in defeat.
How had Yoner's sister found out about what he'd been saying?
'Was Yoner the culprit? No way? I didn't even tell Yoner about it?'
"Then I'll have to send out correction letters one by one to those who heard the rumors during the vacation..."
"Gasp."
Having concluded the conversation, Yoanen turned her gaze.
The two who had been watching the unexpected situation with bewildered expressions flinched when Yoanen turned her head.
"By the way. Are you still accepting requests from the Nago family?"
"Huh? Ah. Well. Um. Yes. I've been a bit preoccupied lately... You know how it is."
"Like hunting an Evil God?"
'That sounds really strange when phrased like that.'
Lee Han thought to himself but nodded anyway.
It wasn't entirely untrue. He had been preoccupied because of the Evil God, after all.
"Have there been any reagents from them recently?"
"I'll look into it."
"If it's alright, our workshop has a few requests we'd like to entrust to you."
"I'll pass them along."
"Can I expect positive results?"
"Wouldn't that likely be the case? Haha."
Lee Han failed to notice how Yoanen's eyes were sharply glinting behind her amethyst glasses.
'Highly suspicious...'
Yoanen was by no means a foolish person.
This violent mage from the upside-down skull emblem family was quite suspicious indeed.
First, there were rumors of him being captured by pirates in the southern Empire only to escape, then stealing their treasure maps to amass great wealth...
When she contacted southern families to inquire, they instead questioned if he wasn't from the capital.
Of course, he could be a new noble. But his unnecessarily close relationship with Einrogard students piqued Yoanen's curiosity.
...Could this person actually be an Einrogard professor or graduate in disguise?
If so, it would explain many of this mage's exploits.
Like subjugating Evil God Worshippers, assaulting greedy villains in Granden City, or attacking Professor Verdus!
His reticent and rough demeanor could be to avoid blowing his cover—or simply because he graduated from Einrogard.
After all, mages who graduate from Einrogard tend to become rather sharp-edged.
"Understood. Sir Wardanaz. I'll await your good reply. By the way, regarding this recent Evil God expedition, as an Imperial mage, it was truly admirable..."
Yoanen suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
A flash of inspiration—the kind that usually struck her during alchemy—passed through her mind.
The grudge against Evil God Worshippers.
The aggression toward Professor Verdus.
'Stedal Nago... Stedal Nago... Gonadaltes!??!'
Yoanen stared at the mage from the Wardanaz family before her with eyes trembling in shock.
The Skeleton Principal's disciple!
'He wasn't a graduate!'
"Thank you?"
"...Now that <Purification of Kinis> is complete, perhaps we should take a short break?"
Yoanen calmly walked out into the hallway, saying she'd fetch more reagents.
Yoner frowned at the sight.
"Something's off."
"Why?"
"Big Sis never gives breaks without a reason."
"...Yoner. Lady Maykin is human too, you know. She wouldn't act like that here, especially with professors around. This isn't her workshop."
"Big Sis isn't the type to change her attitude like that."
Yoner replied in an unwavering, resolute voice.
"Big Sis never—"
"Got it. I understand, so you don't need to say it twice."
"Could it be she's trying to recruit him to the workshop after seeing how close he is with the dragon?"
"Didn't you say last time we didn't need to worry about that?"
Lee Han asked, puzzled.
Of course, an infinite mana laborer like Lee Han would be highly coveted by an alchemist like Yoanen.
But Yoanen wasn't a fool.
With numerous Imperial magic towers actively vying for him, the likelihood of recruiting him into a workshop was exceedingly slim.
"That's right. Plus, my sister thinks you're going to become an Einrogard professor."
"What? I've never heard anything like that?"
Lee Han froze at his friend's additional remark.
This was the first he'd heard about becoming an Einrogard professor?!
Beside them, Professor Voladi spoke up.
"That's a good idea."
"N-no! Nothing's been decided yet! I've never even brought up such a thing before!"
It was true that after receiving teachings from the Crazy Doppelganger, his future aspirations had shifted from 'the Empire's greatest entrepreneur' to 'let's explore a bit more about what else I can do with magic.'
But that didn't mean it was set in stone that he'd become an Einrogard professor.
He had thought about it a little...
...but really, just the tiniest bit!
"Even you, Professor, took time to wander the Empire and explore career options before settling into your professorship, didn't you?"
"That's true."
Professor Voladi readily agreed.
It was a fact that this professor had roamed while honing his magic.
"But continuing your studies at Einrogard is also a fine path."
Advancing to the fifth year and then immediately taking up a professorship after further refining one's magic.
That could be considered the elite course at Einrogard.
"Why bring this up now?"
"Because then Professor Garcia's anger might finally subside."
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if Professor Voladi was joking.
But the professor looked utterly serious. Struggling to maintain his composure, Lee Han replied,
"...I don't want to become a professor just to appease Professor Garcia's wrath..."
"I just assumed you'd naturally stay at Einrogard, Lee Han?"
Gainando also chimed in, sounding puzzled.
He'd been counting on asking Lee Han for some graduation help around fifth year.
"Nothing's been decided, so don't go spreading rumors. Especially not in front of the Headmaster!"
Lee Han felt an inexplicable chill at his friends' ominous remarks.
Words have power.
What if baseless rumors started circulating and he got dragged into fifth year against his will?
'Right. This is no time to waste.'
Belatedly, Lee Han remembered the basement accessible via his backpack.
Now that the magic restrictions in the Punishment Room were lifted, it'd be best to make a quick trip. No need to risk danger later.
"I'm going to pop down to the basement for a bit, so don't go spouting nonsense while I'm gone. If His Highness Jowurin shows up, give him a good talking-to."
"Wait, Lee Han! My sister's acting strange!"
Yoner tried to grab her friend to discuss countermeasures, but Lee Han had already teleported away.
Gainando asked in a grave voice,
"What if Lady Maykin takes all her family's gold and buys Lee Han from the Headmaster???"
"...Lee Han isn't merchandise to be bought and sold. And the Headmaster wouldn't make such a deal. ...Probably."
"Master?"
Upon entering the basement, Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding.
At first, he couldn't identify the source, but soon realized what felt wrong.
'There's no magic!'
The magic manifested through drawings.
That distinctive magical signature created by such spells was completely absent in this basement.
Instead, what reached his ears was a pitiful squeaking sound.
-Ugh... Help... My head...
"You!"
Furious, Lee Han lifted the hamster by the scruff of its neck.
Already suffering alone in the basement from the aftereffects of the Evil God's enchantment, the hamster shrieked when manhandled.
-Aaah! Don't shake me! I said don't shake me!
"You treacherous little hamster! After all the treats I gave you, you attacked my master!?"
-D-don't be ridiculous...! How could I possibly attack that monster!
"Ha! Calling my master a monster—showing your true colors now, aren't you?"
As Lee Han shook him violently up and down, the hamster wailed helplessly.
He truly couldn't pinpoint where his fate had gone so horribly wrong.