Episode 1245
Episode 1245
While Jowurin was breaking into a cold sweat, Lee Han scurried over to Professor Voladi.
"Professor! Did you hear about this? How could they do something like this?!"
At his student's outrage, Professor Voladi nodded solemnly.
In a way, the fundamental reason Professor Garcia had been summoned before the Emperor was because of Professor Voladi.
If he hadn't gone rogue in the first place, his junior wouldn't be suffering like this—so of course he felt guilty.
"Wait! Something's off here!"
Suddenly, Lee Han sensed something strange.
There was one glaring hole in the story delivered by this Oculogard student.
"What is it, Lord Wardanaz?"
"Why didn't Professor Ku sell him out too?"
If they wanted to take collective responsibility before His Majesty the Emperor, wouldn't it have been better to throw Professor Kirmin under the carriage instead?
"...???"
While Paridim blinked in confusion, unable to follow the conversation, Professor Voladi answered.
"Professor Kirmin must've left himself an escape route."
Separate from their deep friendship, he couldn't deny that his friend was cunning and sly.
Just look at how he had exploited Professor Voladi's blind spot during their duel back then.
"???"
Paridim, listening from the side, grew even more bewildered.
Wasn't it perfectly normal to exploit an opponent's weak spot during a duel?
"What's wrong with exploiting a weak spot in a duel—"
"How shameless, making sure only he gets away. Would it have killed Professor Garcia to make one for herself too?! Wait—did they actually sell her out together?"
"Very possible."
Professor Voladi immediately agreed. Lee Han paced around the cell indignantly.
"This won't do. I have to go after Professor Garcia and help her."
"Uh, Lee Han?"
Yoner, who had been preparing for her alchemy final exam nearby, spoke up with a flustered expression.
Seeing this, Gainando inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, even if he didn't step in, his cousin would make the proper observation.
"What is it?"
"Is bringing Professor Bagrak before His Majesty really the best choice? What if it backfires..."
"Don't worry, Yoner."
Lee Han nodded as if he already knew.
Of course, he wouldn't overlook something like that.
"If we go before His Majesty, we should blame Professor Ku instead."
"......"
While Yoner was dumbfounded, Gainando was even more dumbfounded.
That wasn't the important issue right now.
"No! That's not the point!"
"???"
"...We're locked in the Punishment Room right now!"
At Gainando's outburst, Paridim unconsciously nodded in agreement.
'Exactly!'
Anyone watching might've mistaken this place for not being the Punishment Room.
"I thought you were going to say something else."
"Gainando, that's not important."
"?????"
But the others' reactions once again left Paridim stunned.
...Wasn't that usually the most important thing??
"Does that mean... you have a way out?"
"Correct."
Lee Han answered immediately.
His unwavering confidence only deepened Paridim's confusion.
Did this mage from the Wardanaz family really have a way out?
"From what I've seen... there are no gaps in this Punishment Room's security. The magic flows without a single pause, and powerful undead summons inspect everyone coming and going..."
"Don't worry. There's a way out."
"...I-I see."
Paridim couldn't help but think Einrogard was truly an enigma.
Unlike Oculogard, nothing here made sense—it was all so complicated.
'Lord Wardanaz doesn't lie. There must be a prepared method... something unfamiliar to me, who isn't used to Einrogard.'
"Actually, there's another problem."
At Lee Han's words, not just Paridim but everyone else tensed up.
There was another issue they hadn't considered yet?
Uman asked nervously,
"What is it?"
"We might not make it back before the final exams, so we should finish them first before leaving."
"......"
"...Who taught Lee Han that he could finish everything before exams and leave?"
Gainando grumbled as well.
Ever since this crazy friend had learned that 'if you finish everything before exams, you can leave early without issue,' he'd been wielding this knowledge like a weapon whenever he got bored.
"Huff... huff... That was exhausting."
Nilia passed through Einrogard's main gate with a thoroughly exhausted expression. Her back was laden with the hides of rare monsters found only in the northern mountain ranges.
In her heart, she wanted to just discard them and return, but given Nilia's personality, it was impossible to simply throw away what her fellow patrol members had painstakingly gathered for her.
In the end, Nilia had no choice but to convince herself internally.
'Monster hides are useful everywhere this season... They'd be perfect for making coats, cloaks, scarves, or gloves.'
"Nilia! What kind of request took you so long?!"
From a distance, students from the Black Turtle Tower recognized their friend passing through the gate and shouted in surprise.
"It's a bit of a long story. I was helping the Shadow Patrol with their work..."
To explain this matter, they'd have to go back to the last gathering.
—Wardanaz is chasing after a runaway professor?
—That's what I heard. But would he really chase after Professor Verdus even if he disappeared?
—I don't think so.
—No, he might.
—Then would he chase after the White Tiger Tower guys if they disappeared too? Like Angrago, not Durgyu...
—Hey, what do you mean "like Angrago"?
—Everyone! Weren't we just worrying about Wardanaz?!
Because of Professor Voladi's escape, their friend had been abnormally fixated on chasing Evil God Worshippers.
Nilia couldn't understand how the students from other towers could make pointless bets in a situation like this.
How could they just sit still and...
—Ah, right. I introduced the Moonless Night Knights, and Moradi contacted the Voig Knights. Moradi said he asked the Family Head to put in a word.
—Ratford said he spread the word through his guild?
—Gainando and I sent letters to the imperial family...
'Wait?!'
And then Nilia realized.
She was the only one who hadn't done anything!
Of course, strictly speaking, that wasn't true. There were far more students who hadn't done anything.
But Nilia's conscience couldn't bear it and pushed her into action.
That very day, the most sociable student in the Black Turtle Tower immediately sent a letter to the Shadow Patrol.
...It's not an absolute request, but there's been this situation, you see... If the Shadow Patrol is in a position where taking on requests is difficult, I understand, but if possible, I was wondering if you could send one my way...! Um, my other friends introduced the Moonless Night Knights or the Voig Knights, but my connections only go this far...
Nilia's plan was simple.
Accept a request from the Shadow Patrol, go outside, and with their help, begin searching the North.
Of course, it might fail. Above all, the Shadow Patrol members were all individualistic and indifferent by nature—hardly the type to delegate such requests to Einrogard...
—Student Nilia?
—Yes?
—A request came in from the Shadow Patrol. What in the world does "<Nilia's assistance is urgently needed to hunt the evil dragon of the northern mountains>" mean? Please tell me an actual evil dragon hasn't appeared...?
—...Sorry... It's just... a kind of joke the Shadow Patrol uses...
Though there had been an embarrassing incident along the way, surprisingly, the Shadow Patrol had granted Nilia's request.
Almost immediately, a request arrived that pulled Nilia outside.
Meeting the rough-faced, intimidating patrol members again after so long, Nilia first expressed her gratitude before asking:
—Don't worry, Nilia! If things go south, we can just cut off some bandits' heads and claim they were Evil God Worshippers!
—...But, unlike the Voig Knights, we're not exactly known for rumors. Is there any way we can actually track down the Evil God Worshippers?
"Huh?"
"We got a request from the Shadow Patrol saying, 'We urgently need Student Nilia's help to hunt the evil dragon in the northern mountain range.' What in the world does that mean? Don't tell me an actual evil dragon has appeared??"
"...Sorry... It's just... a kind of joke the Shadow Patrol uses..."
Though there had been an embarrassing incident along the way, surprisingly, the Shadow Patrol had granted Nilia's request.
Almost immediately, a mission request flew in, pulling Nilia out of the academy.
When she reunited with the rough-faced, intimidating patrol members after so long, Nilia first expressed her gratitude before asking:
- "Don't worry, Nilia! If things go south, we can just slit the bandits' throats and claim they were Evil God Worshippers!"
- "...Um, we're not as gossip-prone as the Voig Knights, you know. Do you have any way to actually track down the Evil God Worshippers?"
Nilia decided to pretend she hadn't just heard that and asked again.
The Voig Knights of the North were so thorough that there was a saying about them: "Even the walls have ears."
Rumors even claimed they had spies lurking in the last inn of the northern snowfields!
Such intelligence-gathering prowess wasn't something built overnight. It required embedding informants over long periods and patiently nurturing them.
In contrast, the Shadow Patrol were primarily hunters who operated only in the northern mountain range.
When it came to the mountains, they could guess how many rabbits were in a cave blindfolded—but enemies outside the range?
"Don't worry, Nilia. There's always a way."
"...Would you mind telling me what that way is?"
"On the way here, we doused a few Voig Knights with tracking incense. If they chase the Evil God Worshippers, we'll tail them and steal their credit."
"......"
Nilia was starting to regret asking the Shadow Patrol for help.
Maybe staying put would've been more useful.
To think they'd use their hard-earned mountain-honed skills for something like this...
"Hold on. We've got word from the barrier."
The hunters, who had been scheming to snatch the Voig Knights' prey, suddenly paled at the incoming message.
"Unidentified Evil God Worshippers have fled into the mountains?"
"!!!"
Nilia's eyes widened.
Who would've thought such luck would come her way?!
Not the Moonless Night Knights, not the Voig Knights, not even the Thieves' Guild or the imperial family—this was her chance to capture them herself!
"Let's move out now!"
"But... Nilia..."
"Why not?!"
"...We spent a whole week hiding in their basement just to plant that tracking incense..."
The hunters looked deeply reluctant.
If the targets had already fled into the mountains, their comrades or the monsters would handle them. Couldn't they just go steal the Voig Knights' credit instead?
"Absolutely not! You have to listen to me! You called me here for this mission!"
"W-well... I guess... Ugh... Fine. Let's head to the mountains."
Though the patrol members kept glancing longingly toward where the knights were, they didn't refuse Nilia's orders.
Soon, they swiftly flew into the mountains to regroup with their comrades.
And from then on, it was a relentless, brutal hunt.
Those who fled to the northern mountains from the Empire were usually desperate, willing to plunge deep into the wilderness without a thought for the consequences.
"Found one over there. After them!"
"Shoot!"
"The angle's bad!"
"I enchanted the arrows! Just shoot, and they'll hit!"
"Brilliant! Now this is why we enrolled at Einrogard! Every time I meet those lumberjacks at the foot of the mountains, I brag about—"
"JUST SHOOT ALREADY!!"
Thankfully, the hunters' skills were razor-sharp, and the Evil God Worshippers were captured one by one.
And then...
"...Nilia. This guy we caught... He confessed. Says he's from the Prahgal Cult. Didn't you say we were looking for the Sanguiros Cult?"
The hunters were baffled.
They were supposed to be tracking down either a Magic Academy professor or remnants of the Sanguiros Cult—not this.
But Nilia didn't waver.
An Einrogard mage had to push forward even harder in situations like this.
"...All Evil God Worshippers are connected in some way! There's bound to be a Sanguiros Cultist among them!"
"O-oh. Right, of course."
"Nilia knows what she's doing. Why are you questioning her when you didn't even go to Einrogard?"
"I can ask if I want, you bastard."
And so, the hunt continued.
Every last Evil God Worshipper who had fled into the mountains was captured...
"......"
Finishing her recollection, Nilia fell silent. Her friends looked at her curiously.
"You helped the patrol? With what?"
"Nothing much. Just hunting an evil dragon. Professor Bagrak hasn't returned yet, has he?"