Episode 1249
Episode 1249
'Should I try doing that too?'
Professor Paselet momentarily hesitated at the tempting thought.
But she quickly regained her composure and shook her head.
'No. Absolutely not.'
Her other personalities protested as if screaming in unison.
-Are you insane? Die alone if you want to.
-You have nothing better to imitate than that lunatic?!
-First getting beaten by Professor Garcia, now this... You're clearly not in your right mind...
The fact that even personalities who'd been hiding in fear after Professor Garcia's beating came out showed just how dangerous Professor Verdus's current actions were.
No matter how comfortable it might seem, the moment the Skeleton Principal finds out, you'll truly taste hell.
'...I said I won't do it. I won't.'
Professor Paselet explained to her personalities.
No matter how tempting, she wasn't reckless enough as Professor Paselet to attempt something like that.
That's the kind of crazy stunt only Professor Verdus could pull...
-Just secretly report him instead.
-That bastard deserves to get clubbed!
While Professor Paselet's multiple personalities rarely found common ground, one rare point of agreement was their shared dislike of Professor Verdus.
She nodded to placate them.
Truthfully, she would have reported him even without needing to calm them down.
'Understood. I'll definitely report him secretly.'
-But why is Wardanaz taking the exam first?
At the irritable personality's question, Professor Paselet belatedly realized she'd overlooked something important.
She'd been so tense about Professor Garcia that she forgot the crucial point.
'Well... Maybe it's just a hobby...'
Even she knew it was an absurdly flippant answer, but surprisingly, the other personalities nodded in agreement.
-That might actually be the case.
-Geniuses like that naturally act a bit crazy. It's about time he showed his true colors.
-He's been unusually well-behaved until now.
'I was joking. I think we need to approach the Punishment Room to check.'
-Are you insane?!
-Have you already forgotten Professor Garcia's warning?!
-She's lost it! We need to drag her out and elect a new personality as leader!
The personalities erupted in chaos.
After Professor Garcia's explicit warning not to approach, what possible reason could there be to go near it?
Was she trying to get them all killed because she had grievances against the personalities?
'Ah, understood. I won't approach it, okay? I won't. I won't.'
Still reluctant to let it go, Professor Paselet performed a simple Fortune Sticks Divination.
'Escape...?'
-Stop showing interest!!
'Ah, I said I got it!'
"Good work, everyone. I'm proud of you."
Lee Han looked around at his friends. Gainando was vigorously rubbing ointment on the bruise around his eye.
"Now let's go catch up with Professor Garcia!"
"Jowurin has a question."
The Dragon Princess had waited patiently without interrupting while Lee Han taught his friends.
Uman looked at her with admiration. That was no ordinary feat of endurance.
A feat only Jowurin could achieve!
'Our elder sister is truly admirable.'
The Baby Basilisk muttered upon seeing this.
-Dragons seem to have very low standards for praise...
"What is your question, Your Highness?"
"How are we getting out of here?"
'Good question.'
At this, the friends froze.
Upon reflection, it was indeed the most crucial issue.
They'd left it to Lee Han assuming he'd handle it, but now that the moment arrived, they grew curious.
How exactly did this friend—who earned the title of "Einrogard Escape Specialist" among students in less than two years—plan to escape?
"Hehe. Jowurin has a guess."
"What might that be, elder sister?"
"The hint is Uman himself!"
"???"
Uman didn't understand Jowurin's words.
How could he himself be the hint?
"...Ah, I see! You mean to use Uman's authority to stop Gonadaltes and extract our group from inside...!"
"Huh? No, I meant Uman's tooth."
Jowurin pulled out the dragon tooth she had borrowed from Lee Han.
"With this, no matter how strong the magical barrier of the Punishment Room is, we can break through it!"
"Ooooh...!"
The students all gasped in admiration. As expected, dragons were truly different.
Of course, Uman wore a complicated expression.
So that's where his tooth had gone...
"I'm not going to use that."
"!?"
At Lee Han's response, not only Jowurin but even his friends were startled.
"Wh-why not?"
"Wardanaz. I know you might be conscious of His Highness watching, but you can't just ignore a tool you have right here!"
"He's right, Lee Han! Just tell them to look away for a moment, then dig a hole!"
"......"
Uman's broad shoulders slumped dejectedly.
He was starting to wonder if the Einrogard students secretly disliked him.
"No... That won't be necessary. I already made separate preparations. I requested..."
"What is it?"
THUD!
Before he could finish speaking, the door at the top of the stairs burst open, and masked knights came pouring in.
They had an oddly undead-like aura, though it wasn't certain. After tossing the bound jailer into an empty cell, the knights vanished as swiftly as they had appeared.
"Done. Let's go."
"......"
"......"
The friends could only be utterly overwhelmed.
At this rate, even if they staged a rebellion against the Skeleton Principal, wouldn't knights side with them?
Even with the knights on their side, they couldn't let their guard down until they passed through the main gate.
The moment the carriage crossed the gate, the students slumped in relief and exhaled.
"Exactly what kind of request did you make?"
"I just asked the professors to let me step out briefly to help them."
"...And they agreed to that?"
"They did say not to mention their names if we got caught."
Professor Voladi, sitting nearby, kindly offered advice.
"You could just use Professor Ku's name."
If it were Kirmin, he'd probably understand even if they borrowed his name like this.
Lee Han tilted his head at that.
"Is that really okay? We didn't even ask Professor Ku."
"It's fine. He's done it before."
Professor Voladi had once borrowed his friend Mudan's name when escaping too.
Hearing that, Lee Han, who had been puzzled, nodded in understanding.
"I see. Then it should be fine this time too."
'Is it really fine...?'
Yoner tilted her head in confusion.
Something about the logic felt off to her.
But since she wasn't part of the Einrogard Combat Magic faction, she hesitated to interject.
'Hmm. Maybe there's something I don't know.'
Seeing his friends' concern, Lee Han reassured them as if it were nothing.
"Everyone, don't worry."
"I wasn't worr—"
Gainando tried to say he wasn't worried at all.
In truth, the one who should be most worried here was Lee Han himself.
With his schedule already fully booked in the Professor's Punishment Room until the end of the semester break, what would happen if he got caught attempting another escape?
'Would it carry over to the next semester?'
In comparison, the others would be freed once the final exams ended, even if they got caught. Since they'd already prepared for the exams, there wasn't much to worry about.
"If we stick to the plan, it's perfect. We overtake Professor Garcia, meet His Majesty the Emperor first to clear our names, and then return."
"We might even have some time to play outside..."
Jowurin's eyes sparkled with faint hope.
If not now, who knew when her contractor would ever get out of the Punishment Room? That made her wish all the more fervent.
"No, Your Highness. Time is of the essence. If Professor Garcia returns first, she might check the Punishment Room."
While the Death Knights could block or make excuses for other professors, Garcia would be difficult.
The moment the knights said something like, "Actually, there's a plague, so you can't go in," a fist would likely come flying.
"Tch."
Jowurin pouted but didn't throw a tantrum.
She knew this was a crucial moment for her contractor.
'Sister!'
Uman was inwardly overjoyed.
As expected, accompanying the Contractor hadn't been the wrong choice. To think Jowurin was showing such newfound maturity...
"Hmm. I think I might be able to ask some bureaucrats I'm acquainted with to detain Professor Garcia for a while."
"!!"
Jowurin's face brightened.
Uman was inwardly panicking.
'That method was possible?!'
It was an approach he'd never even considered.
To think they could buy time that way...
"Don't get your hopes up too much—it's not guaranteed to work."
"Jowurin believes in Lee Han! The bureaucrats shall surely yield!"
"...Not yield, request! It's a request!"
Lee Han hastily corrected Jowurin's wording.
What was he saying in front of an outsider Oculogard mage?!
"Paridim, by any chance...is there something making you uncomfortable?"
"N-no, it's fine."
"That's a relief. You were so quiet I got worried."
"It's just...hard to keep up with all these situations..."
"......"
"......"
The Einrogard students felt slightly ashamed.
Admittedly, this was far too 'Einrogard-like' a spectacle to show an outsider.
Storming the Punishment Room, abducting and imprisoning the guards, bribing the gatekeepers to pass through...
'And now Lee Han's demonstrating how to bribe bureaucrats too.'
"Is Einrogard always like this?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Only this time! Just this once! It's an exceptional situation! Our respected professor is in danger!"
The students quickly defended themselves. But Paridim had already decided what to record in his notes.
...Though the Einrogard students vehemently denied it, he wasn't particularly convinced. This magic academy with its harsh, strict hierarchy proved itself only through power...
"Wardanaz. Shouldn't we hurry? Professor Garcia left much earlier."
"No worries. No worries. I bribed the knights to make her turn back."
"...Say that quietly!"
Nilia couldn't help but shout.
That's the kind of thing you only say quietly when only Einrogard students are present!
-Oh dear. We took the wrong road.
"?"
-Oh my! Those travelers over there are in danger...
"??"
Professor Garcia felt something was off.
The death knights driving Einrogard's carriage were making unusually frequent mistakes today.
Taking wrong turns on roads they'd traveled hundreds of times, pointlessly showing kindness to random travelers...
-Haha! The carriage wheels got stuck in mud. You almost died there.
"Excuse me???"
-No need for thanks! Let's go!
"They weren't even stuck in the mud to begin...what...what kind of...?!"
"Stay still! That's Einrogard's banner. Do you want to see what happens if you argue?"
One traveler tried to ask what this forced kindness was about, only to be stopped by a sharp-eyed companion.
There's no good outcome from picking fights with what magic academy mages are up to.
-Doing good deeds feels wonderful, doesn't it, Professor Kim?
"...You're not protesting because I locked Lee Han in the Punishment Room, are you?"
Professor Garcia cautiously asked.
Few cared for Lee Han as much as these loyal knights serving the Skeleton Principal.
Naturally, they must have found the punishment of confinement in the Professor's Punishment Room until semester's end excessively harsh.
"I don't hate Lee Han. It's just...you know how dangerous this incident was. If I don't teach him a lesson, he'll just do the same thing again..."
-Of course, Professor Kim. We never doubted you. Who else could care for the successor as much as you do?
"...Are you being sarcastic?"
Professor Garcia grew suspicious and tried to open the front window to lean out toward the driver's seat.
She couldn't tell if the knights were being sincere.
-Not at all! Absolutely not, Professor Kim! Without someone like you, how could Einrogard possibly function?
"???"
As the knights desperately blocked the window to prevent her from exiting, Professor Garcia felt bewildered.
-Send the signal to overtake quickly! Gone? Gone? They're gone! Whew!
"What's out there?"
-Nothing! Absolutely nothing. If you're curious, why not step out? Get some fresh air.
"......"
'This is really weird!'