Episode 1256
Episode 1256
'Still, I should at least answer.'
"I am Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family."
"Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family?!!"
Not only the goblin professor but even the Dekarogard mage who'd tricked—no, guided them was utterly astonished.
No matter how insular the magic academy might be, a genius of that caliber would inevitably be known by name.
Not only was he taking classes across all schools of magic, but he'd recently participated in an Evil God Subjugation mission that had spread his fame far and wide.
"Truly... truly astonishing!"
'...This guy. He seems less surprised than when he saw the silver coin earlier...'
The surprise itself wasn't the issue.
But if finding out he'd only been swindled out of one silver coin was more shocking than learning he was guiding a second-year genius who'd participated in an Evil God Subjugation, wasn't that problematic?
"To think I'm guiding such a mage! Had I known, I would've charged more silver coins!"
"You still have much to learn. For a transmutation mage, discernment is paramount."
The goblin professor imparted this lesson to his disciple.
The training of scraping gold from the marketplace was also practice for honing this very discernment.
Judging the essence of how much one could extract from any given person.
As one's level of transmutation magic increased, appearances became meaningless—only the essence mattered.
That's why they must never forget to grasp this essence above all else.
"Indeed... I've learned something valuable today!"
"Have you? That'll be five silver coins."
The Dekarogard mage wore an expression of defeat as he paid his teacher five silver coins.
The goblin professor nodded in satisfaction before turning his gaze to Lee Han.
"Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family. It is truly an honor to meet Einrogard's young genius."
Lee Han nodded in return and extended his hand. The goblin professor grinned broadly and reached out to shake it.
Then Lee Han abruptly withdrew his hand and said:
"I've told you my name. Now pay me one silver coin."
"......"
The Dekarogard mage, Shavit, was deeply impressed.
To not just adapt but land a counterblow against the professor!
'No wonder rumors spread about such a mage. Truly remarkable!'
The mages entered the spacious hall of the inn and sat facing each other.
The goblin professor who'd taken that counterblow radiated intense competitive spirit from his entire being. His gaze acknowledged Lee Han as a worthy opponent.
"Truly amazing, Lord Wardanaz! I've never seen the professor focus so intently on a student before."
Shavit's admiration was completely genuine.
That goblin professor Ukablock was a mage who could empty a freshman's pockets with just a snap of his fingers.
For such a mage to burn with fighting spirit against a student...
"...Since we've each taken one silver coin from the other, why don't we just forget about it now?"
Lee Han subtly suggested reconciliation.
Truthfully, he'd come regarding Professor Garcia's matter but hadn't even been able to mention it yet. He was so confused about what was happening that even he was losing track.
'What am I even doing here?'
"Hoho... Quite impressive. Trying to make me lower my guard. While Professor Leji may not be a mage who fits with us Dekarogard, he's certainly trained his disciple well!"
"I'm not trying to make you lower your guard—"
"Speak freely! Haha. You won't catch me twice."
Ukablock laughed heartily.
The goblin professor felt his blood boiling with excitement at encountering a worthy opponent after so long.
As Dekarogard's transmutation magic professor, he'd show them something special!
"...I came regarding Professor Garcia's matter."
"Ah. Professor Kim."
Ukablock nodded and asked:
"Did you bring the gold coins?"
"......"
Lee Han finally understood what Professor Garcia had meant by writing 'First try negotiating to see how much they want' on that piece of paper.
The mages of Dekarogard were both easy and difficult to persuade.
Money!
With a sufficient amount of gold coins, they could be summoned immediately. From Lee Han's perspective, paying double would likely get them to come all the way to the Einrogard territory to hold an exchange meeting.
"Actually..."
Lee Han was about to call for Duke Belaron, whom he had brought along.
Despite being one of the most noble figures present, Duke Belaron stood quietly in the corner like a sack of barley left out to dry. Anyone who saw him might mistake him for a mere employee working at the inn.
And that was exactly what the Duke wanted.
'Please, let these mages be so absorbed in their magic that they forget about me!'
'What is he doing over there?'
Lee Han stared incredulously at the Duke standing in the corner. He had no idea when the man had even slipped over there.
"Excuse me, are you Lee Han of the Wardanaz family?"
Just then, a plump middle-aged elf suddenly poked his head out. Judging by his lavish attire, he seemed to be a rather wealthy merchant.
'Wait. Is he actually a Dekarogard mage in disguise?'
At this point, Lee Han was starting to suspect that every merchant he saw might be a disguised Dekarogard mage.
Fortunately, this one wasn't. There wasn't the slightest trace of mana movement around him.
"You must be Volgas, the owner of this Grand Inn..."
"I didn't ask for an introduction, so I won't be paying you."
At Lee Han's cold response, Shavit clicked his tongue.
'He's ruthless!'
"And what brings the owner of this inn here...?"
"That's right! It's an honor to meet you!"
The middle-aged elf excitedly rushed over.
This portly merchant had an eccentric... or rather, a somewhat respectable hobby of sponsoring talented mages.
Given that everything was already expensive in the imperial capital, it was no surprise that Dekarogard mages would end up indebted to such a merchant.
Lee Han gave the elf a pitying look.
'How did you end up entangled with mages like these!'
Unaware of Lee Han's inner thoughts, Volgas spoke up.
"The Evil God Subjugation was truly awe-inspiring. To think you accomplished such a feat while only in your second year... I might be looking at a future archmage!"
"You're absolutely right!"
"That's too much praise."
Gainando and Lee Han responded simultaneously. Then Lee Han kicked Gainando in the shin.
"Since you're from Einrogard, Sir Wardanaz, you must be quite close with the mages of Dekarogard, right?"
"That's correct."
When the elf merchant asked, the goblin professor Ukablock nodded in agreement.
Since they enjoyed comfortable accommodations thanks to the merchant's goodwill, they couldn't exactly dash his expectations.
If they said, 'No, we're not close,' the elf's expression would harden slightly, and by tomorrow, their meals would become pitiful.
The day after, their rooms would shrink, and by the following day, new mages would take their place!
Lee Han held out his hand.
"I'll take gold coins."
"......"
Ukablock shot him a look mixed with hatred and respect as he handed over the coins. The elf merchant asked curiously,
"What's this for?"
"It's proof of how close we are. Just a little joke between us."
"Indeed!"
As Lee Han smoothly covered for him, the goblin professor let out a faint sigh of relief.
Tap tap—
"??"
"Additional payment, please."
"...Are you sure you've never been to Dekarogard before? Or heard anything from Professor Leji...?"
Grumbling, Ukablock handed over more coins.
This mage from the Wardanaz family wielded his reputation far too well.
And his meticulousness ensured not a single coin was missed.
The merchant Volgas looked utterly astonished to have this chance to converse with the protagonist of the Evil God Subjugation.
"Sir Wardanaz, might I trouble you for a brief discussion about magic? Ah, I've heard you're also deeply knowledgeable about transmutation magic!"
"Hmm. There is a senior researching a magic called <Gold Come Out Ttukttak>, no, <Dimensional Transformation Gold Observation and Collection>..."
Lee Han, unable to think of anything else, spoke about Senior Zarun's ongoing research.
Truthfully, dragon transformation would have been the easiest topic to discuss, but unfortunately, the only dragon he could currently transform into was a Black Dragon.
'And if I mention that, the Emperor's nine children might become eight.'
"What a fascinating research topic! That's astounding!"
"Zarun of the Steel Shoe Family is an exceptional transmutation mage. I've invited him several times, but unfortunately, the opportunity never arose."
Ukablock added regretfully. Lee Han knew exactly why that was.
'Probably because he was underground and couldn't receive the invitations...'
For someone who was likely underground even during vacations, invitations were rather meaningless.
"Indeed!"
The elf merchant slapped his knee and turned back to the goblin professor.
"But the fact that you've extended invitations suggests you share some level of camaraderie, doesn't it?"
"You could say that."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lee Han held out his hand. Ukablock began to sweat nervously.
This was dangerous!
For a mage of his caliber to be trapped in such a quagmire...
Had the mages of Oculogard been present, they would have explained why divination magic was superior to transmutation magic.
At the very least, it would have helped avoid situations like this.
The goblin professor wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"The Empire has many outstanding mages beyond those of the Einrogard school. For example..."
"That's right! Garko of the Arjo Family! He spoke so highly of you, Sir Wardanaz!"
Volgas exclaimed as he recalled.
This mage, who wandered the Empire to excavate and restore lost transmutation spells, had met Wardanaz during his last expedition to the North.
Garko, who insisted that the enchanter Bakwantalana was actually a transmutation mage, had managed to break through the ruins with Lee Han's help...
...and even after meeting this merchant, he hadn't forgotten to share the story.
"Ah. That person."
"As expected...! Truly exceptional transmutation mages must share some kind of connection! Professor Ukablock, are you close with Sir Arjo?"
"Well..."
"Yes, they are. Last time they spoke, they even talked about Dekarogard."
Lee Han continued, one hand still outstretched. Ukablock couldn't help but shudder at this rookie mage's connections.
How could a transmutation mage from Einrogard have such an extensive network?!
Once the elf merchant left, satisfied, Ukablock stared despondently at his now-empty coin pouch.
Yoner whispered at the sight.
"Lee Han. Not to interrupt, but weren't we here to persuade them?"
"...I'm about to start persuading them now."
Finally snapping back to his senses, Lee Han called out to the Duke.
"Your Grace? Might you be able to assist us?"
Duke Belaron, who had been trying to blend into the corner, sighed inwardly before clearing his throat.
The Dekarogard mages were shocked to realize the Duke had been present all along.
"Your Grace?! What brings you here—"
"His Grace will be covering the expenses in place of Professor Garcia."
"!"
At the sound of drool practically dripping, Ukablock raked his eyes up and down the Duke like a starving man.
There was no better target to squeeze coins from than a noble who cared about appearances. And a Duke, no less!
"Such... such an honor, Your Grace! To think you would aid us lowly folk..."
"...Just tell me how much you need."
Resigned, Duke Belaron spoke, desperate to leave this place as soon as possible.
At this point, the coins hardly mattered.
If he could just fulfill the Emperor's orders, he could return to his mansion!
The Dekarogard mages' faces bloomed with smiles at the Duke's willingness to pay whatever was asked.
A benefactor like this came once in a decade, if that.
Tap tap—
"?"
Someone tapped his shoulder, and Ukablock turned his head in confusion.
Lee Han was holding out his hand again. The meaning was simple.
Referral fee!