Episode 1267
Episode 1267
Lee Han snapped back to his senses at Jowurin's words and broke into a satisfied smile.
Even if they were the same compliments, praise from a noble dragon and praise from that beaver beastman were entirely different.
There was no way Professor Verdus's "Hey, it looks like it's alive and moving! Make another one!" would sound the same as Jowurin's "It truly appears alive and moving!"
'At least all the suffering under Professor Verdus wasn't completely in vain.'
Lee Han could understand why Jowurin was so astonished.
Just how many of Professor Verdus's unique spells had Lee Han been forced to learn against his will?
<Vible's Mana Emission Enchantment>, <Vible's Mana Absorption Enchantment>, <Vible's Mana Amplification Enchantment>, <Vible's Mana Expansion Enchantment>, <Vible's Mana Acceleration Enchantment>...
While all these spells were ultimately born from Professor Verdus's wicked ambitions, there was no denying they had drastically improved Lee Han's enchantment skills.
Even with the same magical sculpture, meticulously applying interconnected enchantments to each individual part made it appear as if it were truly alive and moving.
"Your Highness. This is the power of magic. To be more precise, when knowledge and experience merge, such intricate details—"
-Master.
"...Wait, it IS alive and moving!?!?"
At Lee Han's shriek, Jowurin's cheeks puffed up in frustration.
She'd been saying it was alive and moving this whole time!
-Master. Thank you for creating me.
The beautiful black dragon sculpture with scales that shimmered like obsidian spoke in a solemn voice.
-I swear upon my honor and bloodline. I shall protect the weak and defend sacred realms.
"......"
"......"
Jowurin grabbed the stunned Lee Han and shook him violently. She had more pressing concerns right now.
"Lee Han, Lee Han."
"Y-yes...?"
"Why is it a Black Dragon that got completed? And why does its personality resemble Uman's?"
Jowurin had clearly intended to sculpt a Gold Dragon matching her own coloration.
But after Lee Han applied various enchantments, a living, moving Black Dragon sculpture had somehow emerged.
What made it even more infuriating was that its personality resembled Uman's. If the sculpture hadn't been so fragile, Jowurin might have struck it down immediately.
"...I'm not sure. Magic is truly mysterious and profound..."
Regaining his composure, Lee Han stammered excuses while cold sweat trickled down his back.
First he'd transformed into a Black Dragon, and now this sculpture appeared—how could he not break out in cold sweat?
If Jowurin learned the truth, she'd probably attack at least Uman.
'Professor Garcia. I'm sorry. I should have remembered your teachings...!'
Lee Han deeply regretted his actions.
Hadn't Professor Garcia taught him from the very first day of enrollment?
That magic must be approached with endless humility.
And here he was, getting slightly comfortable and casting spells while distracted by other thoughts—no wonder this result appeared!
'Stay calm. Right. There must be a reason.'
Actually, Lee Han had witnessed a similar phenomenon before.
At Petrogard, the magic school where exceptional and sensitive enchanters gathered.
The mages of Petrogard wandered the path of now-lost primitive magic, borrowing the power of inspiration and luck in their quest to bestow eternal life upon their creations.
The living sculpture before his eyes and the portrait of the Young Prince painted by the Great Artist were perfect examples.
While not achieving true eternal life, they had succeeded in granting limited life and movement.
And that alone was an incredible feat. Even the Great Artist—Lee Han's senior and a powerful mage—had struggled endlessly without achieving his desired results.
'...The problem is why it's completed now.'
Lee Han was plunged into deep confusion.
He truly hadn't expected that briefly losing focus on his magic would lead to such unimaginable results.
Was it really that big of a mistake?
When others lose focus, their spells just fail or their hair tips get slightly singed at most...
'What spells did I even cast? Amplification? Stacking effects? Or perhaps because I unconsciously thought of something else?'
-O great ancestral Dragon who has formed a contract with my master! For a lowly Dragon like myself to meet you like this is already an honor.
"Ah, no. Jowurin isn't that great."
Jowurin, who had been clenching her fists and glaring at the other's reaction, looked flustered instead.
The response was so excessively polite it bordered on groveling.
-Not at all. Though I carry Dragon blood, I am incomplete—a mere half-being. Before a true Dragon, I don't even deserve to call myself a Dragon.
"...No! Don't say that!"
Jowurin scolded the statue angrily.
"If anyone says that, Jowurin will strike them down with one blow! You're a splendid Dragon too!"
-Ancestor...!
"Mhm!"
After placating the self-deprecating statue that was practically groveling, Jowurin seemed to have softened a bit.
"Hmm. Jowurin must have misunderstood. That Dragon is even kinder than Uman."
"...??"
Lee Han was slightly taken aback.
Though this newly appointed inspector had certainly made many mistakes, big and small, at Einrogard...
...wasn't she still quite a kind younger sibling to Jowurin?
"His Highness Uman is also quite kind—"
"Hmm?"
Jowurin turned her head. As a Divination school mage, Lee Han instinctively sensed an ominous future.
Dangerous!
"...though not as much as that statue."
"Exactly right! Uman makes Jowurin do difficult things, doesn't let her play with her contractor, even steals her contractor away!"
-Listening to this, he sounds like a truly wicked Dragon. Ancestor! Though I am but a weak being, I will stand and fight against him!
Jowurin was deeply moved by the statue's loyal display.
Now that's a real younger sibling!
"Jowurin must take this Dragon home with her!"
But Jowurin's wish was not to be fulfilled.
People nearby were starting to notice the anomaly.
"W-wait. What in the world... Could this be the statue you were making?"
"Your Highness Yukveltire! I've never once doubted your abilities, but to think you could achieve something like this... Isn't this something only Petrogard mages can do?"
"Even in Petrogard, only a handful could manage this. They'd throw a huge fit if they knew! Especially since this result came from Professor Verdus's school, whom they despise!"
Those who disliked Yukveltire or had been skeptical of this commission were more shocked than her usual sycophants.
Even if they acknowledged Yukveltire's abilities, they hadn't expected any remarkable magic from this networking-focused commission.
But this statue was truly remarkable. Even mages who disliked Yukveltire—considering her a second Vible Verdus—had no choice but to admit it.
Moreover, wasn't this an entirely different approach from Einrogard's Enchantment Magic school?
To perfectly execute it using Petrogard mages' methods... Perhaps the ones whose pride was most wounded in this commission were the Petrogard mages themselves.
And these were people who hated Professor Verdus and his school...
Though Jowurin had boldly claimed they could easily pass this off as Yukveltire's work earlier, her expression changed as a crowd several times larger than before swarmed over to speak to them.
"This many!?"
Two hours later.
"Huff, huff. Jowurin... no, Yukveltire must have had it really tough..."
"You've worked hard, Your Highness."
If it had really been Yukveltire, she wouldn't have needed to deal with all that—she could have just vanished in an instant or issued an order to dismiss the guests.
It was only because Jowurin had such a diligent personality that she couldn't just leave them be.
"...Come to think of it, Uman must have had it rough too."
Jowurin spoke with a slightly remorseful expression.
She had been so caught up in tallying all the losses she'd suffered because of her younger sibling this semester that she'd grown quite resentful. But after the ordeal she'd just endured, her perspective had shifted somewhat.
Just dealing with this massive crowd had left her exhausted, frustrated, and irritated—so how much more must Uman be handling, given that his responsibilities were far greater than this?
As an elder sister, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
"!"
Seizing the opportunity, Lee Han spoke up.
Normally, even mentioning Uman would have made her grumble, so he'd held back for fear of causing the opposite effect. Who knew such a perfect chance would come?
Honestly, he wanted to help reconcile the two.
Well, it was less "reconciliation" and more Jowurin unilaterally venting her anger, but still!
"Indeed, His Highness Uman must have endured much hardship."
"Mmm."
Lee Han then launched into a lengthy speech about Einrogard's wicked professors, wicked headmaster, and wicked students.
And just how exhausting—yet admirable—it was for an inspector to stand against all that.
Jowurin, nodding along attentively to his vivid descriptions, suddenly paused.
"But Lee Han, didn't you just say the Einrogard students were all innocent and well-behaved...?"
"Your Highness, you mustn't interrupt while someone is speaking."
"Understood..."
Though confused, Jowurin nodded obediently.
The more she listened, the more she could grasp just how much Uman had suffered.
Even his past transgressions—like reverting to his dragon form to plow through Einrogard's grounds, uproot rotten trees, and repair damaged facilities—seemed a little more forgivable now.
Well, not entirely, but...
Once she'd heard everything, Jowurin clenched her fist and declared:
"I've made up my mind! From now on, Jowurin shall support Uman!"
"A wise decision!"
The inspector role was already grueling enough. If Jowurin backed him, it would be a tremendous help to Uman.
And while she was at it, why not lend some magical assistance too?
The Crone suddenly reappeared out of nowhere. Instead of being startled, Jowurin wrinkled her nose as if sniffing out the other's aura.
"This feels similar to Gonadaltes, but more chaotic and murky—like a tainted Black Magic energy."
Not bad at all! Truly, an elder sister is better than a younger brother.
"!"
Jowurin wondered if this person might actually be quite decent.
"Why have you returned?"
Exactly as I said. The young dragon is working hard, but his abilities aren't fully honed yet. Grand-scale magic isn't something one masters easily.
"......"
Lee Han wore a conflicted expression.
Frankly, he wasn't confident he could properly cast the Crone's Secret Art.
Hadn't he just, through some absurd mistake, completed an unimaginable spell?
But ever since earlier, Uman's struggles had been weighing on his mind. Besides, after all he'd just said to Jowurin, how would it look if he didn't step up to help?
"...Very well! I'll go assist him now. While we walk, please explain the Secret Art to me. As slowly, simply, and thoroughly as possible—at a second-year student's level..."
Enough with the unnecessary whining.
As Lee Han strode ahead with the Crone trailing behind, Jowurin turned to Professor Voladi.
"I don't quite understand why Lee Han doesn't just ask a professor to do it for him."
Professor Voladi nodded in agreement.
He'd been waiting this whole time, ready to cast the spell himself if asked—but in the end, his student had taken the initiative.
It was likely due to that unique trait of Lee Han's: his proactive and enterprising attitude toward magic.
And who could possibly stop him now?