Episode 1275
Episode 1275
"W-were you listening?"
When someone who usually never gets angry suddenly loses their temper, it's always more frightening.
Seeing their usually diligent and polite junior explode in anger left the two seniors utterly flustered.
"How could you say such things!"
"N-no. It's not like we said anything that harsh..."
Sigunting stammered over his words.
Honestly, he couldn't quite understand why their junior was so furious.
Unlike other students, wasn't it actually kind-hearted of their junior to say they'd personally go search for a professor who'd gone missing? How was that such a terrible thing?
"You went looking for Professor Bendozol too..."
'I'm going to lose my mind!'
Lee Han felt each word stab straight into his chest.
The fact that he couldn't refute it only made him angrier.
"That was just a coincidence!"
"You also went after Professor Bagrak."
"Well, yes, I did go that time... but that was an exception! Who in their right mind would go fetch Professor Verdus?! Don't ever say that again!"
In his rage, Lee Han abandoned logic and argued purely on emotion.
His bold declaration that someone who'd chased after professors twice wouldn't do it a third time wasn't exactly convincing, but the seniors nodded along anyway—their junior looked far too enraged to argue with.
"Alright, Wardanaz."
"We'll believe you won't go chasing after Professor Verdus!"
"...Thank you."
Huffing, Lee Han returned to his seat—only to notice the previously closed mousehole was now open.
'Huh?'
Professor Voladi remarked calmly,
"If you're going after Professor Bible, I'll accompany you."
"...Why are even you professors acting like this?!"
Though there had been a minor commotion, the Enchantment Magic students diligently focused on finishing their remaining tasks.
Soon, the two seniors began whispering again.
-So...
-Not a bad idea, really.
"Ah, why do you two keep whispering to yourselves?!"
BANG!
Furious, Lee Han slammed the wall again. Startled, the seniors quickly explained.
"This time it's different!"
"We were just about to tell you too!"
"...About what?"
"We were discussing what to do if we finish our work early."
Originally, once they finished here, they were supposed to head to the Sacred Pavilion Hall to assist Senior Yukveltire with her tasks.
Unlike the students assigned to wrap up the lecture, Yukveltire's responsibilities were far broader—ranging from inspecting the entire magic tower to checking inventory supplies.
But Enchantment Magic students were inherently shameless and ruthless. After spending years in Einrogard's Enchantment Magic department, such sentiments were discarded like impurities.
"Technically, we should go help the senior... but is it really necessary? What do you think, Wardanaz?"
As he spoke, Sigunting subtly gauged Lee Han's reaction.
This plan relied on absolute solidarity.
If even one person betrayed them, Senior Yukveltire would notice immediately and give chase.
And this Wardanaz junior was so upright he'd chase after runaway professors—there was a real chance he might reject this proposal...
"That sounds like an excellent idea. I'll create an alibi. We can say there were extra test questions and add fake answer sheets. That way, she won't suspect we finished early."
Thanks to his meticulous and tireless Psychokinesis magic, Lee Han was fully confident in his ability to fabricate such forgeries.
Perhaps all that grueling training under the Skeleton Principal's Mad Clone had been preparing him for this very moment.
"......"
"......"
The two seniors were slightly taken aback by how proactive and detailed Lee Han's plan was.
Had he prepared this in advance?
Creeeak—
Just then, the door opened, and Yukveltire appeared at the top of the stairs.
The three Enchantment Magic students, caught mid-scheme, froze in place.
How?!
"Everyone's done, I assume?"
"Huh? No. What makes you say that?"
Sigunting immediately resorted to denial.
Every upperclassman knew about Einrogard's unofficial rules—'Never admit it even if caught' and 'Keep insisting till the end.'
"I calculated it with the Calendarium. I input your work speeds and checked when you'd finish."
"......"
'Damn it, I should've broken that artifact first.'
The juniors, whose scheme had been exposed, lamented inwardly.
Mages who possessed multiple powerful artifacts were always this troublesome.
"Then it's settled. Everyone, come up. We need to proceed with the second phase of work at the Sacred Pavilion Hall."
"Senior, I'm currently in alchemical form. Is that alright?"
"It's fine. I already got permission from the Headmaster."
'Ugh.'
Lee Han cursed internally.
Senior Yukveltire was similar to Professor Verdus, but the key difference was that she knew how to exploit procedures and systems.
Professor Verdus would never have thought of that!
"Then... I'll be going."
Lee Han bowed to Professor Voladi and trudged after the seniors with heavy steps. Professor Voladi lightly waved at his student's retreating back.
'I really don't want to go.'
Seeing the slumped, hunched shoulders and backs of the seniors, it was easy to guess they felt the same way.
Unlike simple paperwork, managing and maintaining the Sacred Pavilion Hall would be far more time-consuming and exhausting.
Even Senior Yukveltire looked drained. Her reluctance was palpable.
'Well, she's a victim in this too, I guess.'
This might have been the first time Senior Yukveltire was forced into work not out of her own greed but because someone else ordered it.
Feeling an odd surge of sympathy, Lee Han spoke up.
"Senior, cheer up. Once we get to the Sacred Pavilion Hall, I'll make you some snacks or something."
"......"
Yukveltire didn't respond immediately. She wasn't ignoring him—she was just too exhausted to react quickly.
"...That sounds good. Not that I'm greedy, but a proper dessert does help with mental health."
'Wait, since when did she admit things so easily?'
She was the type who, like Gainando, loved sweets but would insist, 'I don't like them! I'm not greedy!'—yet here she was, responding like this.
She must have been beyond exhausted.
"Was the work really that exhausting?"
"Mana drain, concentration drain... And then all those weird letters kept coming."
Yukveltire rubbed her temples with her fingers as fatigue weighed on her.
Her magically heated fingers temporarily numbed the exhaustion gathered around her eyes.
"About those weird letters—were they from people who hold grudges against Professor Verdus, sent to you as well?"
"No, not that. Dozens of letters came asking me to make another Dragon statue. I have no idea why."
"......"
Lee Han froze.
...Huh?
'Just a coincidence, right?'
Dragon statues were among the most popular sculptural forms. Maybe they'd suddenly become trendy in the Empire, prompting requests.
"Was there... anything else strange in the letters? Any odd details?"
"They also mentioned some capital festival. I don't get it."
Yukveltire frowned.
She was already swamped with end-of-term research and Professor Verdus' tasks—now these bizarre letters on top of it all?
And it wasn't just one or two. Dozens of them had similar content. It was downright malicious.
People claimed to have seen her at a festival she never attended, made requests she never received, insisted she'd made statues she never created...
"...Those absolute bastards! Senior, give me those letters! I'll burn them and set up barriers so they can't pull this prank again!"
At Lee Han's fiery outburst, the other two seniors whispered among themselves.
Comments like 'What a fool' or 'No wonder he got dragged into this' floated around, but Lee Han, too absorbed in his anger, didn't notice.
'We have to deal with those letters first!'
However, Yukveltire shook her head.
"Unnecessary."
"What? Why do you say that?"
"...Diret is likely to get angry if he finds out..."
'Oh no.'
Lee Han sighed inwardly.
Who would have thought the kind-hearted senior's consideration would end up holding them back?
"...And I plan to go check them out myself during the break."
"......"
A horrified Lee Han froze on the spot.
"Why... why? Such inefficiency? You hate doing things like that, don't you?"
"Simple reason."
Among the dozens of letters, some shockingly even bore the seals of high noble families.
Since the senders had openly revealed their identities, no matter how much of a prank it was, she couldn't just let it slide.
Yukveltire wasn't particularly concerned about her lineage, but that didn't mean others could mock her freely. This also involved her dignity as a mage.
"Some even claimed there's a living, moving dragon statue. I intend to go see it with my own eyes and give them a proper scolding. It's bothersome, but they must pay the price."
"...Senior. But what if... hypothetically... some kind and... innocent mages wanted to help you and... took care of the requests on your behalf... What would you do then?"
"?"
"What kind of insane nonsense are you spouting, Wardanaz?"
Sigunting, who had been muttering in the back about 'why is he so naively good-hearted,' couldn't hold back and interjected.
A mage who handles others' requests without any compensation?
That was the kind of fairy-tale story you'd only find in children's books.
And even if such a mage existed, why would they appear for the likes of him—Professor Verdus's lackey and successor—instead of some genuinely kind junior?
"Ah. It's possible, isn't it!"
"Why, why are you getting angry...?"
Meanwhile, Yukveltire, who had been deep in thought, spoke decisively.
"Absolutely unforgivable."
"...Why 'absolutely'... There's no such thing as 'absolutely' in this world."
"Regardless of their intentions, they completed someone else's request with shoddy quality."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless at her arrogance.
I mean, couldn't they have done better?
"...They might have done better, you know."
"Do you really think that makes sense, junior of the Wardanaz family?"
"Wardanaz. Even I have to admit that's a stretch. How well could a mage who secretly handles others' requests possibly do?"
Even the other seniors sided with Yukveltire's opinion. Lee Han groaned inwardly.
'Ugh. These heartless Enchantment Magic mages...'
"But... just hypothetically... what if the other party did do it better?"
"Hmm."
Yukveltire suddenly fell silent.
She seemed to be mulling something over, but it was clear she hadn't reached a conclusion yet.
Sigunting spoke up instead.
"If it were me, I'd track them down and retaliate."
"...What!? Senior, are you a Magic Criminal or something!?"
Lee Han was aghast at the violent remark.
How could anyone be so hostile toward a mage who came to help?
"I'm not! Think about it, Wardanaz. A mage better than me stole my request and completed it flawlessly under my name. What does that imply?"
"That they're genuinely kind and good-hearted?"
"No. It's closer to mocking and provoking my skills."
"......"
Lee Han wondered if Sigunting had grown rougher after Professor Verdus's escape.
But surprisingly, Anpagon shared a similar opinion.
"If they'd done a poor job, maybe. But if they did it better and left, it's definitely a provocation."
"Right?"
"......"
It seemed the Einrogard Enchantment Magic faction was entirely composed of mages with personalities akin to Magic Criminals. Lee Han was deeply despairing.
'I must never get caught.'
First, I should contact Senior Diret and consult him...
Thud!
Suddenly, the second-floor window of the Sacred Pavilion Hall burst open, and someone crawled in through it.
Everyone was startled and raised their staves.
'Was there a gap in the tower's defenses?!'
Shockingly, it was Professor Verdus. Covered in dust and mud, he beamed brightly.
"Perfect timing, Wardanaz! I need your help!"
"Y-you're not seriously expecting me to follow you, are you?"
"Have you truly lost your mind?"