Episode 1283
Episode 1283
Ivanna wrote down every possible character to uncover the secret hidden within this powerful artifact.
Thinking it might be an ink issue, she even tried different reagents and wrote down various spells and names of ancient wizards.
"...Oh great ring of transformation, reveal the essence within!"
She even attempted to restore the artifact to its original form using Transmutation Magic.
But nothing changed. And of course, no secret was revealed.
The White Tiger Tower student felt absurd thoughts creeping into her mind.
Could it be...
Could this artifact just be some silly trinket made by second-year students for their little gatherings?
"Ivanna! Stop right now! Aren't you ashamed?! How could anyone do something like this?!"
Palga desperately ran after her.
No matter how much they were from another tower, he didn't want to earn a disgraceful title like "the senior who stole a junior's artifact."
"Stop right n—... Huh?"
Palga, who had been dashing along the walls like a whirlwind with three layers of Enhancement Magic, spotted a friend standing still in the corridor.
Was it a trap?
"Wh-what? Why are you just standing there?"
"Palga. You were right. We shouldn't steal juniors' artifacts. Your shout awakened my conscience. Let's return it."
"...Was it not the artifact we thought it was?"
"Yeah..."
Palga was stunned.
It wasn't the artifact they had assumed.
Then what kind of artifact was it, really?
"Why on earth did you steal that?"
Gainando and his group were still in shock.
A senior stealing something wasn't particularly surprising—it was practically routine at Einrogard.
But why would they steal something like that?
"Could it be... you don't have any friends?"
At Gainando's question, the others looked at him in disbelief.
Who in the world would steal something like that just to join in because they had no friends?
Oh dear. How pitiful.
Bulgasari genuinely felt sorry for them.
It understood the sorrow of loneliness all too well. If the wizard who had brought Bulgasari here hadn't visited regularly, or if there weren't other creatures in these underground tunnels, it too would have been lonely.
"No... I'm sure that senior has friends."
No way. I've heard most thieves and robbers are loners.
"?"
The wizards tilted their heads in confusion.
If Bulgasari was right, wouldn't 80% of Einrogard's students be loners?
Meanwhile, something even more astonishing happened.
Palga and Ivanna returned, their shoulders slumped in exhaustion.
"!?"
"Ivanna. Just say it."
Palga urged his friend. Ivanna swallowed her shame and spoke.
"Juniors, I sincerely apologize. Stealing your artifact was truly disgraceful. Here, I'll return it."
"Uh, why did you take it in the first place?"
At Salko's question, Ivanna pretended not to hear and apologized again.
"I'll make sure this never happens again..."
"Why did you steal it?"
"Did you mistake it for something else?"
It's obvious they were lonely because they had no friends.
"......"
Smuggling might make a person shameless, but being suspected of having no friends in front of juniors was harder to endure than expected.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Palga confessed.
"Honestly, we thought this was an artifact like the Portrait of Wisdom."
"Huh? Why?"
"You guys used it to solve problems right away, so..."
"......"
Gainando and his friends exchanged glances.
Oh, right?!
"Earlier, you even used this to defeat the Siren."
"That was because Lee Han scared the Sire— I mean, because he was friends with the Sirens."
Gainando still defended his friend's honor.
Bulgasari nodded in understanding from the side. The wizard who had brought it here had also praised Lee Han, the new student, greatly.
If it's that new student, then it makes sense. Now I get it. Next time he comes, I should call the Sirens for him.
"Uh... that's not it."
Ratford started to say something but stopped.
Right now, they didn't have the luxury to worry about the Sirens. At Einrogard, you had to look after your own life first.
"I'm sorry."
Ivanna still couldn't understand and asked again.
Even if the Siren made sense, how on earth did he stop the Bulgasari?
"What about this Bulgasari here?"
"We're friends with the Bulgasari too."
"...That's impossible!"
No, it's possible. I know that freshman.
The Bulgasari testified from the side. Though astonished, Ivanna had no choice but to accept it.
How could a mere second-year junior boast such absurd connections?
"...Palga, aren't you surprised?"
"Hmm. Now that I think about it, not really."
"Don't lie! How is this not surprising?!"
Ivanna found her friend's reaction even more baffling.
Of course, Ivanna had heard rumors about the junior who audited classes across all departments.
But even so, being already close with both the school's Siren and Bulgasari...?
"That junior's been roaming around with Professor Bagrak since first-year vacation. If he can get along with Professor Bagrak, then it makes sense he'd be friendly with the Siren and Bulgasari too."
"!"
Ivanna found herself unintentionally convinced by her friend's logical argument.
...That does sound plausible.
Most White Tiger Tower students had painful memories with Professor Voladi.
Coming from knightly families, they'd thought, 'Magic Combat? Why not give it a try?' only to be mercilessly pummeled in class.
"If he's close with that heartless magic criminal of a professor..."
"Excuse me, Seniors. We can hear everything, you know."
Gainando slightly bristled.
How dare these thieves, caught red-handed, shamelessly badmouth Lee Han?
"It's a compliment. A compliment."
"Hmph. What kind of compliment is that...?"
"Seniors, why are you looking for the Portrait of Wisdom?"
Salko probed, testing the waters.
They'd already figured out why these seniors stole the paper-wad artifact, but they still hadn't heard why they were searching for the Portrait of Wisdom.
If not now, they might never get a proper answer.
Gainando answered as if it were obvious.
"Why else? To avoid exams, of course."
"...That's not it!"
Palga immediately denied it, looking exasperated.
He'd rather be known as 'the guy who steals juniors' artifacts' than 'the guy who hunts portraits to skip exams.'
"Huh? So... you like exams?"
"That's... Well, no, but it's not because of exams. We're preparing for graduation."
From third year onward, Einrogard students typically started thinking about graduation.
What research could they complete and present before the wicked headmaster and professors to earn recognition and leave?
Though the Skeleton Principal rarely objected to even the trashiest research, he drew a strict line here.
If you submitted subpar work, you might find yourself locked in the Punishment Room or some secluded basement during vacation, forced to continue working while others graduated.
"Ah. Graduation..."
"Right."
"Do you have plans after graduation? Joining a knightly order, perhaps?"
"I'm considering a knightly order, and Ivanna here seems to be thinking of becoming a magic consultant for a merchant guild."
"Have you thought about... fifth year?"
The atmosphere instantly froze over. At Gainando's question, the two White Tiger Tower seniors glared at him with murderous eyes.
"Don't even joke about that!"
"S-sorry...!"
Don't threaten the freshman's friend!
BOOM!
The Bulgasari swung its massive fist, striking the water's surface. A towering wave erupted as if a tsunami had been unleashed.
The students gasped at the sheer power. They'd forgotten, given its gentle nature, but the Bulgasari was an overwhelmingly powerful monster.
Especially one this well-grown...
"P-please don't be angry. Everyone's sensitive about fifth-year talk."
Gainando tried to calm the Bulgasari.
Every Einrogard student carried a fear of fifth year—even second-years weren't exempt.
"...And fifth year isn't for just anyone. Getting stuck because you failed graduation doesn't count as fifth year."
Typically, the wizards who would advance to fifth year were those who showed exceptional promise.
While others were still agonizing over what topic to choose in their third year, there were already madmen who had finished everything early and were leisurely immersing themselves in their own magic.
These students, no matter how much they claimed, "I'm not going to fifth year! I'm going to graduate!" would inevitably end up saying something like, "Ugh... I guess I'll just go to fifth year... There's still research left..." by the time they neared the end of fourth year.
'It's Lee Han.'
'It's Wardanaz.'
'It's Lord Wardanaz.'
Gainando and his friends all had the same thought.
"Then, does that mean if we have the Portrait of Wisdom, we can pass graduation easily?"
"Don't be ridiculous. That's impossible. They're just grasping at straws. It's not something ordinary, you know."
From third year onward, simply following lectures wasn't enough.
They had to personally scour the library, and during vacations, search through various auction houses and archives to collect the necessary spells and mysteries.
The reason these two White Tiger Tower students were so fixated on the Portrait of Wisdom was similar.
"By the way, the rumor we heard was that the royal portrait holds the secret to an extremely powerful magic sword."
"!"
Salko, startled by the new information, reported to Lee Han.
-Wardanaz. They say the portrait holds a secret about a magic sword.
-What?
Lee Han fell into thought.
Did the Skeleton Principal use a sword in his youth?
'Hmm. I think he might have...?'
Swords, being powerful symbols of mystery, were rarely unused by high-level mages. Even Lee Han himself had learned <Vible's Flying Sword> from Professor Verdus, didn't he?
-Keep investigating for now. It might be the portrait I'm looking for.
-Got it. Trust me.
-Those seniors seem a bit stupid, so be careful.
-...They're not that stupid. Anyway, I got it.
Salko found himself defending the White Tiger Tower seniors without realizing it.
Of course, from Wardanaz's perspective—who wasn't present—they probably looked like "those idiots who mistook the juniors' communication artifact for treasure and tried to steal it..."
But in reality, they weren't that stupid.
"Then we'll check it out."
"Check it out? Don't tell me..."
I told them. The little friends saw something hidden inside.
"!!!"
The seniors were shocked by the Bulgasari's words.
There really was a portrait inside!
"Juniors. Let's make a deal! If you let us ask the Portrait of Wisdom a question, we'll pay a worthy price."
-What should we do, Wardanaz?
-Allow it. If you refuse, you'll be at a disadvantage if they start a fight there. The Bulgasari might help now, but they could ambush you on the way back...
Salko marveled at his friend's cold, rational judgment.
Though they had accepted the seniors' apology and made peace, Wardanaz wasn't letting his guard down in the slightest.
After being escorted by the Bulgasari, the group entered the inner area.
Palga spoke to the juniors once more.
"Thank you, really. Even after what Ivanna did..."
"Ah, it's fine. Just help us out next time we steal something from Senior Ivanna."
"......"
Palga, unable to refuse on principle, gave a slight nod. Thankfully, his friend didn't seem to hear.
"But Senior, do you know which seniors hid this?"
From what the Bulgasari said, it seemed there were seniors who had hidden the portrait first.
At that, Palga's expression hardened.
"Fourth-year seniors... or maybe even graduates. To the Bulgasari, a few years would feel like yesterday."
"They said 'little friends,' so it's likely a smaller species."
"Indeed. That makes sense."
Palga praised Ratford's insight. Catching something easily overlooked—sharp instincts.
'Among the smaller species, a senior who could have gotten their hands on such a portrait...'
-The knight goes, struck by an arrow and dies...
-Struck by a mace and dies, stabbed by a sword and dies!
"?"
Gainando and his friends exchanged glances at the loud, horrifyingly familiar song.
"Is that a giant...?"
"No! They definitely said little friends!"