Episode 1285
Episode 1285
'I just want to disappear right now.'
Lee Han sank into deep self-loathing and remained silent, throwing a crumpled paper onto his desk.
Who would have thought it would be the portrait of the King of Frost Giants!
'Well... at least the information wasn't wrong.'
Thinking about it, all the clues had been accurate, which only made him angrier.
Royal lineage, wise, someone who knew Lee Han...
'...Now that I think about it, the Yaksha King fits all those criteria too.'
As Lee Han desperately tried to find some positive aspect to the situation, he finally realized one thing.
Wasn't the King of Frost Giants better than the Yaksha King?
It was frustrating that he had to comfort himself with such a pathetic thought, but...
-The King of Frost Giants? This is incredible luck.
"......"
Lee Han glared at the hamster he'd placed on his desk.
He'd taken it out thinking it might offer advice if things went wrong, but he was already regretting it.
Completely unaware that the wizard of the Wardanaz Family was contemplating putting him in a hamster wheel punishment, the hamster squeaked cheerfully.
-Most portraits are trash. Picking the king of the powerful giant race among them is something only those born with magical fortune can achieve.
Surprisingly, the hamster was actually trying to flatter him.
Ever since the Young Prince disappeared, Lee Han's gaze when looking at the Tree Spirit in his staff and the hamster had become terrifyingly sharp.
To be fair, it was quite unfair from their perspective.
They hadn't sacrificed the prince—it was entirely the prince's own decision!
But human emotions were rarely rational. They both knew that making such excuses in front of Lee Han would only make his glare even more murderous.
'If he hears this praise, his heart will swell with pride, and his anger will subside, right?'
The hamster looked at Lee Han with cunning eyes.
This former magic criminal turned hamster could manipulate wizards with just his tongue.
Thwack!
-Ack!
"Are you mocking me right now?"
-No, why??
The hamster, hit by a sunflower seed, was genuinely confused.
What had been wrong with what he'd just said?
"The King of Frost Giants has always been someone who relentlessly chases people around and annoys them. And you call getting his portrait good luck? Maybe the reason the Young Prince's painting disappeared was because of such ridiculous thinking too?"
-......
That last part was pure nonsense. The hamster was flabbergasted.
-Wait. You're saying the King of Frost Giants keeps chasing you around and bothering you... Are you talking about being acknowledged after challenging him?
The hamster couldn't believe his ears.
In all his life, he'd never met someone who described being acknowledged by a powerful being from another dimension like that.
The Frost Giants strongly preserved the ancient traditions and bloodline of giants, which made them both warlike and reverent of strength.
Being acknowledged after challenging their king was something to be genuinely proud of. For a young mage to achieve such a feat was no small matter.
Moreover, the fact that the King of Frost Giants continued to show interest meant the challenger had exceptional potential...
Thwack!
-Ouch!
"Acknowledgment or whatever, because of that King of Frost Giants, not only do other Frost Giants but even Fire Giants go berserk the moment they see me, demanding a fight. I'm worried the rumor might have spread to other giants too."
-That's... how it's supposed to...
The hamster wanted to say there was no glory without pain.
All glory required a painful process.
If you wanted to obtain the Frost Giants' mystical wisdom?
Of course, you had to overcome their challenges.
There was no way the Wardanaz heir didn't understand this simple logic. Wasn't he currently groveling before the Skeleton Principal to gain his wisdom too?
Fortunately, the hamster stopped himself from saying that out loud. If he had, he would've definitely been dragged into the hamster wheel.
"How it's supposed to what?"
-That's just how giants are... If you want to steal the Frost Giants' Authority, you have to play by their rules.
"...I have no intention of stealing that Authority."
-What nonsense is this? If you had no such intention, why did you issue the challenge?
"......"
Lee Han opened his mouth to reply but then gave up.
Compared to a mage who'd challenged the King of Frost Giants by sheer accident, admitting he'd done it to obtain the Authority somehow felt slightly less insane.
'I should at least respond to Gainando.'
As he grabbed the crumpled paper bundle again, he saw Gainando's desperate scribbles pouring out:
-Lee Han! Please come back! There are giants out there!
-I swear I won't sneak snacks from the food storage anymore! I won't cut corners when preparing reagents in Black Rock Hall! I won't summon undead in White Tiger Tower and then run away!
-IT WAS YOU!? You little—! Because of you, I couldn't sleep at night running around hunting undead!
"......"
-Calm down. I was just too shocked to respond for a moment.
-Lee Han! I knew you wouldn't run away! I knew it!
-For someone who claims to have believed in me, you're repeating yourself an awful lot...
-Everyone, enough. What's the Frost Giant King saying now?
Gainando finally tore his gaze from the paper bundle and looked up at the portrait.
The King of Frost Giants sat motionless within the painting, his expression unreadable, yet his majesty remained undiminished. If anything, the cold, chilling aura of his authority seemed to swirl even more intensely. Gainando didn't dare meet his gaze and bowed his head instead.
-Is the challenger prepared to introduce himself?
"Ah... yes..."
-It seems the challenger cannot be present. You, mage. You shall serve as the challenger's herald and voice.
"You want me to read it out loud?"
-Correct.
"If that's all, then I can do i— Ugh?!"
Gainando suddenly felt the paper bundle merging into him—the King's Authority was fusing the bundle with his very being.
-Now we may speak comfortably. Challenger.
"...Yes... well... greetings."
'Wow. This is seriously creepy.'
Salko and Ratford stared at Gainando with disturbed expressions. Hearing Wardanaz's voice coming from Gainando's mouth was unbearably awkward.
The Frost Giant King pointed out sharply:
-The King of Frost Giants surely told the challenger this! Do not grow complacent with a single challenge—hone yourself further and strike again! So what is this current state? Have you grown lazy?
"......"
Lee Han couldn't answer.
Not out of remorse for the sharp reprimand, but simply because he was speechless.
'Is this guy insane?'
Throwing a fit over "slow progress" when they'd only known each other for a few years? Even Einrogard's professors wouldn't go that far.
Gainando must have felt the same, as he squirmed in protest. The Frost Giant King glared, annoyed at the herald's interference.
-I will not tolerate trivial words. Speak, if you dare!
"L-Lee Han has done plenty! He even subjugated an Evil God...!"
Lee Han tried to stop Gainando, but his friend had already blurted it out.
Not that it mattered—the Frost Giant King already knew.
-I am aware. The Evil God Subjugation was commendable. Though mobilizing an expedition rather than breaking through alone is a minor flaw, commanding one's subordinates is also a warrior's skill.
"......"
Lee Han sighed deeply.
The dimensional planes were vast, near-infinite in their layers—so why did rumors spread so quickly?
-But if you grow complacent after that subjugation, challenger! Perhaps you should never have undertaken it in the first place.
"I agree with that statement."
Lee Han nodded along to the King's criticism.
He might not agree with everything, but that particular point resonated.
However, just as Lee Han had interpreted the words freely, so too did the Frost Giant King freely interpret his agreement.
The King's gaze pierced through the portrait.
-Your agreement tells me the challenger needs hastening. Who here is the mage he holds most dear?
The Frost Giant King turned to the messenger, Gainando, and asked. Gainando hesitated for a moment before immediately pointing at Ivanna and saying.
"That person there!"
"What? Huh? Hey. No way!"
As a smuggler with honed instincts, Ivanna had a bad feeling about this.
-Then let it be received!
"Wai—"
Before she could even finish speaking, a freezing frost surged up from beneath her feet, turning the White Tiger Tower student into an ice statue.
-This ice conceals the King's Authority. If you melt the ice and find the Authority, then you may challenge me again!
"(Let me out!)"
Ivanna mouthed the words from inside, but indeed, the Frost Giant King's Authority was formidable.
Unlike ordinary ice, it wouldn't melt or shatter from mana or physical force.
Unlike his friends who were present, Lee Han could only hear what was happening, so he hadn't fully grasped the situation yet.
Worried that someone had been attacked, he urgently shouted.
"Who got hit? Gainando?"
"Gainando's fine, Lee Han."
"Salko? Ratford? If both of them are okay, then..."
"It was the Senior who got hit."
"...Why??"
At the obvious question, everyone turned to look at Gainando. Even Ivanna, trapped inside the ice, glared at her junior.
Gainando answered with an awkward expression.
"I didn't know he'd cast such a powerful spell."
"Well... what can you do?"
"Hmm... Indeed."
The two friends pondered for a moment before simply giving up.
Come to think of it, she wasn't from the same tower, nor were they particularly close to the Senior, so...
Only Palga panicked and shouted.
"We can't just leave her like this!"
"Don't worry, Senior. If it's Lee Han, he'll figure out the secret and melt the ice in no time."
"Ah, no. Who knows how long that'll take... Your Majesty! Please show mercy!"
Palga cried out to the Frost Giant King.
But this ruthless being, with ice flowing through its veins, didn't even blink.
Unless one had proven themselves worthy by passing the challenge, no plea could move the King.
-Mercy does not make mages stronger. Only trials forge true strength in mages.
"No... but..."
Palga wanted to say that Ivanna wasn't particularly close to her juniors, but he worried that if he did, the other juniors might end up frozen instead.
Ivanna cursed inside.
"(Hey! Is this really the time to worry about juniors?!)"
Fortunately, Palga couldn't hear her. The ice summoned by the Frost Giant King's Authority even blocked a mage's telepathy.
-Your weak response makes me think one is not enough. Mages, speak! Name the challenger's most cherished teacher!
"......"
"......"
For a moment, the students experienced the miraculous phenomenon of their thoughts aligning in perfect unison without any magic.
They exchanged glances. Even Ivanna, trapped in ice, managed to exchange glances.
And then they all shouted at the same time.
"Professor Verdus!"
"So that's how we ended up bringing this here."
"......"
Lee Han wore a complicated expression as he stared at the frozen Senior standing in the Punishment Room's prison hallway.
You really experience all sorts of things in life!
"What about the Frost Giant King's portrait?"
"We brought that too, but it's empty now, Wardanaz. Probably went off to find another target. Verd—"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Salko. I didn't hear anything."
"Indeed. Now that I think about it, I didn't hear anything either."
Ivanna marveled at the extraordinary nature of these second-years.
Sending assassins after a professor and then acting this shamelessly wasn't easy. Truly, this batch of second-years was on another level overall.
"So... do you think you can melt it?"
"Not sure... Wait, now that I think about it, do we really have to?"
Lee Han suddenly felt doubtful.
If they melted it, the Frost Giant King would find out, and wouldn't that just be a loss for him?
The Senior inside was furious, but Salko and Gainando wholeheartedly agreed.
"That's definitely true."
"Right. Everyone's responsible for their own life."
"Lee Han, are you there?"
The door upstairs opened, and Professor Garcia entered. Lee Han immediately scolded his friends.
"Even so, how can you leave a fellow Magic Academy Senior trapped like this? Does that make any sense to you?!"
"......"
"......"