Episode 1289
Episode 1289
Ivanna coughed violently at the unexpected words.
'Did I hear wrong?'
"Hey, hey. No matter what, there's no way the professors would say something like that."
"This isn't a good place to fight."
Professor Voladi answered calmly. Ivanna stared at the professor as if looking at a madman.
Regardless, Professor Voladi continued speaking.
"The punishment room facilities might get destroyed."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing...? Ah, if that happens, Professor Verdus would lose his place to be locked up."
Lee Han answered as if he'd realized something. Ivanna stared at her junior as if he were insane.
Is that really what's important right now?
"That's not it, Lee Han. Einrogard has plenty of punishment rooms anyway, so even if this one gets destroyed, the professor would just get locked up somewhere else."
"Oh. I see."
"Though even if that's the case, it still wouldn't be a good choice since either you or Professor Bagrak would end up in another punishment room, right?"
"......"
Finally, Ivanna stared at Professor Garcia as if she were looking at a madwoman.
Who would have thought I'd be looking at Professor Garcia with such eyes while attending Einrogard...!
'Professor, that's not what's important right now!'
"Whatever the reason, thank you for helping. I'm just satisfied I didn't have to fight the Frost Giant King."
"You... you..."
"?"
"...Never mind... it's nothing."
Ivanna, who had been about to point something out, gave up.
You could only reasonably criticize moderately crazy people - it was too difficult to say anything to those who were completely insane.
She couldn't even begin to figure out where or how to start pointing things out.
"Once again, thank you for freeing me. That... Small World... you've learned it, right? With Small World..."
"I haven't fully mastered it yet. It'll take more time to become proficient."
Lee Han corrected his senior's misconception.
It would take much more practice to fully deploy the modified version of Small World Terminalia.
Magic wasn't something you could master after just one casting. To deploy it smoothly and freely required complete proficiency.
'What is he even saying...'
Ivanna stared at her junior with exhausted eyes.
He's basically admitting he used Small World to undo it!
That alone was impressive enough.
What kind of person would say something like "Well technically this isn't a complete Small World" when a mere second-year student used Small World to undo the Frost Giant King's curse?
"Lee Han is right. It definitely wasn't a complete Small World."
"The form of Hidor could be further improved..."
Professors Garcia and Voladi agreed with Lee Han's statement.
The two poured out advice on how to improve the Small World he'd just demonstrated.
Without changing his expression, Lee Han earnestly took notes on all their advice.
Seeing this, Ivanna quietly backed away before hastily fleeing up the punishment room stairs.
Though Ivanna had seen her fair share of crazy people at Einrogard, today she realized once again:
There truly is no end to madness!
"Lee Han. There's a strange rumor going around among the seniors."
"That's what you get for selling out a senior. Be careful."
Lee Han clicked his tongue while looking at Gainando.
Though the final exam period was nearing its end, this imperial prince who'd already finished all his exams kept visiting the punishment room as often as the number of snacks he ate in a day.
At first it was welcome, but Lee Han was starting to find it annoying.
Why not use that time to study something else?
'This bastard. He's going to complain next semester about how hard Black Magic is...'
Putting down the magic book <On the Form and Applications of Small World Hidor> that Professor Voladi had hastily written in the next room, Lee Han prepared to properly scold him.
"Ah, no. Not a rumor about me, but about you."
"What? Why?"
"That you're obsessed with magic..."
"What's new about that now?"
Lee Han looked at Gainando indifferently.
Rumors about him being obsessed with magic had been circulating somewhere in Einrogard since his first semester as a freshman.
It wasn't surprising that those rumors were being discussed again among the seniors now.
"W-well, that's true... but this time it seems a bit different..."
Gainando hesitated, trailing off his words.
Of course, any second-year student knew that his friend was obsessed with magic. At that level, even the seniors who would know, already knew.
But this rumor was something a bit more vivid and intense.
-That second-year junior actually unfolded a Small World?
-What? I knew he was obsessed with magic, but this is seriously impressive. He'll probably stay at Einrogard for fifth year... no, more likely, he'll immerse himself in research.
-Definitely. With skills like that already, his future is set. The professors dote on him like crazy too.
-Professor Kraer? How so?
-Well... when trying to persuade that junior to transfer to another magic school, he tried throwing him over the other school's wall.
-......
-Sounds weird, but it's true. He really does dote on him. Seriously.
Even with Gainando's words, Lee Han showed little reaction. He mistakenly assumed it was just another rumor at the same level as before.
"Instead of worrying about rumors about me, worry about yourself. That senior who got released might come for revenge."
"Hmph. That's why I spread the false rumor that the senior obtained the Portrait of Wisdom. He'll be too busy worrying about that to seek revenge."
A snickering sound came from beside them. It seemed like a scheme too complex for an Oculogard student like Paridim to comprehend.
"Not bad."
"But Lee Han, what are you writing right now? Magic studies?"
"You could say that."
Gainando looked puzzled as Lee Han scribbled densely on paper without even opening a book. Had his friend finally broken through to a level where he could study magic without needing to open a book?
'If that's true, it's genuinely terrifying.'
"Here. Take it."
"???"
When Lee Han slid the paper through the bars, Gainando tilted his head in confusion as he accepted it.
"What's this?"
"Black Magic spells you need to learn. I only wrote down the relatively easy ones, so make sure you master them by the next time I see you. I'll test you."
"......"
Isn't this going too far?
Gainando, who had come to visit only to leave with extra burdens, grumbled under his breath with every step he took, muttering once every second.
With the Final Exams nearly over, students relaxing and unwinding could be seen all around the campus.
Normally, he would've joined a Wizard Card match wherever one was happening, but Gainando wasn't in the mood right now.
The "List of Black Magic to Learn" his friend had given him weighed on his mind like some cursed grimoire.
'Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, Lee Han can't come out until next semester anyway, right?'
Perhaps influenced by the cursed grimoire, a wicked whisper slithered up from the depths of Gainando's mind.
Come to think of it, his friend was stuck in the Punishment Room for the entire break.
...So, technically, the deadline to learn these Black Magic spells was the end of the break, wasn't it?
Of course, he wouldn't be able to visit Lee Han during that time, but he could endure that much.
"Gainando! What took you so long? Hurry up. It's the post-Final Exam celebration banquet."
"!!"
Entering the lounge, Gainando was shocked to see his fellow classmates preparing a banquet.
And then he was shocked again—because the menu was far more pitiful than he'd expected.
Meatloaf made without meat, peach tart without peaches, coffee brewed without coffee grounds, boiled peas, roasted peas, steamed peas, mashed peas on bread, pea jam, pea soup...
"Why are there so many peas?"
"We raided a storage room, and it turned out to be the pea storage."
"Oh. ...Wait, no! That's not the point! Why is the menu like this?!"
"Why are you acting so surprised?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students answered nonchalantly.
This semester, the second-years had gotten a small taste of what true Einrogard dining was like.
First, because of the inspectors, and second, because the Tower's merchant had been sent to the Punishment Room.
After enduring such hardships, the Blue Dragon Tower students had gained a newfound appreciation for the meals they used to have.
The food we used to eat was truly amazing!
For students who had come to feel such gratitude, even this banquet menu was a feast.
"Gainando. I heard from other seniors that they consider even this level of feast to be sumptuous. If you think the same way, you'll find it satisfying too."
Despite their friends' persuasion, Gainando wasn't easily swayed.
This prince, who had been nibbling on the snacks Lee Han had prepared for him before being taken away, couldn't accept a banquet serving such rough and hard meals.
"No way! This banquet is an insult to the semester we've endured! Everyone, just wait a moment!"
"Gainando! No matter what, don't raid the professors' storage! The semester's over—if you get sent to the Punishment Room now, you'll be the only one suffering!"
As Gainando dashed out, the Blue Dragon Tower students shook their heads in disbelief.
That prince still hasn't grown up, has he!
"Not only can we not be grateful for having even these peas in abundance, but my stomach's already full."
"Maykin. Where do you think the prince went?"
Yoner paused at her friends' question.
Come to think of it, she couldn't think of anywhere Gainando might have gone.
'Wait. Where did he actually go?'
It wasn't like Lee Han—Gainando, who was secretly quite timid, would never actually raid a professor's storage...
What snapped Yoner out of her thoughts was her friends' nonsense.
"These pea dishes aren't bad—should we bring some to Wardanaz too?"
"Right? I thought they were well-made too. At this level, it might even be similar to what Wardanaz usually makes for us?"
"...Stop it!"
A horrified Yoner quickly stopped them.
Aside from the terrible taste, she didn't want to make their already worried friend in the Punishment Room even more anxious.
This would be enough to make their worrywart friend attempt a prison break.
'These idiots, how could they forget the taste so quickly?'
Just then, a paper bird sent by Gainando flew in. When Yoner unfolded it, she gasped in shock.
"What's wrong, Maykin?"
"Gainando... he went to another tower and proposed we all have the banquet together?"
"?!!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students murmured among themselves as they headed to the open grounds. Their faces were still filled with astonishment.
"I never thought Gainando would come up with such an idea."
"Right. It's not like it was Wardanaz."
If it had been Wardanaz, given how widely he socialized with students from other towers, it would've made sense to hold a joint banquet.
But since Wardanaz was currently in the Punishment Room, they hadn't even considered the possibility of a joint banquet...
Yet here was the prince, going ahead and negotiating it himself. It was truly surprising.
"How did you come up with this idea, Gainando? Did you think that since Wardanaz isn't here, you had to step up?"
"Huh? I just suggested sharing food with the other tower guys."
"......"
"......"
The touched expressions on their friends' faces froze over.
"This must never be revealed to the other tower guys."
"Of course. It'd start a fight immediately."
Indeed, once the Black Turtle Tower and White Tiger Tower joined in, the food became much more abundant.
Gainando looked around with a satisfied expression.
"Can't Wardanaz come out even for a little while?"
"He can't. That's why he's in the Punishment Room."
"I wasn't asking you, Moradi."
"Then since I answered despite not being asked, you should be grateful."
'Oh no.'
Gainando winced as Salko and Giselle started bickering.
Normally, Lee Han would have intervened, but he just happened to be absent.
"Daad jjeoreohae. Ihaei seupuhagoya."
"...Finish what you're eating first, you lunatic."
"Everyone, calm down! Lee Han would be sad!"
"Why would Wardanaz be sad over something like this? If anything, he'd be angry."
'Oh. Right.'
For a moment, Gainando almost agreed. After all, his friend wasn't the type to get sad over this.
But as an Einrogard student, Gainando knew that backing down in this situation would only put him at a disadvantage.
"Don't you all feel sorry for Lee Han?! Honestly, speak with your conscience! How many of you here haven't relied on Lee Han's help?!"
"Why are you suddenly bringing that up... It has nothing to do with the current topic..."
"Does it?! Is there anyone who hasn't?!"
"......"
Overwhelmed by Gainando's intensity, the students fell silent. Gainando relentlessly listed all the hardships Lee Han was enduring in the Punishment Room.
"Last time, he even had to break some Frost Giant King's curse, you know?!"
"Technically speaking, that was because of you, Prince..."
Salko tried to interject, but Gainando ignored him.
"And on top of that, Lee Han has to stay at school alone until the end of vacation!"
"Then why don't you stay behind with him, Prince?"
"...Huh?"
Gainando froze at Giselle's words.
Huh?