Episode 1290
Episode 1290
"That's a great idea! I was actually feeling a bit guilty toward Wardanaz too."
Salko readily agreed.
Though the students of Einrogard had considerably deteriorated morals, even by those standards, they had received far too much help from Lee Han.
To ignore this, they'd have to remove their souls or something.
"I also think it's a good idea. If he has friends, he won't feel lonely during the break."
When even Priestess Dijiling of the Phoenix Tower spoke up, Gainando was completely cornered.
Gainando stammered.
"B-but what if Lee Han wants other friends besides me?! I'm from the Black Magic school, so I might not be much help..."
"Hmm. That might be true."
'Is this actually working?'
Gainando was dumbfounded by Giselle's reaction.
He had thrown out the excuse half-heartedly, but his friends were taking it seriously.
Part of him wanted to shout that the Black Magic school could be helpful too, but if he did that now, there'd be no backing out.
Gainando gritted his teeth and decided to swallow his pride.
"Then should I stay? I'll have to build a few extra buildings in my free time."
"I'm fine with it too. The temple will understand if I say it's for a friend."
"Well... I didn't really want to go back to the North this break anyway. If I go, they'll just pester me about the Evil God Worshipper incident. I'll stay and prepare for third year in advance."
"?????"
Gainando couldn't believe his eyes as his friends all volunteered to stay.
'A-Are they serious? Are they lying? Maybe they're bluffing, thinking they won't actually have to stay...'
Cold sweat ran down Gainando's back. For some reason, he felt like the only trash among them.
And honestly, he probably was...
"N-no! I'll stay! Black Magic actually has all sorts of practical applications!"
"Really? Wardanaz said something like that too, but since he studies all schools, it was hard to tell if he was serious."
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"
As Gainando and his friends gathered and chattered, other students began crowding around.
Surprisingly, the students were more than willing to stay during the break for Wardanaz's sake.
"Oh, perfect! I was worried about third year anyway. I'll prepare in advance with Wardanaz's help."
"I was too busy to do club activities this semester. Staying at school during the break to catch up doesn't sound bad."
"Wait, Ratford, weren't you in the Teleportation Club?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about?"
"I want to take on requests together. There are some things I'd like Wardanaz's advice on in Summoning Magic."
Soon, the surroundings grew noisy, and arguments broke out. The students bickered over who would stay and who would leave.
Gainando was both relieved and confused.
'...Am I the only one living without a care in the world?'
Everyone else was living excessively diligently—preparing for third year in advance, catching up on club activities, and so on.
Even Angrago, who had played Wizard Card with him just yesterday, was volunteering to take on requests together!
"Stop, stop! This is endless. Hey, even if you all stay, Wardanaz will just get annoyed. Let's just drop it."
"Huh? Why?"
Angrago protested Giselle's words as if he couldn't accept them.
Unlike the others, he had genuinely planned to ask Wardanaz properly—as a proper act of gratitude.
He'd even planned to hunt deer outside and bring some of the White Tiger Tower's preserved meat as repayment. How could that be annoying?
"Does that guy really have no conscience?"
"Saint Flemeng is a merciful deity, but even He might throw a glass bottle at your face for such shameless behavior."
"Fine, fine!"
As students from other towers immediately began berating him from behind, Angrago had no choice but to relent.
Honestly, if too many people stayed, Wardanaz might find it just a little bothersome.
Angrago himself was a conscientious friend, but there were definitely some unscrupulous bastards among the others.
Giselle looked utterly exasperated as even students she hadn't anticipated began crowding in, all arguing to stay behind.
"Let's be fair. Only one person stays. We'll draw lots. No complaints, no objections, no redraws. If anyone has a problem, it's a duel. Any objections?"
The students let out a brief cheer. It was a sign of agreement.
In an instant, the lots were prepared.
Magic-drawn slips poured into a giant jar, and students swarmed around it.
"Alright then..."
"So you're the one who got stuck staying?"
"Yeah......"
"Why didn't you just ask someone else to stay in your place?"
Lee Han spoke while looking at the most miserable-looking imperial family member in the Empire.
Even when the Dragon was tricked by the Skeleton Principal into taking the Emperor's seat, it probably didn't look half as sad as this.
If he hated it that much, he should've just asked someone else to do it!
"It wasn't that kind of atmosphere!"
Gainando cried out in a grief-stricken voice.
The events from a few days ago still flashed vividly in his mind.
-"The winner is... damn it! It's Gainando!"
-"What? Why does this imperial brat have such insane luck?"
-"Is this the power of friendship? I thought it was just self-proclaimed friendship."
-"Guess there's something to it after all..."
The glorious position that only one student out of the entire second year could claim.
And Gainando had drawn exactly that spot.
The students congratulated Gainando with looks mixed with jealousy and reluctant admiration.
In that situation, Gainando absolutely couldn't say, "Actually, I don't want to do it, guys. Can someone stay instead?"
The moment he said that, it felt like any shred of dignity or self-respect as a person would vanish forever.
"......"
Lee Han stared at his friend with a mix of pity and exasperation.
Why on earth was he like this?
'He didn't even ask anyone to stay for him...'
Without ever having asked, he'd dug his own grave three times deeper.
"Sniff... Lee Han. Tell me the others didn't want to stay either. That they only went along with it because of the atmosphere."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure that's it. Who'd want to stay during vacation?"
Lee Han agreed halfheartedly, his tone completely devoid of sincerity.
To be fair, he could sort of understand his friends' reactions.
Even he had plenty of magic to review or study in advance during the break (though that was mostly because he was taking every course and attempting the Small World), so the others probably weren't any more relaxed.
This year's vacation was different from last year's.
The looming pressure of fourth year in the distance weighed heavily on every mage's heart.
"By the way. Did you master all the Black Magic I told you to learn?"
"...Ah. Where's the professor?"
Gainando cursed his friend internally as he changed the subject.
Three days had passed—how was he supposed to have learned anything in that time?!
One day was spent on the banquet and drawing lots, and the remaining two were spent rolling around on his private room's floor cursing Einrogard.
"The professor was released since vacation's over."
"What about the Oculogard mage?"
"Paridim? Same thing—went back to Oculogard since vacation ended. Left a letter too."
Lee Han pointed at the now-empty Punishment Rooms as he explained.
"Now that I think about it, Gainando, you are lucky. Professor Bagrak's solitary cell is vacant now. It's fully equipped, and..."
"......"
For the first time, Gainando glared at his friend.
Being teased or mocked would've hurt less.
Clank!
The sound of a door opening upstairs was followed by death knights entering.
The knights looked puzzled when they saw Gainando standing in the hallway.
-"Why is he... Ah. Failed, huh."
-"Wrong place. This is the Professor's Punishment Room. The Punishment Room for failing students is elsewhere. Come along now."
"...I didn't fail, okay!?"
Gainando was furious.
He'd even left after checking the exam in advance!
"I just stayed behind! Because Lee Han was bored and—"
-What? Why would you... Ah. Preparing for third year in advance, are you? Truly wise. That's not an easy thing to do.
The knights' gazes toward Gainando suddenly changed.
They'd thought he was just another black magic-addled mage living for short-term pleasures, but it turned out he was more steadfast and future-oriented than they'd assumed.
-Well thought out! You're finally facing magic seriously. It's about time.
-The sweat you've shed will never betray you, my boy.
"......"
Gainando, who'd been about to say 'because Lee Han was bored,' simply gave up and shut his mouth.
Lee Han intervened, afraid his friend might start crying if left alone any longer.
"But why are you here?"
-Ah. Young successor. The vacation has begun. You're allowed to come out now.
"?!"
Gainando was more shocked than Lee Han.
"Are we being released!?"
-Not exactly, more like being paroled. You're permitted to move around within the school grounds during designated hours.
'Aha.'
Lee Han immediately understood what the knights meant upon hearing their explanation.
Come to think of it, any mage who'd been locked in the Professor's Punishment Room was likely either a professor or practically one—they'd inevitably have tasks to handle even during vacation.
Hence, they were granted walking hours during breaks.
'But wouldn't those who don't want to work just skip it anyway?'
Professors like Garcia (though she'd never end up here in the first place) would probably keep working even while confined, but someone like Professor Verdus likely wouldn't bother with his duties even if given walking hours.
"Lee Han, let's get out! Quick!"
Gainando hurriedly dragged his friend along, worried the knights might suddenly change the rules.
"Calm down. It's not like the rules will suddenly... Well, they might. This is Einrogard, after all."
As they ascended the stairs and stepped outside the Professor's Punishment Room, the familiar grounds of Einrogard welcomed the two mages.
The endless mountain ranges, the main building brimming with condensed magic, knights soaring through the sky...
Everything was the same—except for one thing. All the students were gone.
'It's quiet, just like everywhere else. And yet it used to be so loud.'
Einrogard was usually a place where students chased each other yelling "Stand still!", where failed magic experiments caused explosions or forest fires, and where vendors shouted fiercely to sell their wares.
This kind of silence was the farthest thing from what defined this magic academy.
"Lee Han. Know what I'm thinking?"
"I can guess. That the school feels different from usual?"
"Huh? No. I was thinking about making a run for it past the main gate."
"......"
Lee Han shook his head and started walking. Gainando scurried after him and asked,
"So what are you gonna do?"
"Stu—"
"Not studying."
"Hmm. Check the places I couldn't while locked up, sort through supplies and toss what's useless... Now that I think about it, with the seniors gone, I might even be able to raid their storerooms."
"!"
Gainando's mood lifted slightly at his friend's words.
Just the thought of being stuck in this hellhole all vacation had been depressing, but having a friend around (and the prospect of theft) made all the difference.
Maybe he could endure this after all...
-After him! He's escaping!
"I don't need that damn skeleton's worthless graduation certificate! Let me out! I said let me out!"
-Calm yourself! Didn't you say this very thing? 'No matter what nonsense I spout in my research, it's not my true self—please restrain me properly, everyone!'
"Shut up! That wasn't me! That was a fake version of me! Let me out! I won't graduate, I said! Let me out, damn it! I'll file a complaint with the Emperor! Curse you, knights! Graaah! Curse this decrepit magic academy too! Curse magic itself! May curses fall upon everything here! Curses! Curses! Curses!"
-Should've prepared for graduation properly—why act like this after failing? Come along quietly now!
The knights dragged away a fourth-year student who'd failed to graduate, hauling him off somewhere.
Gainando turned pale at the sight.