Episode 162
Episode 162
"More importantly, could we receive your guidance like last time? Since exams are coming up, we'd really like to learn from you again."
Valdororn found himself utterly speechless at the student's casual dismissal of the name he'd just mentioned.
He'd normally let such things slide, but this was impossible to ignore.
"What did you just say?"
"That we'd like to receive your guidance..."
"No, no! Before that! You said you met which illusion mage...?"
"A gentleman named Ogonin. But Lord Valdororn, that's not really important right now, is it?"
'If THAT'S not important, then what is?!'
Valdororn screamed internally.
Any imperial illusion mage would instantly recognize Ogonin's name.
The legendary mage who created jewel-like masterpieces of illusion magic, whose magic tomes were treated as sacred texts by young illusion mages (Valdororn had once invested his entire fortune to obtain a single copy of Ogonin's tome) - that very Ogonin.
If he could obtain even one of the spells being developed by Dreams, Illusions, Bubbles and Shadows, the prestigious group of illusion mages led by Ogonin, Valdororn would gladly sell his soul.
'Wait. Could it be someone with the same name? An impersonator?'
Valdororn regained his senses.
Now that he thought about it, there was no way a freshman could have safely encountered an illusion mage of Ogonin's caliber.
It must be either a namesake, an impostor, or a misunderstanding!
"What kind of magic did he use? Do you happen to remember any incantations?"
When Valdororn pressed urgently, Ashan couldn't help but be impressed.
"Judging by how you immediately ask about the magic, you must be truly remarkable."
"Right? He seems genuinely serious about magic."
Ignoring the freshmen's whispers, Valdororn kept his eyes fixed on Lee Han.
"Well... it was something like 'May another's phantom devour thee!'? I think he also used spells like 'I shall dominate thy mind!'"
Valdororn's jaw dropped.
'This can't be!'
Just from hearing the incantations, Valdororn immediately recognized what kind of magic it was.
Those specific phrases weren't something a freshman could fabricate. They were genuine high-level illusion magic incantations.
Powerful ones that even Valdororn wouldn't dare attempt...
'How in the... how did you... with Ogonin... how??'
As Valdororn spiraled into panic, Lee Han made another request.
"Lord Valdororn. If it's not too much trouble, could we ask for your guidance once more?"
"...Uh... Yes... What? Yes?"
"Thank you! Everyone, you can celebrate. He says it's fine."
"Excuse me??"
Nodding absentmindedly like a broken machine, Valdororn only belatedly came to his senses.
The freshmen were already clapping their hands in delight.
"Thank you!"
"No... no... I... I'm not qualified to teach anyone!"
How could he possibly teach a freshman who'd defeated Ogonin?
Valdororn's face turned deathly pale.
Ashan marveled again:
"He's even humble about it..."
"He's different from the professors, isn't he?"
"Right? Extraordinary people must be built different."
'I'm going to lose it.'
Valdororn wanted to flee, but the Blue Dragon Tower freshmen wouldn't let him go.
In the end, Valdororn had no choice but to be dragged along like a prisoner heading to the gallows.
"...You must never tell anyone you learned from me."
"I wish our professors could learn a thing or two from watching you, Lord Valdororn!"
'If I just hit him once... no, that wouldn't work, would it?'
Valdororn thought to himself as he watched Gainando chatter away thoughtlessly.
"As expected..."
"Thank you. This has resolved our questions."
The Blue Dragon Tower students ordered chocolate drinks at the café and proceeded to bombard Valdororn with various questions.
Valdororn answered desperately, fighting for survival.
The students couldn't help but be satisfied with his sincere attitude.
Ah, this person really teaches well!
"I won't forget what I learned today."
"I'll definitely review it when I get back."
"This... this turned out really well..."
'Please just let me go home already...'
Valdororn's voice already sounded half-exhausted. It was because he'd been so tense.
Who would have thought I'd end up teaching illusion magic to Einrogard freshmen...
'The professors aren't going to come out and kill me, are they?'
As Lee Han sipped from his cup while organizing what he'd learned, he spotted someone passing by and called out.
"Priestess Dijiling!"
"!"
The priests from the Phoenix Tower who were walking by stopped abruptly when they saw the Blue Dragon Tower students in the cafe.
"Where are you all headed?"
"We were each going to visit our respective temples to pay our respects...?"
Unlike students from other towers, those from the Phoenix Tower didn't care even if they had no money.
Most of them never intended to spend money in the first place, since they could just stay at their order's temple in town.
"Well, since you're already out, have something to drink before you go. Here, everyone take a seat."
Lee Han brought the Phoenix Tower priests into the cafe.
Then he proceeded to order desserts and drinks in rapid succession—his movements as natural as flowing water.
By the time the priests collected themselves, freshly baked cheesecakes and hot chocolates were already placed on the cafe table.
"You really didn't have to treat us like this..."
One of the priests spoke in an extremely apologetic voice. Lee Han waved his hand as if it were nothing.
"Treating friends is my pleasure."
Lee Han didn't explicitly say, "Make sure to speak well of me at your order."
The priests were all kind-hearted—if you fed them, they'd do even more for you in return.
"Besides, this is just like tea or coffee. I hear people at temples drink it often to stay awake."
At Lee Han's words, the priests responded as if he were talking nonsense.
"Tea or coffee is different from such precious desserts, Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family."
"That's right. We'll gratefully accept this, but such luxurious desserts are different from tea or coffee. If we ate them often, we'd be criticized for being extravagant and wasteful."
"......"
Priestess Dijiling, who had been eating cake beside them, flinched and glanced at Lee Han. Lee Han pretended not to notice.
"By the way, who is this person?"
Before Lee Han could answer, Ashan and Gainando excitedly spoke up.
"This is Lord Valdororn, a master of illusion magic—"
"No! Absolutely not!!"
"A humble and intellectual person."
"I said no...!"
"Could we receive instruction from you as well?"
"......"
Under the weight of the students' expectant gazes, Valdororn couldn't bring himself to refuse.
'Why did I even leave my room today...'
One hour later.
"Thank you!"
"I've been struggling with this part while learning illusion magic...!"
"...Please, for real, don't tell anyone you learned this from me?? Seriously...!"
"Don't worry, Lord Valdororn. We'll honor your wishes."
As the priests finished their questions, Lee Han, who had been organizing his notes, spoke up.
"Lord Valdororn, now that I think about it, where were you headed earlier?"
"I was going to buy some food for dinner and pick up some artifacts from the workshop that might be useful—"
Mid-sentence, Valdororn realized his mistake.
All the first-year students were listening with keen interest.
"Could we come along too?"
"......"
'I should have just said I was going home...'
Valdororn felt like crying.
"...Nothing."
"......"
The White Tiger Tower students were the slowest to grasp the situation.
As the reality sank in—that there truly wasn't a single family estate left—the White Tiger Tower students trembled with shock and fury.
"Why would they go this far...!"
"Are they out of their damn minds?!"
"What possible reason could there be to humiliate knights to this extent?! Just wait till we graduate! You'll see!"
Before the trembling White Tiger Tower students, the black-clad Turtle Tower students appeared.
Surprisingly, each Turtle Tower student was holding a giant lollipop—a truly lavish symbol of wealth.
"What the...?!"
"Tsk tsk. Looks like you couldn't get any money."
Vandre, one of the Salko gang, clicked his tongue sympathetically. The White Tiger Tower students' eyebrows shot up.
"Lofty family reputations... shining honor... what use is any of that without money. Hahaha!"
"You little—!"
"Hold back. We're in the village."
Friends restrained the White Tiger Tower student who tried to step forward.
Angrago asked incredulously, "Where did you get the money? Don't tell me you stole it?"
"Huh? Steal? Of course White Tiger Tower brats would jump to that conclusion."
The Turtle Tower students made disgusted faces. How dare they suspect them of theft?
"We obtained our money through legitimate and honorable trade."
"Trade?! How?!"
"Why should we tell you? Even if we did, you couldn't pull it off anyway."
Vandre spoke with overflowing pride. The Turtle Tower students excelled at running the black market within the academy and retrieving discarded artifacts.
Vandre had exchanged those artifacts for money. Even broken or incomplete artifacts were worth decent money outside.
"Th-this profit..."
"Don't rise to it. It's just pointless provocation."
Giselle realized continuing would only please their opponents. There was no need to respond to such taunts.
Their time for payback would come.
"Should we borrow money in our family names?"
"Angrago. Stop. That's what beggars do...!"
Meanwhile, the freshmen surrounding Baldor Orn appeared from the opposite side of the street.
"!"
"Blue Dragon Tower and... Phoenix Tower priests?"
Vandre thought this was perfect when he saw the group of freshmen. No matter how much of a top student Wardanaz was, he couldn't have obtained money like Vandre and his friends had.
This was something beyond the capabilities of high nobility.
"Wardanaz! Need money?! I'd lend it to you!"
"No, I'm fine. I have plenty."
"...?!"
Vandre was shocked.
Looking closely, Lee Han and the other students were each holding lollipops too—twice as big as the Turtle Tower students'.
Gainando looked at the candy in Vandre's hand, then at his own, and smirked. Vandre felt extremely irritated.
"How on earth...?"
"Where'd you get yours?"
Under Lee Han's questioning, Vandre shrank slightly and answered meekly, "W-well, I exchanged some artifacts I found..."
"Which shop did you trade at?"
"At 'Yursang's Dancing Mouse'..."
"Oh dear. You got ripped off. Don't trade there next time. I heard they buy artifacts cheap. There are better places..."
Vandre found himself drawn into Lee Han's words as if enchanted. Wardanaz's voice carried the seasoned tone of a long-time guild member in this village.
"...Got it?"
"G-got it. Thanks... But how do you know this?"
"I looked into artifact exchanges too."
"......"
'I lost!'
Not when Lee Han was praised as the top student, not when he demonstrated magic others couldn't replicate—Vandre had never felt this emotion before.
From the depths of his heart, he had no choice but to admit it.
'I've been defeated...!'
"Who's this person, by the way?"
Lee Han's friends answered first.
"The greatest illusionist."
"A master of illusion magic."
"And he said he'd guide us to artifact shops."
'No I didn't...'