Episode 232
Episode 232
'Well, decorating your own room would be fun, I guess.'
Lately, his friends had been chattering endlessly about how they were decorating their private rooms, but he hadn't expected it to be like this.
Of course, from Lee Han's perspective, it made absolutely no sense.
Why on earth would they—?
'Isn't a private room just for sleeping?'
True to someone who had lined his room wall-to-wall with Skeleton Warriors, Lee Han had zero interest in decorating his personal space.
"This is a problem... I brought this thinking the Wardanaz would surely be satisfied."
"Does it look too cheap to the Wardanaz? This is decent pottery, though..."
"See, what did I tell you! I said the Wardanaz wouldn't be satisfied with ordinary decorations. Rumor has it the Wardanaz family's walls are made of pure silver, and their mansion windows are set with rubies and sapphires. Of course they wouldn't be happy with this!"
'No, they're not.'
The Black Turtle Tower students boldly spinning wild rumors right before his eyes.
Lee Han knew all sorts of baseless rumors circulated about the reclusive Wardanaz family, but this was downright unfair.
It wasn't that his family lacked wealth—he just had never indulged in extravagance himself.
If only he could afford to be extravagant, he wouldn't feel so wronged!
"This is bad. We don't have anything else to offer. What if we promise to pay during vacation?"
"Are you serious? If you were the Wardanaz, would you work for mere silver coins? Have you no idea about noble pride and dignity?"
Thud—
Lee Han placed a hand on his friends' shoulders.
Then he spoke kindly.
"Seems you're troubled about not having anything suitable. Then pay me back in silver coins during vacation."
"...!"
"R-really? That's acceptable?"
"Of course. Even your tower's Richmond has done that before. No need to feel burdened."
"But... why...?"
As the Black Turtle Tower student muttered in confusion, his friend jabbed him hard in the ribs.
"Idiot. The Wardanaz is saving our dignity."
"Aha!"
'What "aha"?'
The Black Turtle Tower students seemed to think Lee Han was only nominally accepting silver coins to spare their embarrassment.
That alone gave Lee Han a rough idea of their financial status.
'Rich brats.'
Even in the predominantly commoner Black Turtle Tower, money changed everything.
The empire's top merchants possessed wealth that could put even major noble houses to shame.
Compared to Lee Han, who received no allowance unless it was for study expenses, they could splash silver coins like water.
"Thank you, Wardanaz. I didn't expect this kindness."
"Think what you will. Now, sign here. Where should I collect payment?"
"Just come to the Tutanta Family..."
As Salko wrote out the contract, he felt slightly unsettled.
Lee Han's expression looked far too serious.
...Surely he wasn't actually doing this for the silver coins?
"Everyone, drink water."
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
As they entered the desert region, the heat hit them like a wave. Though the terrain resembled the library wasteland from before, this place was far hotter and drier.
"Spring forth."
Not that it stopped water from appearing. Without hesitation, Lee Han summoned water from thin air.
"Loadstone, show me the way."
Salko tapped the sandy ground while chanting. A pattern formed on the sand.
"This way is north."
"Not bad magic. Can you teach me?"
"Good joke. Why would you need... Wait. Seriously?"
Salko was flustered by Lee Han's interest.
Many mages skipped learning such practical spells altogether.
There was no need to use magic just to know directions—servants or slaves could handle that.
"What's wrong? Seems like useful magic."
"...Never mind. Teaching it isn't hard. It's not a difficult spell, but those without an affinity for earth elements struggle to..."
Mid-sentence, Salko remembered how Lee Han had pulverized the labyrinth walls while charging through the school's maze.
"...Actually, forget I said that."
"Why?"
"Just listen. Anyway, this spell works best where there's plenty of earth. And without loadstone powder, it's hard to cast. So be careful..."
Salko, who had been speaking, glanced at the mass of water floating beside Lee Han.
The cold mass of water maintained its form even under the scorching sunlight.
"...No, don't worry about that either."
"Aren't you teaching me too carelessly?"
Lee Han complained, but Salko ignored him.
Meanwhile, the other Black Turtle Tower students took the lead in checking the path.
"Here. Let's leave marks so we can see them when we return."
"Be engraved."
Though the desert terrain changed whenever the wind blew, the marks left by mana were a different story.
A small mark was engraved on the sand—one that would last for at least an hour or two.
"Good work. I'll summon some wind for us."
"Can I call a spirit too?"
"Yeah. Since we've rested for over three days, the spirits should oblige."
As a faint, lower-tier wind spirit appeared, a gentle breeze began to blow.
Lee Han, watching from behind, marveled at their cooperation.
'Why can't our tower guys do stuff like that?'
It wasn't that the kids were bad at magic.
In terms of pure magical ability, they were among the best of the four towers.
...It's just that most of their magic wasn't particularly useful in real-life situations.
Honestly, during expeditions like this, <Magical Ornamentation for a Waltz> wasn't exactly practical.
-Krrrrrung!
"?"
Sharkan suddenly let out a bloodthirsty growl. At that reaction, Lee Han thought a monster had appeared.
'There's no monster, though?'
In that instant, Lee Han's instincts screamed a fierce warning.
A sensation he'd felt a lot recently.
The exact same feeling when Professor Voladi would suddenly ambush him, sending every nerve in his body on high alert.
"...Shield, unfold!"
Without hesitation, Lee Han chanted the spell.
Casting magic without confirming the situation might have been foolish, but for Lee Han, it was different.
He was someone who could afford to waste magic freely in situations like this!
"Wardanaz?! Why?!"
"Salko, defend!"
"...Got it!"
At Lee Han's shout, Salko and the other Black Turtle Tower students immediately prepared their defenses.
Clang!
A sharp sound rang out as an attack struck the water shield.
A dagger bounced off the thick water shield without piercing it, and Lee Han's expression hardened.
Though it seemed like a feeble attack since it didn't break through, it was anything but that.
'These guys know how to fight mages!'
Having suffered endlessly under Professor Voladi, Lee Han knew exactly how enemies typically dealt with mages in combat.
-It doesn't matter what method they use. Enemies always take down the mage first.
-Of course... a mage is a wildcard in many ways. How should we prepare?
-Perfectly.
-...I'm not fully recovered yet... Ugh!
Grand attacks take too long to prepare and are just noisy.
A single dagger is enough to take down an unprepared mage.
The problem was that Lee Han had sensed the killing intent first and gone on the defensive.
"Shield, unfold. Heat, distort the air!"
It was unfortunate for the enemies.
Normally, there weren't many mages skilled in combat.
Especially not students from the Magic School.
"Feet, wrinkle the earth. Rise, warriors of bone!"
In less than a few seconds, Lee Han rapidly cast multiple spells in succession, strengthening his defenses, leaving the enemies stunned.
"What the hell is that guy?!"
"Damn it, he's an upperclassman! Get ready! He's someone who's properly learned magical combat!"
"...You'll regret facing a 5th-year from Einrogard!"
"Shit...! Of all the luck!"
"......"
The Black Turtle Tower students, hiding behind barriers of water and earth, stared at Lee Han with bewildered expressions.
The infamous adventurer organization of the empire, <Snake of the Maple Tree>.
While most imperial adventurers cared about reputation and were cautious, there were those who disregarded such things and accepted illegal contracts.
<Snake of the Maple Tree> was exactly that kind of group.
As long as they were paid enough gold, they'd take on any illegal request!
Of course, under normal circumstances, even <Snake of the Maple Tree> wouldn't dare provoke Einrogard, where the empire's most formidable mages gathered.
Even the most ruthless villains weren't fools. The more wicked their money-making schemes, the sharper their instincts and sensitivity to power.
But this time was different.
An absurdly lucrative request had come their way.
-"There's an artifact I want from Einrogard."
-"But Einrogard is..."
-"I know. Not a place outsiders can easily enter. I'll arrange a way in. There's already a guide inside—follow them and meet up. They'll explain the details."
-"......"
The adventurers didn't ask, 'If there's already a guide inside, why do we need to go in too?'
They already knew the answer without asking.
'If stealing a mage's treasure only costs two or three lives, that's a bargain. Especially for Einrogard.'
The proposal reeked of blood, but the adventurers didn't refuse.
An adventurer's life was one of risk anyway.
What mattered was how big the payoff would be.
-"Fine. We'll give it our best shot."
"What's the plan?!"
The adventurers shouted hoarsely.
Their luck couldn't have been worse.
The moment they emerged from the underground passage through the well, they ran straight into an Einrogard student.
And a fifth-year, no less.
To adventurers who knew Einrogard's reputation, a fifth-year was no small threat. At that level, wasn't the kid practically a rare archmage among adventurers?
And on top of that...
"Judging by their reaction, this one's trained in magical combat! Subduing them is impossible. We have to kill them!"
"We agreed not to touch magic school students!"
"I know, you damn idiot! Who do you think isn't scared of retaliation? But there's no way to subdue them!"
"...Goddammit. Fine! Kill them!"
The adventurer Gelliak gritted his teeth and nodded.
Looking across, the opposing mage's skill was anything but ordinary.
Blocking an ambush from an unseen direction was impressive enough, but they'd nearly completed a makeshift fortress in seconds.
Illusions flickered, barriers of water and earth rose, and Skeleton Warriors shielded the mages.
Gelliak had seen a few Einrogard students before. He knew just how absurd this reaction was.
He'd encountered students who could cast higher-tier magic, but this was the first time he'd seen one remain unshaken in a life-or-death fight, chaining spells flawlessly.
'Just our rotten luck...'
Snap!
But Gelliak wasn't the only one with terrible luck.
The fifth-years they'd run into today were just as unlucky.
Did Gelliak and his crew really barge into a mage's den without any countermeasures?
No one feared mages more than Gelliak and his men.
Of course, they'd gathered every anti-mage tool they could get their hands on.
Given the circumstances, this was the worst possible luck for a mage.
"Tear the scroll! Now!"
"Shut up! Do you know how much this costs?! Fine—here goes!"
As Gelliak ripped the scroll, a monstrous storm of mana erupted.
An ancient magic scroll—impossible to replicate today!
The Magic Crushing Storm, a spell embedded within, unleashed its power to obliterate all active magic in the area.
The scroll was so expensive Gelliak's fingers trembled as he tore it.
"Ghk—!"
"Ugh...!"
With agonized cries, the Black Turtle Tower students dropped to their knees, faces deathly pale.
In an instant, the barriers, illusions, and summons vanished.
The forcibly canceled spells recoiled, striking the mages themselves.
'Still as devastating as I remember.'
The only flaw was the outrageous price, but nothing delivered a death sentence to a mage like this.
Invest all your mana into casting spells? Gone in an instant, your mana thrown into chaos.
A precise strike at a mage's greatest weakness—no mana, no magic.
And the stronger the mage, the more vulnerable they were.
Gellian had once seen a 5th Circle mage neutralized by just one of these scrolls.
"Shield, unfold. Heat, warp the air. Feet, wrinkle the earth. Rise, warriors of bone..."
"...?!?!?"
So when the fifth-year student casually layered spell after spell as if nothing had happened, Gellian could only blink in disbelief.