Episode 245
Episode 245
By the time the two emerged from the Giant's Cave, the Morning Star was already twinkling in the dark night sky.
Lee Han muttered bitterly.
"I still have assignments to do, and I wasted time on something pointless."
"......"
Giselle felt chills at the calm madness the Wardanaz displayed.
To worry about assignments in this situation...
Was this the level of insanity required to claim the top spot at the Magic School?
"Why are you staring like that? I'm fine."
Lee Han noticed Giselle's gaze and replied.
Sure, he had pulled an all-nighter due to his Enchantment Magic assignment, but he had recovered somewhat after getting some sleep.
Students who studied magic were supposed to endure sleepless nights with sheer willpower. And Lee Han was an expert in that regard.
"Right... I can very well see that you're fine."
"Thanks for worrying."
Thunk.
"...Can you put that shield away?"
Giselle snapped irritably as the shield spinning around Lee Han flew toward her.
"Ah. My bad. I need to check its duration."
Giselle gave up and shook her head.
So even while traversing the mountain range, getting ambushed by giant lizards, and fighting a giant, he had still been keeping track of his magic assignments.
'This magic-crazed bastard...'
—Wardanaz!!
—Moradi!!!
After walking a bit further, the distant flicker of torches and the shouts of White Tiger Tower students reached them.
It seemed they were still searching the area.
"Over here!"
"Wardanaz!"
The White Tiger Tower students came running. Covered in dust and with all sorts of weeds stuck to them, it was clear they had been searching nonstop.
Among them, Durgyu let out a sigh of relief and spoke.
"Thank goodness. Everyone was so worried that we came looking like this."
"Thanks."
"Thanks? After everything you two have done for us?"
"Mm."
"Ugh."
Lee Han and Giselle groaned simultaneously.
Truthfully, they had tried to use their friends as decoys to escape...
"It's only natural for a noble to do so."
"It's only natural for a knight to do so."
"As expected...!"
The gathered White Tiger Tower students erupted in admiration.
Even if Moradi was one thing, Wardanaz clearly had the dignity of a leader in moments like these.
Of course, when angered, he was a vile archmage who subdued them with all sorts of wicked spells—but credit had to be given where it was due.
Once things had settled somewhat, Giselle looked at her friends and asked.
"Wait. How many of you actually came out here?"
Even a quick glance showed that not just their original group but other friends had come as well.
"Ah. We volunteered to help. Pretty great, right?"
"......"
Go study...!
Giselle swallowed the words boiling inside her.
"...Yeah. Thanks, everyone."
"There seem to be more coming."
Lee Han pointed at the torches approaching in the distance.
From the looks of it, the entire White Tiger Tower had joined the search.
What heartwarming camaraderie.
"Everyone's so kind."
"Shut up..."
"I bet two loaves of black bread and this chocolate pudding."
"Wha... What? Seriously?"
"What? Scared?"
"Scared?! How dare—! Fine! I'll bet Wardanaz's evening snack! That shield won't last the day!"
"Hmph. I say it lasts till tomorrow!"
"......"
Back in the tower, Lee Han sat and stared at his friends with sheer disdain.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower were fiercely betting on how long the spinning shield would last.
It had already lasted a full day, and now the debate was whether it would break past two.
"This... This is insane! I read in a book that without additional maintenance, it absolutely can't last a day!"
Gainando was shaking his book in denial of reality.
For once, he had studied, only for that knowledge to betray him.
"Studying... studying is useless! What good are these dead words supposed to do?!"
"Stop talking nonsense and sit down."
"Okay."
At Lee Han's warning, Gainando sat back down.
"You should finish your <Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic> assignment by today. There are a lot of other pre-finals assignments left. Right now, you should be working on Professor Millay's assignment and—"
"What did I do wrong to deserve this torment?"
As Lee Han listed off the assignments, Gainando looked genuinely wronged and miserable.
Lee Han ignored him and continued.
"What other assignments are left?"
"For <Basic Music>, we have to compose a song..."
'What kind of assignments are these?'
Lee Han wasn't taking <Basic Music>—it wasn't a required course.
However, <Basic Music> was quite popular among the students of the Blue Dragon Tower.
For those from high noble families, subjects like music, dance, art, and literature held far greater value than one might expect.
Of course, to Lee Han, it was still less valuable than Professor Voladi's lectures...
"I've already finished mine, more or less."
Ashan, who was passing by, chimed in. Gainando was shocked.
"Already? How?"
"Hoho. Why should I tell you?"
"I'm curious—can you let me hear it?"
"Well, if Wardanaz is asking..."
"Hey..."
Gainando growled, but Ashan pretended not to hear and ignored him.
The difference in treatment between a friend who provided snacks daily and one who tried to steal them was inevitable.
"Einrogard. Einrogard. It's just too wonderful."
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Gainando's expressions twisted.
"A place with warm meals and soft beds. Einrogard."
"Ugh..."
"Can we spread fake rumors?"
"Soon, the juniors will arrive to enjoy this paradise too. Einrogard."
Ashan, who had been humming the lyrics, suddenly stopped and explained.
"But of course, you can't badmouth Einrogard in front of the professors, right?"
"That's true."
Lee Han understood Ashan's sentiment.
Sometimes, grades were more important than the truth, weren't they?
"I have to make up nonsense like that?! Then I'll just make up whatever I want too!"
"What are you going to make?"
"There once was a noble prince..."
"Cut it out."
"That doesn't sound quite right."
"Listen first, then judge!"
"Are you all working on your <Basic Music> assignments?"
Neblen of the Kirak family, who had been listening in, joined the conversation.
Lee Han thought to himself.
'Am I the only one not taking <Basic Music>?'
"That's right. Kirak, you've finished yours too? I bet you wrote a song praising the Princess."
Neblen was one of the students in the Blue Dragon Tower who revered the Princess.
However, Neblen shook his head.
"No."
"Oh? Then what did you write?"
"Would you like to hear it?"
"No, let's just study—"
Lee Han tried to stop them, but the other two immediately nodded.
"There once was an honorable mage who always prepared meals..."
"......"
"......"
"That's touching."
Ashan marveled.
Other students sitting by the fireplace also nodded in agreement.
Gainando grumbled.
"Hmph. Do you really think Wardanaz would like that kind of shameless praise?"
"Well said, Gainando. The song isn't great."
"Excuse me... What exactly is wrong with it?"
Neblen was flustered.
He had assumed Lee Han would like it.
"If you say it's not good, I'll rewrite it..."
"...Wait."
Lee Han couldn't bring himself to tell him to do that.
What could be more bothersome than starting an assignment all over again?
"...On second thought, it's not that bad."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Now, let's get back to studying."
"Wardanaz! Look over there!"
"...Did you not hear me say to study?"
Despite Lee Han's words, Gainen continued pointing out the window with his finger.
Lee Han suppressed a sigh and glanced outside. Then he froze in shock.
"...!!"
The largest and most majestic main building within the magic school grounds—its exterior was writhing as though it were a living creature.
'What the...!?'
"It's the rearrangement period."
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
"Gwaaaaaaah!"
Students screamed as a massive skeleton suddenly floated up past the windows.
Unfazed, Lee Han asked,
"Rearrangement period?"
The main building is practically half-alive.
According to the Skeleton Principal, the main building—having absorbed countless layers of magic over an unfathomably long period—could no longer be considered an ordinary structure.
Given that countless mages passing through Einrogard had added new spaces and cast new spells, the main building periodically rearranged its own body.
It was a way of reorganizing all the accumulated chaos and disorder.
"Uh... Wait. Does that mean the interior layout changes too?"
Lee Han had been listening absentmindedly until this realization struck him.
After all the effort he'd put into making a map?
It won't change that drastically. The framework remains intact. Though some rooms might disappear or shift around.
"That's at least a relief."
Be careful if you go out for night walks. There have been students who went missing during the rearrangement period.
"What kind of nonsense is that? Nighttime outings are prohibited. I've never once broken the rules."
"......"
......
Even the Skeleton Principal was slightly impressed by that shamelessness.
...Right. Fine. Come with me.
"Huh?"
You were supposed to learn illusion magic from Ogonin every weekend, weren't you?
"Ah..."
Only then did Lee Han remember.
Ogonin, though somewhat rusty now, had been a legendary archmage in his prime—one who inherited the pure classical lineage of illusion magic.
The Skeleton Principal had even said that receiving lessons from such a person was an honor, but...
"But I'm busy with pre-finals assignments right now."
That's fine.
"Ah. It won't take long?"
Lee Han brightened.
Well, the Skeleton Principal was the school's administrator—he wouldn't be unaware of academic schedules.
No. I don't know either. It's fine because you're the one doing the pre-finals assignments. Come on.
"......"
Gainen, listening nearby, nodded solemnly.
'I should write a song about evil Liches.'
You met Ikurusha?
"...No. Wait, is there some kind of bulletin board in Einrogard that I don't know about?"
Lee Han was baffled.
Unless there was some faculty-only notice board or something shared among residents, this kind of information speed made no sense.
He imagined Professor Voladi posting a note in the faculty lounge: "Please explain pre-finals assignment details."
'Do I need to infiltrate the lounge and destroy the board?'
No such thing exists. But it's an amusing thought.
"No..."
Besides, Ikurusha was someone I already knew. I went to see him, and he suddenly started praising you, so I asked.
The magic school grounds weren't just home to professors and students.
Thanks to the powerful mana currents, many mystical beings had lived there since ancient times.
That big guy doesn't usually praise students—especially not alchemy students—so... Did you trick him with magic?
"I have no idea what you're talking about. That was a fair bet."
Sure it was. Hmm... Still, even accounting for resistance, it's impressive you took down Ikurusha. I'm surprised you knew about that potion... Did Professor Thunderstep teach you?
"Well, since I did study alchemy, you could say that."
Drop it. Anyway, aside from alchemy, I hear you're quite good at chess.
"I just got lucky. Ikurusha was a bit inexperienced..."
???
The Skeleton Principal stared at Lee Han as if he were insane. Lee Han didn't notice.