Episode 269
Episode 269
Even the White Tiger Tower students were buzzing.
They were questioning whether it was right to snatch away a fellow tower member's proposal like that.
But Angrago paid no heed.
"This isn't particularly dishonorable behavior for a knight."
"Isn't that guy insane?"
Ignoring the prince's words, Angrago continued speaking.
"There's an item and paying a fair price for it. That's all there is to it."
'It's not my place to say, but is this really okay?'
Lee Han thought to himself.
He knew the White Tiger Tower students were adapting to the magic school, but this seemed like they'd adapted too well.
"Angrago. That's something only a merchant would—"
"Buying items isn't exclusive to merchants! Are knights not supposed to purchase things? There's a famous sword here that all of you want—do you really plan to give up just because someone tries to buy it first? Is that truly wise?!"
Angrago desperately spouted sophistry, as if his assignments had been particularly tough.
Overwhelmed by his fervor, the White Tiger Tower students tilted their heads, murmuring 'Is that so?' and 'That kinda makes sense.'
Gainando muttered 'That's bullshit,' but his words didn't reach the White Tiger Tower students.
"Alright. Wardanaz! I'll pay double, so let me—"
"Hold on. I'll pay triple!"
"......"
Angrago had forgotten one thing.
If he could cut in by offering double, others could jump in by offering even more.
This time, it was Shyles from the Black Turtle Tower of the Richmond family who intervened.
Coming from one of the empire's top carriage transport families, Shyles had no qualms about spending lavishly.
'These guys must be rolling in money.'
Lee Han grumbled internally.
Was it really okay to waste money like that when it wasn't even theirs?
"Richmond, you bastard... Are you trying to interfere with White Tiger Tower's business?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Didn't you say it was a fair right?"
"Then I'll raise it to quadruple!"
"You think I'll back down? Five times!"
"...Wait. Hold on. Everyone, gather around!"
Realizing things were getting out of hand, Angrago called the White Tiger Tower students together.
Even Rowena, who had just spoken up, was dragged into the huddle.
"The mood's shifted—it's impossible to buy it alone now. Let's pool our resources."
"Pool our resources?"
"We'll buy it together and share it."
"......"
Lee Han stared at the White Tiger Tower guys in disbelief.
What the hell were these lunatics planning to share?
But the madness wasn't confined to just the White Tiger Tower—it had spread to the Black Turtle Tower as well.
Shyles had also gathered his fellow tower members.
"Tutanta! The White Tiger Tower bastards are trying to buy Wardanaz cheaply with money! Help me out!"
"Those dishonorable scum, right down to their roots. Is that what knights are supposed to be?"
"......"
Noticing the bizarre turn of events, Ashan spoke up from behind.
"Wardanaz. The current situation is a bit..."
"Y-yeah. I didn't expect this either."
"Right? There's only one way."
"What way?"
"Everyone, gather up."
"?"
Ashan began rallying the Blue Dragon Tower students.
They earnestly calculated how much silver each could contribute.
"We have to buy it first, no matter what. Everyone, pitch in as much as you can—"
"Crush their momentum! Make sure they never dare try this again!"
"......"
Lee Han was at a loss.
Part of him wanted to fleece them for all they were worth, but in the end, Lee Han held back.
There was the matter of conscience, and as the saying goes, the longer the tail, the more likely it is to get stepped on.
He didn't want to see headlines in the empire's newspapers like: "Einrogard First-Year's Outrageous Scam... Numerous Victims Speak Out—Is This Really Okay for Einrogard?"
"Stop raising the price. I'll help you in the order you asked."
"But Wardanaz. If we do that, the ones later in line might not get any because your mana could run out."
"That won't happen."
"But—"
"It won't."
Lee Han stated firmly.
If there was one thing he could be certain of, it was this.
His mana would be overflowing, not just sufficient!
"Wardanaz. I know this might look a bit messy to you, but—"
"Save the excuses. Do I pour it in here?"
"Uh, y-yes."
Fzzzt!
The torch, powered by mana, burst into flames. The White Tiger Tower student marveled at how instantly it activated.
"As expected...!"
"I thought there'd be trial and error, but it worked on the first try. Is this the final version?"
"Originally, we were supposed to amplify the mana too, but seeing how it lit up right away, maybe we can just finish it here..."
"Stop talking nonsense and do it properly."
At Lee Han's words, the White Tiger Tower student's expression soured.
After that, Lee Han went on to inspect the other students' structures.
"Lord Wardanaz. This device is meant to repel the undead that attack when activated..."
"Did you make this with the headmaster in mind?"
"Wardanaz. It's a wooden horse powered by mana. What do you think?"
"That was supposed to be a horse? With eight legs, I thought it was a spider."
"......"
Looking at his friends' structures, Lee Han felt reassured.
He had been worried that his own structure might be too low-level, but seeing these, he didn't seem to be lagging far behind.
'Wait, what?!'
That thought was completely overturned the moment he saw the Princess's assignment blueprint.
The blueprint depicted a small fountain, meticulously crafted by connecting five magical devices.
It was a beautiful piece of work, utilizing Illusion Magic, Elemental Magic, and Enchantment Magic.
Rowena spoke proudly, as if it were her own creation.
"How is it, Lord Wardanaz? Her Highness the Princess spent days without proper sleep to complete this blueprint. I was worried since she's taking three schools of magic, but to produce something like this under such circumstances is truly..."
Rowena trailed off.
The Princess's followers standing beside her also froze.
Taking three magic disciplines was, by all means, an astonishing feat. Most students managed one or two.
Handling three required exceptional intellect and burning academic passion—something impossible without...
...except, right now, standing before them was someone taking twice that number.
"...E-even if taking three doesn't seem that impressive, this is really..."
"It is impressive, so there's no need to force it."
Lee Han replied, slightly exasperated.
Truthfully, Lee Han's life had just taken a twisted turn, but studying three schools simultaneously was undeniably remarkable.
"It's very well made."
"I knew you'd agree!"
Rowena was practically jumping with joy. Lee Han thought to himself:
'Shouldn't she be focusing on her own grades first?'
From what he'd seen earlier, her blueprint was... lacking.
But since Lee Han had already complimented it, he didn't press further. Then again, with the Princess's connections, she might secure a position after graduation anyway.
A far cry from Gainando, whose only asset was money!
After carefully reviewing the blueprint, Lee Han asked:
"So, where do I channel the mana?"
"Right here."
"?"
Lee Han paused.
Where Rowena pointed, there was nothing but a single round frame.
A fountain that required five intricately connected magical devices—and all they had was a single round frame?
"Ah... are the other devices somewhere else?"
If it had been Gainando, he would've smacked the back of their heads and snapped, "Stop boasting about building cities with your mouth and lower the difficulty," but given the Princess's reputation, Lee Han opted for politeness.
"No!"
"No?"
"Yes! They're still being prepared!"
Rowena's cheerful reply made Lee Han's head spin.
With only a week left, not a single device—no, not even one—was complete.
...Is this even feasible?
'No matter how I look at it, this seems risky.'
Even with generous estimates, while the others were already halfway through their structures, having not even one device completed was a red flag.
"Isn't this... too slow?"
"It's fine!"
"Ah. So there is a way, I see."
"Yes! For Her Highness the Princess, this level of task is perfectly manageable."
"...?"
Lee Han tilted his head slightly at Rowena's words.
"So, what exactly is this method?"
"Well..."
"......"
Suddenly, the White Tiger Tower student emblem on Rowena's coat caught his eye.
'Right. She's from the White Tiger Tower.'
Lee Han nodded as if understanding, though Rowena remained puzzled, tilting her head.
'Are there no other followers around?'
"Neblen."
Neblen from the Kirak family, also of the Blue Dragon Tower.
Lee Han called Neblen over and asked,
"Isn't this too slow?"
"It might feel a bit slow, but for Her Highness the Princess..."
"...No. Forget that confidence. Is there a way to complete five devices in a short time?"
Neblen hesitated. Lee Han grew visibly uneasy.
This...?
"Your Highness. Are you sure this is alright? It seems a bit slow."
At Lee Han's question, Adenart fell into deep thought with a cautious expression.
Though he hadn't fully realized it, time was indeed running quite tight now.
"It does seem a bit..."
"It's fine, Lord Wardanaz!"
"Her Highness the Princess can surely do it!"
"......"
The Princess, who had been about to speak, hesitated at her followers' words and closed her mouth again.
"I think Her Highness was about to say something just now."
"Was she?"
"Probably that she could do it."
The Princess fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating before finally giving up and sitting back down.
Lee Han thought to himself,
'No matter how I look at it, that's the face of someone who just realized the problem.'
Though her expression was blank, Lee Han had seen countless students like this before.
That was the look of a student pretending to be calm while already sensing their impending doom.
"...Right. You must be correct! So where do I channel the mana?"
Growing annoyed, Lee Han decided to just do his part and leave.
The Princess stared intently at Lee Han, trying to signal something with her eyes, but he pretended not to notice.
'Sorry. Your followers are annoying.'
The Princess's followers were more troublesome than expected, and if provoked, they could become a headache for Lee Han too.
After channeling all his mana, Lee Han turned away and spotted Gainando passing by.
"Gainando. Maybe someone like you, without annoying followers, is actually the lucky one."
"...Wh-what did I do wrong?!"
"Hey, kids. How many suns were there originally?"
"...S-so someone's finally lost their mind."
"I knew this day would come."
The murmurs spread among the students at the Blue Dragon Tower.
"No, look!"
"???"
Not just the Blue Dragon Tower, but students from other towers also looked up.
Astonishingly, there were now two suns in the sky.
"...Wh-what is that?!"
"It's the Headmaster's attack! The Headmaster's attack!"
Gainando crouched low and prostrated himself. Then Professor Alpen spoke.
"That is not the Headmaster's attack."
"Oh. It's not?"
Embarrassed, Gainando slowly got up.
"That is a Phoenix."
"Huh?"
"You don't know of the Phoenix?"
Professor Alpen kindly explained to the gathered students.
Very rarely, when fire-attribute mana gathered intensely and certain special conditions aligned, a Phoenix would emerge from the condensed mass of mana.
"A truly mysterious and rare sight. Every student gathered here can consider themselves fortunate."
"Wow..."
"That's a Phoenix?"
The students had already been commemorating the Phoenix in small ways throughout the week.
To think that the new small sun in the distance was a Phoenix.
Just that thought alone warmed the bleak hearts worn down by assignments and studies.
"It's like a miracle!"
Plop, plop—
Glowing red feathers began raining down from the sky like drops of fire.
And wherever the feathers landed, flames erupted.
"......"
"...Ahhh! AHHH! Stop it!"
"You damn Phoenix brat! What are you doing?!"
The transformation from miracle to disaster took less than ten seconds.