Episode 279
Episode 279
Angrago was eventually dragged out into the hallway.
Still gripped by the collar, Angrago apologized.
"Cough, cough... Wardanaz. I'm sorry. I got tricked too."
"If you got tricked, you bastard, you should've turned in your assignment too. You didn't submit anything, so what do you mean you got tricked?"
As Lee Han growled, Angrago thought to himself.
'That's because it's you who can pull it off...!'
Angrago had genuinely believed there was no extension.
But unlike Lee Han, he didn't have the ability to rush and complete his assignment in time.
So, like the other White Tiger Tower students, he had just gone along with, 'What's so important about studying? I've got my loyal friends here, so I couldn't care less.' But then...
"W-well, the professor gave you a good evaluation, didn't she?"
"It's only because the professor was generous that you're being dragged to the hallway right now instead of the basement."
The assignment Lee Han had just submitted was, generously speaking, a bold improvisation—but less generously, it was pure stubbornness.
If Professor Alpen hadn't been lenient, Lee Han would've been the only one labeled a madman.
Lee Han shook Angrago by the collar a few more times before finally letting him go.
At least the assignment had been successful, so he decided to end it there.
Otherwise, he would've dragged Angrago to the basement that Professor Voladi had mentioned earlier.
"You White Tiger Tower guys are way too easily swayed by baseless rumors. Do you even realize? Rumors aren't something you blindly believe the moment you hear them—"
"......"
Having spread the false rumor, Angrago had to endure Lee Han's suffocating lecture as they walked back to the classroom.
He even considered stopping for a moment to catch his breath, but Wardanaz didn't give him a single break, relentlessly scolding him.
"Are you listening?"
"Y-yeah."
"Knights are supposed to uphold honor and act with dignity, aren't they? But look at you, getting swept up in rumors like that. It happened last time too. Some White Tiger Tower student was blabbering nonsense about me mastering some evil forbidden magic."
'That one actually had some basis—'
"When you hear rumors like that, as a fellow tower student, you should shut them down firmly. Got it? Are you listening?"
"Uh-huh. I'm listening."
"Repeat what I just said."
"......"
Angrago vowed never to spread baseless rumors again.
A false rumor could destroy a student's very soul.
"Thanks, Wardanaz."
"I had a responsibility too."
Returning to the classroom, Lee Han went back to helping his friends with their crafting.
Considering the amount of silver coins he'd received, he couldn't just leave them to struggle.
"Ah, so it's your sense of responsibility as the top student in our year."
"No? What nonsense—"
"It's not?"
Ashan, who had been moved, scratched his head awkwardly.
Yoner, assembling a display case for potions nearby, paused for a moment and asked.
"Wait a second. Come to think of it, didn't you say last time that you wouldn't solve everything with just magic?"
"Gainando. Focus a little."
Lee Han pretended not to hear and changed the subject. Gainando, who had been dozing off with his eyes open while holding a hammer, jolted awake.
"Huh?! How did you know!?"
"......"
Yoner stared pointedly from behind. Lee Han quickly walked away.
"What are they all discussing?"
Lee Han tilted his head as he saw a group of students gathered in serious discussion.
Judging by their intense expressions, they seemed to be debating something about the assignment.
'Now that's a good sight.'
Compared to Gainando dozing off earlier, this was a much more commendable scene.
Truly, a student's duty lies in stu—
"Ah. Lord Wardanaz."
Neblen and Rowena stopped their conversation and turned to look at Lee Han.
Not just them—other familiar faces were there too. They were the Princess's followers, whom he had seen a few times before.
"What's this?"
Lee Han felt a slight sense of foreboding.
And soon enough, that foreboding became reality.
"We were discussing whether we should strictly follow the original design submitted by Her Highness the Princess or compromise given the tight deadline."
"......"
'I'd rather deal with Gainando dozing off.'
Lee Han looked at his friends with a gaze full of contempt and pity.
Regardless, the Princess's followers continued their discussion with utmost seriousness.
"Of course we should follow the original design! Are you doubting Her Highness the Princess's abilities?"
"That's right. Since Her Highness the Princess submitted the design, not following it exactly would tarnish her honor and pride."
'These lunatics.'
Lee Han quickly realized.
Even if you submit a design, you can make minor adjustments based on circumstances—how would that damage anyone's honor and pride?
By that logic, does that make Lee Han, who omitted all the design content, a shameless scoundrel?
There's never any good in associating with madmen to begin with.
Lee Han quietly tried to back away.
But the wicked followers of the Princess wouldn't let him escape.
"Lord Wardanaz. What do you think, Lord Wardanaz?"
"That's right. Please give us your opinion, Lord Wardanaz."
Lee Han instinctively glanced at Gainando.
Unfortunately, Gainando was deeply focused. There was no way to pick a fight and slip away.
'Damn it. Why now of all times?'
"You all can decide among yourselves."
"No. If Lord Wardanaz speaks, even those who oppose will be convinced."
It seemed the Princess's followers preferred peaceful persuasion to reach a unanimous decision.
The majority was in favor of "sticking to the original design," but...
Surprisingly, there was one sane follower among them.
A student from the Black Turtle Tower, he alone argued, "The situation has changed, so we should compromise."
'There was a normal person among the followers after all.'
Lee Han had the impolite thought and asked,
"What's your name?"
"V-Volkert."
"Right. Volkert. What's your argument?"
"I think this is pushing the time limit too far. I... I respect Her Highness the Princess's abilities, but she has other exams to prepare for too. Before enrolling, I worked as a guild craftsman. This is impossible to complete within the given time."
"Indeed."
Lee Han was impressed.
As expected of a sane person, he was making a reasonable argument based on his experience.
"Volkert! We respect your skills and family, but we can't accept you limiting Her Highness the Princess's abilities like that!"
"That's right! Her Highness the Princess can definitely do it!"
'But they're still lunatics.'
Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
Volkert's crime was associating with this group of madmen.
Wasn't he suffering now because of that sin?
Some people can be reasoned with, others can't.
"Hmm. I'm not sure. But if opinions are at a standstill like this, it might not be bad to decide by majority vote just this once—"
Just as he was about to slip away, someone lightly tugged at the hem of Lee Han's coat.
"?"
Lee Han paused mid-sentence and turned his head.
The Princess was desperately crossing her index fingers under the desk.
"......"
Her face and eyes were expressionless, but her hand movements radiated desperation.
Even Gainando would have understood the signal screaming, "Please, stop them!"
As Lee Han hesitated, Neblen, who had been listening, spoke up.
"So you're saying we should decide by majority vote?"
"Wrong. Neblen."
"Huh? But you just said it might not be bad to—"
"In magic, there is only right and wrong—no such thing as majority rule."
"!?"
Lee Han leveraged his sculpted face to push through with sheer audacity.
Speaking with a dead-serious expression, the Princess's followers missed their chance to retort, "But you just said that!"
"Did you see me submit a magic lamp?"
"W-well, yes, but..."
"And you still haven't realized? This is why the Princess's followers are like this."
Even as he spoke, Lee Han was rapidly thinking.
What plausible sophistry could he spin to deceive these followers like he did with Gainando?
'Maybe I should've pretended not to know.'
But he couldn't just ignore it—the silver coins he'd earned by using, no, by properly treating the Princess weighed on his conscience.
"Even a thieves' guild would give special treatment to a client who paid that much in silver coins."
Moreover, the Princess had an excessively wide network of connections.
If she casually mentioned something like, "I asked for help, but the Wardanaz wouldn't help me," during vacation, it could easily snowball into malicious rumors.
Given that Lee Han had already spent the entire semester enduring slander due to minor conflicts with White Tiger Tower students, he had to be cautious about this.
"Bestow your wisdom upon us, Lord Wardanaz."
"What did we miss?"
"Well... Professor Nayton also evaluates boldness and quick thinking in this class. I knew that, which is why I submitted a drastically simplified blueprint."
"!!"
The Princess's followers were startled.
Now that they heard it, it sounded plausible.
Otherwise, why would a student like Wardanaz submit a drastically simplified blueprint?
"Understand? Normally, Her Highness the Princess would have also created a drastically simplified version to align with the lecture's intent. But she couldn't bring herself to say it, fearing you might feel ashamed, so she waited."
"Th-that's...!"
"Forgive us, Your Highness! We should have realized!"
'Somehow, it worked.'
Lee Han inwardly sighed in relief.
The Princess, surrounded by apologetic followers, gave him a slight nod.
It was a gesture of gratitude for helping her escape.
Lee Han grinned and formed a circle with his fingers.
'Pay me back in silver coins later.'
Seeing this, the Princess's eyes widened slightly.
'Are you telling me not to worry?!'
Even after such help, he was brushing it off.
She felt ashamed once again for having misunderstood Wardanaz at the start of the semester.
The Princess formed a small circle with her fingers—a sign that she understood.
'As expected. Her reputation as a genius in the Empire isn't unfounded.'
Lee Han was pleased.
Unlike Gainando, the Princess grasped things quickly.
Gratitude was best expressed materially—that was the most intuitive way!
"Good afternoon, Professor."
Professor Paselet Kraer, the Divination Magic professor, responded to the students entering for the exam.
"My personality will shift into a violent and threatening one in about 30 minutes, so try not to speak to me if possible."
"...Yes!"
The students recoiled in horror and kept their distance.
Though sometimes forgotten, every professor at this magic school was far from normal.
"Everyone seated? Then let's begin the final exam."
Professor Paselet swung his staff, and writing appeared on the blackboard.
Divination Magic Final Exam: Predict what will appear on this exam.
"??????"
"Begin."
Professor Paselet took his seat.
Naturally, the students were thrown into chaos.
This was the final exam, and yet they were being asked to predict what would appear on it.
It was as paradoxical as a snake swallowing its own tail.
'Still, some quick-witted ones are here.'
Professor Paselet observed the students.
Some were clutching their heads in confusion, but others were deep in thought, clearly trying to deduce the meaning behind this contradictory question.
'For a diviner, restraint in divination matters more than skill in divination.'
It sounded paradoxical, but it was true.
The ability to glimpse even a sliver of the future was immensely addictive.
Mages who succumbed to this thrill couldn't last long as diviners.
Those who endured were the ones who understood the dangers of divination and restrained themselves as much as possible.
And this exam question was designed to teach exactly that.
If a student recklessly attempted divination just because the question mentioned it, they'd be trapped in an endless Cycle of Recurrence until the exam ended.
'That Wardanaz seems to have caught on too.'
Professor Paselet glanced at Lee Han.
Since the first lecture, he had shown terrifying potential, making even the indifferent Professor Paselet take notice.
Surely, with that potential, he'd recognize the trap in the question...
"?!?"
Professor Paselet was stunned.
Lee Han was attempting divination magic.
And he wasn't stopping—he kept going!
'He should be trapped by now?!'