Episode 300
Episode 300
As Lee Han frowned and struggled to recall his memories, the imperial family members began to take action.
Prince Bogajun tapped the table with his finger and spoke.
"Judging by the egg's substantial weight, it doesn't seem like it belongs to a flying creature."
Princess Judrantas immediately countered.
"That's not necessarily true. There are heavy creatures among flying species too."
"I'm aware. But for the sake of conjecture, we should consider the higher probability options—"
"That's precisely where you're wrong."
"The real mistake was the royal guard getting involved in that bribery scandal... ahem."
"...Indeed, you couldn't even solve the plague in Kuldran Village, so failing at something this obvious is... ahem."
'Wow. This is more entertaining than I expected.'
Listening from the side, Lee Han began to understand why nobles followed the imperial family members around and attended these gatherings.
Watching the royals carefully test each other's limits while bickering was unexpectedly amusing.
Of course, the nobles weren't following them around with such mischievous thoughts in mind, but...
Tap tap—
"Huh?"
Lee Han turned his head. Looking behind him, he saw Princess Adenart of the same tower standing there.
Adenart gave a slight nod of gratitude before handing Lee Han a neatly wrapped pouch.
Seeing this, Lee Han was deeply moved.
'How noble of her to remember a favor!'
He had once intervened when the princess was being forced by her followers into taking an overly difficult assignment.
And now, instead of forgetting, she was repaying him with silver coins.
'The empire's future looks bright.'
"Thank you."
Lee Han responded and untied the pouch's string.
Inside, he expected to see gleaming silver coins...
...but instead, a shiny medal appeared.
"????"
The unexpected medal left Lee Han momentarily flustered.
What was this?
'Aha. Since silver coins have weight and volume limitations, she must have given me a highly liquid piece of jewelry instead.'
Lee Han marveled once more at the princess's thoughtfulness.
Truly befitting the second-ranked student—no, the intellect worthy of the top rank.
To give him something he could sell immediately...
"Lord Wardanaz, that is a Gratitude Token."
"......"
At the follower's polite explanation, Lee Han's expression twisted.
A Gratitude Token.
When a family member was indebted to someone, this was the gift given as a token of appreciation.
If he ever needed help, presenting this token would guarantee the family's assistance anytime, anywhere.
Since Adenart also came from a powerful maternal family, the value of this Gratitude Token was immense...
'...Just give me silver coins instead.'
But to Lee Han, it was practically useless.
It wasn't like he was going to enter politics by winning the support of imperial family members or mingle in Imperial Social Circle...
Besides, exchanging such a token for silver coins was awkward. If handled poorly, it could be seen as disrespecting the family's sincerity.
Suppressing an internal sigh, Lee Han responded with feigned politeness.
"To receive something like this... I feel it's far too generous."
"Haha, not at all. Her Highness is deeply grateful for Lord Wardanaz's dedication."
"Are you sure I'm worthy of receiving this?"
"Yes! Absolutely."
The princess also nodded intensely, staring at him as if urging him to accept it.
Seeing his attempt to exchange it for something else fail, Lee Han swallowed his bitterness and pocketed the medal.
"Thank you."
"Hold on. Who said you could just hand that out?"
Bogajun glared at Adenart's follower with a stern expression.
While he and Judrantas had been arguing, Adenart had gone ahead and tried to recruit talent for herself.
Judrantas also cut into the dispute.
"Forcing a Gratitude Token on someone? Don't you know that even goodwill becomes a nuisance when imposed?"
'Surprisingly, he can make a valid point sometimes.'
But Adenart's followers weren't pushovers.
"Who said it was forced? Prince Bogajun, this is a token of gratitude from Her Highness Adenart to a friend. The two of them study together at Einrogard."
"Tch..."
"Grr..."
Bogajun and Judrantas simultaneously let out frustrated grunts, clearly displeased.
There was no better excuse to build camaraderie than the fact that they were studying at the same school.
'How cowardly...'
'To exploit their enrollment at Einrogard like this.'
As the two royals fell speechless, the follower continued triumphantly.
"Do you understand now? Lord Wardanaz is the Princess's closest friend."
"?"
Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.
Was that true?
'Are we... that close?'
Sure, he'd prepared meals for her, and they'd done various things together since they were in the same tower, but calling them "closest friends" felt a bit questionable.
Well, friends was one thing, but...
"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!"
Gainando Dodo seemed to think the same, strongly protesting.
'If we're talking about closeness, I'm way closer!'
Of course, with his other words sealed, it had little effect.
"Quiet. There are too many eyes watching."
Yoner poked Gainando Dodo in the ribs.
Lee Han had gone out of his way to maintain their dignity in front of the nobles gathered today, and here his cousin was about to ruin it all.
This cousin really ought to learn some gratitude.
"Hah. School friendships are child's play. Just because you studied together doesn't mean you'll serve them."
"Rarely do you say something correct. Exactly. Isn't it stranger to assume someone would serve you just because of a slight bond?"
The two royals shifted tactics, undermining the idea of friendship.
Of course, neither Lee Han nor Adenart were swayed.
Adenart was naturally expressionless, and Lee Han simply had no strong feelings either way.
'Well, they're not wrong.'
The idea of serving someone just because you went to the same school was ridiculous.
By that logic, Gainando Dodo should already have followers...
"Ah, how about we try guessing the identity of this egg?"
"I'm sure you're more than capable."
Bogajun and Judrantas suggested a riddle to win Lee Han's favor.
Of course, it was anything but a gesture to win his favor.
'Why do these guys keep pushing when I don't want to?'
They could just fight amongst themselves—why drag Lee Han into it? It was endlessly annoying.
Just as he was about to politely decline, something flashed through his mind.
'!'
That strangely familiar egg.
He'd felt like he'd seen it somewhere before...
'Basilisk egg!!'
The memory of Professor Voladi's disappointment was vivid. Why had it taken him so long to remember?
"Isn't that a basilisk egg?"
Lee Han asked, his voice slightly flustered.
Of course, as long as it didn't hatch, it didn't matter whether it was a basilisk egg or a dragon egg...
But wasn't this a bit dangerous?
'Do royals usually bring riddles like this to gatherings? And this isn't even Einrogard...'
The noble who brought the egg, Brodon, laughed as if to say, "What nonsense is this?"
"It's not a basilisk egg, Lord Wardanaz."
"R... really?"
The confident reply made Lee Han hesitate. Had he misidentified it?
"Yes, trust me. Why would I bring such a dangerous egg to a gathering like this?"
"Where did you get it, then?"
"I bought it from a merchant."
"......"
Lee Han's face stiffened.
The fact that it wasn't an egg he'd raised or obtained himself but one bought from a merchant suddenly made him uneasy.
'...It'll be fine, right?'
Come to think of it, as long as there were no signs of hatching, what did it matter if it was a basilisk or dragon egg?
They'd just take it back after the gathering...
Crack!
The sound of the egg splitting and something trying to emerge made Lee Han react instantly.
"Everyone, get down!"
The grueling training he'd endured at Einrogard didn't betray him.
Thanks to that, he was the first to draw his wand and cast a spell.
"Spring forth. Unfurl!"
A massive surge of water erupted in midair, transforming into a curtain-like barrier that enveloped the glass case.
One of the most dangerous aspects of facing a basilisk was its Evil Eye.
The moment one met its gaze, the curse of petrification would be cast—even a newly hatched hatchling's eyes were perilous.
"I should hel— Ugh!"
"Stay still, Your Highness!"
"But I—"
"You too!"
Lee Han, who had grabbed the prince and princess by their collars and shoved them behind a table, shouted to his friends:
"Remember what we did last time? Move like we did then! Keep your heads down and use mirrors to look! Move!"
Lee Han flipped the table upright and pushed the nobles behind it—better than letting them stick their heads out and lock eyes with the Evil Eye.
Crash! Thud!
The sound of shattering glass was followed by a dull impact as something slammed against the watery barrier.
Lee Han was startled by the force—it felt like the barrier would break any second.
"It's just a hatchling—how?!"
"Ah! Lord Wardanaz!"
From beneath the table, Zolbabden, who had been hiding, called out knowingly.
"Lord Brodon often gives growth potions to the eggs to ensure they're well nurtured!"
"......"
True to his reputation as the imperial high society's gossip hub, Zolbabden was sharp with information.
Not that it was particularly helpful in this situation!
Brodon, still struggling to grasp the reality, cried out in denial.
"Couldn't it be something other than a basilisk?!"
"Whatever it is, if it's rampaging like that, it's dangerous! Everyone, stay behind the table! Sharkan, get out here! Perkuntra, we need your power!"
Realizing the situation was dire, Lee Han decided to play his strongest card.
Holding back half-heartedly would only make things worse.
But just as Lee Han was halfway through summoning Perkuntra, the watery barrier finally tore apart.
Hiss!
Surprisingly, the sound of burning came from the water curtain.
Unable to break through with brute force, the monster inside had torn through it with venom.
Through the gap, the creature's form flickered into view.
A vile monster born from the mingled souls of a serpent and a rooster—a basilisk!
Snap!
The basilisk, sensing who the most threatening mage in the room was, immediately fixed its Evil Eye on Lee Han.
Its vertically elongated pupils flashed as it unleashed the wicked curse of petrification.
"...The one who holds your contract calls upon you with rightful authority!"
-?????
Yet, despite being struck by the curse, Lee Han didn't falter at all.
In fact, he was so focused on chanting his spell that he didn't even notice the basilisk attacking him with petrification.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The curses fired one after another, but Lee Han deflected them all.
And then—Perkuntra was summoned.
Boom! Crash!
Thunderstorms and lightning erupted indoors as the colossal lightning spirit began taking shape above Lee Han.
What kind of chaos is this?! You really do bring trouble wherever you go!
"...We'll explain later! The basilisk is trying to escape! Stop it!"
At Lee Han's urgent cry, Perkuntra quickly assessed the situation.
If a basilisk was trapped inside that water barrier, this was no ordinary matter.
There were quite a few non-mages present—this could escalate into a major disaster.
Of all the mistakes you've made today, summoning me was the best decision!
Perkuntra's form swelled massively before shooting forward like a bolt of lightning.
And then—it crashed straight into the water barrier.
Whether it was a basilisk or not, it would be subdued in one strike—
...It's unconscious?
"Huh?"
Unconscious. Looks like it exhausted itself.
Perkuntra dispelled the water barrier, revealing the collapsed basilisk—lying motionless as if dead.
Sharkan even poked it a few times. Still, the basilisk didn't stir.
"...Is that so?"
Yes.
An awkward silence briefly hung between Lee Han and Perkuntra.
Finally, Lee Han spoke in an embarrassed tone.
"Well... thank you for coming."
......
Perkuntra glared at Lee Han.