Episode 32
Episode 32
"......"
"G-Gainando was taken!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
Naturally, the students panicked. When a monster suddenly swoops down in broad daylight and kidnaps your friend, it'd be strange not to be shocked.
But Lee Han felt himself growing strangely calm.
'I've really assimilated into this school, haven't I?'
After witnessing so many insane situations, he didn't even flinch at something like a monster flying in to kidnap Gainando.
"Everyone get low!"
Lee Han shouted first.
The students from the Blue Dragon Tower beside him hastily crouched down at his words.
-Kreeeeeee!
"I-It's coming back!"
"No!"
Another student who was scrambling around got snatched up. This time, it was a student from the White Tiger Tower.
Watching this, a sudden inspiration flashed through Lee Han's mind.
'No way!'
There had to be a reason why the monster was targeting specific individuals among all these gathered students.
Gainando had bright blond hair.
And the student just taken had bright silver hair.
"Everyone cover your heads with your cloaks! It's targeting people with shiny hair!"
"D-Does that mean it'll take bald people?"
"He's talking about hair color, you idiot!"
Though startled by his sudden command, the Blue Dragon Tower students didn't question Lee Han's words.
Thanks to this, they could react faster than students from other towers.
When they crouched low and covered their heads with their cloaks, the monster lost interest in the Blue Dragon Tower students.
'It worked!'
Lee Han knew his judgment had been correct.
He'd known many birds in nature were attracted to shiny objects, but who knew that would apply to monsters too.
Without Gainando's sacrifice, he might never have figured it out.
Tap tap-
"?"
While maintaining his low stance, Lee Han realized an unfamiliar elf was poking him.
From her uniform, she was clearly a White Tiger Tower student.
Long black hair and pointed ears. The toned physique characteristic of knight families. She must be from an eastern elf knight family.
Before Lee Han could respond, an intense reaction erupted from beside him.
"Who dares lay hands on a Wardanaz!"
"Noble friends! This country bumpkin from White Tiger Tower is..."
As the Blue Dragon Tower students reacted with domino-like speed and intensity, the White Tiger Tower female student flusteredly explained:
"I have no affiliation with the Moradi faction! Your Highness! Please explain."
The Princess, Adenart, stepped forward as if to block their path. Lee Han looked puzzled.
"What? You know each other?"
Adenart nodded with her characteristic expressionless face. Buying time, the elf hastily explained:
"I am Princess's knight, Rowena."
"Personal knight? But the school doesn't allow attendants or bodyguards... Ah. I see."
Lee Han figured it out without needing further explanation. Rowena looked surprised at his quick comprehension.
Normally, the school prohibited bringing attendants or guards.
But every rule has its loopholes.
If fellow first-year students voluntarily chose to serve someone, there was no way to stop that.
Given that the Princess had been famous in the Empire since childhood, it wasn't strange that some students might have sought to serve her even before enrollment.
'Come to think of it, it was like that during alchemy class too.'
Back then, Lee Han had wondered why students from various towers all gathered around the Princess despite her intimidating aura. But if they were people who'd sought her out before enrollment to establish connections, it made sense.
'Suddenly I feel bad for Gainando...'
Lee Han couldn't help pitying Gainando, who was probably flying through the sky right now.
While people flocked to pledge loyalty to the Princess without her even trying, Gainando...
They were both imperial family members, yet the difference was too stark.
"Alright, I get that you're the Princess's knight, but why tell me this?"
"Though we've hidden from the monster's sight for now, we don't know when it might change its mind. Please have Lord Wardanaz give instructions to stop it."
"...??"
Lee Han wondered if he had misheard.
'Who am I supposed to command?'
For a moment, he thought there might be undead soldiers under him that even he didn't know about.
But there really were subordinates he wasn't aware of.
Swish—
Students from the Blue Dragon Tower stepped forward, casually wiping their noses.
"Hmph. Wardanaz. We're counting on you."
"Wardanaz, you're someone we can trust. We leave this honorable command to you."
"......"
Lee Han was dumbfounded.
Without even realizing it, he had become the leader in charge of the Blue Dragon Tower.
'Traditionally, being a group leader never ends well no matter where you are...'
Though flustered, he couldn't just do nothing in this situation.
Lee Han nodded and began issuing commands based on whatever came to mind.
Rowena watched Lee Han's movements with curious eyes.
Among the new students, she wasn't the only one serving Adenart. There were others in different towers as well.
Their reason for serving Adenart wasn't because she was one of over a hundred imperial family members. Nor was it due to the imperial family's wealth or power.
People of various races, statuses, and backgrounds had gathered purely because of the abilities Adenart had demonstrated.
Given that, Rowena had naturally assumed Adenart would be the one to lead the Blue Dragon Tower.
But surprisingly, the leader of the Blue Dragon Tower wasn't Adenart.
It was a boy from the Wardanaz family.
-This makes no sense!
-How could this happen?
Of course, Adenart wasn't particularly sociable.
He was naturally quiet and reserved, and his cold expression often made him seem intimidating.
But Adenart's followers didn't see that as a problem at all.
Especially in the face of Adenart's overwhelming abilities.
They believed that even the most arrogant and demanding students of the Blue Dragon Tower would have no choice but to acknowledge Adenart, given her genius talent in every field...
Moreover, the Wardanaz family wasn't exactly known for being sociable either.
Though they were one of the most prestigious magic families in the empire, their reputation was filled with eccentric and terrifying rumors.
So when a boy from such a family took the lead, the followers couldn't believe it.
How on earth?
'Maybe I'll uncover the secret this time.'
While protecting Adenart, Rowena stared intently at Lee Han.
Asking Lee Han for help had been a last resort.
If she or Adenart had given the orders, the proud students of the Blue Dragon Tower would never have obeyed.
Honestly, it was frustrating.
If only she could figure out how Lee Han had managed to lead them, perhaps Adenart could do the same.
'I'll find out and advise him!'
What Rowena never imagined was that Lee Han had won over those arrogant students with food.
'Now that I'm actually trying to give commands, there's not much I can do.'
They didn't have bows or crossbows, and there was no way they could fight a monster flying so high.
So what then?
'We'll have to scare it away like dealing with a wild beast.'
Fortunately, Lee Han had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"Everyone, line up and form a wall!"
At Lee Han's command, the students stepped forward to create a makeshift barrier.
Lee Han crouched behind them, maximizing the element of surprise.
'Here it comes!'
As the monster descended again, Lee Han immediately cast a spell.
"Light!"
It was the simplest 1st Circle Magic—Light Creation—but its effectiveness varied drastically depending on how it was used.
As a glowing orb as bright as the sun floated into the air, the charging monster shrieked and abruptly changed direction.
-KRYYYYYY!
Caught off guard by Lee Han's sudden spell from his hiding spot, it was completely startled.
"Whoa! Wh-whoa! Turn!"
'Huh?'
Just as Lee Han thought it was over because the monster was fleeing in fear, a human voice came from above the monster.
Somehow, Lee Han had a feeling he knew.
'Don't tell me it's a professor? No, it must be. There's no way this school has normal professors!'
Though he had nothing but intuition to go on, Lee Han realized that the one riding the monster was indeed a professor.
"Damn this blasted school...!"
Thanks to the professor—or perhaps in spite of him—the frightened monster calmed down again and changed direction.
-KRRRRRRRR!
The monster seemed embarrassed for having been scared by a completely harmless ball of light. As if angered, it let out a cry and clacked its beak sharply.
Then, this time, it charged straight at Lee Han with blatant intent. It had clearly figured out who was leading the students here.
"No! Wardanaz! Dodge!"
Rowena, who had been watching, shouted urgently.
Lee Han's plan had clearly been successful.
He had exploited the monster's weakness and made it flee.
But now that things had turned out this way, he needed to evade.
'What is she saying?'
'Does she not realize who she's talking to right now?'
The other White Tiger Tower students looked at Rowena with expressions of disbelief.
Perhaps because she hadn't attended swordsmanship classes, Rowena was under a massive misconception.
That Wardanaz boy had more than enough ability to take care of himself even if left alone.
But Lee Han didn't dodge. His chiseled face hardened as he swung his staff.
"Move!"
Along with the incantation, a pebble rose into the air.
Though it was merely a 1st Circle spell, to the watching students, Lee Han looked like a lofty archmage.
'Please don't hit our allies. Please don't hit our allies.'
Since he only knew a handful of spells, Lee Han had naturally planned to use Lesser Manipulation if his Light Creation failed.
The problem was...
The moment Lee Han levitated the pebble, instead of maintaining control, he ended up shooting it like an arrow.
Aiming was, of course, impossible. He had to leave it to pure luck.
If he could aim, he would've used this spell from the start.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
Unaware of Lee Han's inner turmoil, the Blue Dragon Tower students chanted his name like fanatics.
Even students from other towers began calling his name.
Ping!
The levitated pebble shot forward with a sharp sound.
"!!"
And, astonishingly, the pebble grazed right past the monster's beak.
'Did I mess up?!'
Lee Han lamented inwardly.
Honestly, he should just be grateful it even flew that far—he couldn't curse his bad luck.
-KRRRRRRR!
But surprisingly, it worked.
The monster, startled by the pebble grazing its beak, stopped and turned its direction again.
"Wooooah!"
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
Some of the White Tiger Tower students stared with bitter expressions mixed with fear and anger.
They had no choice but to admit it.
The Wardanaz boy was on another level.
While they couldn't even create a single ball of light, he had already mastered a rock-control spell and was using it in combat...
Normally, even if you learned a spell, using it in battle was several times harder.
In the chaotic, blood-spattered mess of flying weapons and danger, even the most practiced spells could fail from broken concentration.
But for him to succeed like that...
'What a monster!'
'Huh? Did it work?'
While everyone was amazed, Lee Han himself was bewildered.
Did it get scared because it missed?
'Guess I got lucky.'
"Hey! Hey! He-ey! Good. Well done!"
The professor's voice, heard earlier from atop the monster, rang out again before he landed with a cloud of dust.
Thud!
Before descending, the professor tossed down the students he had carried up earlier one by one. Gainen was foaming at the mouth, unconscious.
Thump!
The professor landed stylishly.
Leather pants, a leather jacket, and pilot goggles perched on his head (an Artifact that radiated mana). At a glance, he was a dwarf who screamed, "I'm an explorer!"
But Lee Han sensed something else.
For some reason, that dwarf looked familiar.
Could he be related to Thunderstep?
'Probably not. Just because all dwarves look alike to me doesn't mean I should assume they're related. That's just prejudice.'
Tap—
The dwarf walked over and grabbed Lee Han by the collar. Then, in a cheerful voice, he declared:
"You've got talent!"
"......"
Yeah, definitely related to Thunderstep...