Episode 333
Episode 333
Normally, Lee Han would have immediately sensed the danger, but after spending the day lifting artifact curses, casting Enhancement Magic on numerous people in the evening, and even weaving Healing Magic spells, his mind had grown dull.
That's why he realized it a beat later than Nilia.
"...Could it be someone from Einrogard?!"
"If it were me, that's what I'd do."
Nilia muttered as if she found it absurd.
For someone of Lee Han's caliber to fail noticing something even she could sense...
'No. Maybe he's just used too much magic.'
Suddenly worried, Nilia glanced at her friend. Sensing her gaze, Lee Han whispered:
"Don't worry. Even if the professor drags me away, I won't mention your name."
"...That wasn't even on my mind, you jerk!!"
What kind of person did he take her for?!
The dark elf professor, sporting the world's most exhausted expression, propped himself up with his sword as his head kept nodding off.
He looked so utterly drained that the adventurers didn't dare speak to him.
"Professor. We've finished up here."
"Professor. This side's done too."
"Professor. Over here as well..."
Professor Alkasis gave a slight nod.
"This time, we handled it ourselves!"
"Of course you should solve it yourselves if you've managed emergency treatment well enough to walk out. If you'd called me, you'd all be nothing but thieving brats."
"......"
The students were deeply moved by their kind mentor's warm encouragement.
He wasn't wrong, but...!
"Now then. Am I currently losing my mind from overwork and sleep deprivation? Or are these adventurers spouting nonsense? Or—is what I'm thinking actually correct?"
"......"
The students kept their mouths shut.
Frankly, they were just as confused.
-They're coming up after receiving treatment, but the priests went down below?
-There's one mage who went down!
-Just one? ONE??
-Yes!
-You're saying one person treated all these people like this??
-Yes!
-Are these adventurers hallucinating?
-...How dare you! Even if you're a healing mage, we won't stand by if you insult the Wardanaz mage!
"The Wardanaz we know is... just a first-year... Couldn't this be a misunderstanding?"
"Exactly."
Phil and Chil stepped forward to defend Lee Han.
And honestly, they could hardly believe it themselves.
No matter how talented their junior was, saving this many people and sending them all back up alive?
Without anyone else's help at that.
Securing dungeon passages, casting Enhancement Magic on adventurers, doing all that while maintaining Healing Magic?
It seemed far more likely that another Wardanaz mage had passed by, seen the disaster, and helped out.
"To my knowledge, other Wardanaz members don't assist with things for such reasons."
"Then the adventurers must be mistaken...?"
Before they could finish, a familiar first-year junior appeared with the adventurers, looking utterly drained.
The junior surveyed the healing mages, then sighed with resignation.
Understanding what that meant, Phil and Chil sighed deeply in unison.
'See, you should've known your limits...!'
Before the junior could escape, the recovered knights swarmed around Lee Han.
Knight Beohirg, representing the knightly order, shouted:
"Here stands an honorable mage! Let us all express our heartfelt gratitude to Lee Han of the Wardanaz family!"
"Thank you, Lee Han!"
"Thank you!!"
The once-fallen knights shouted as if straining their vocal cords.
It was a rare sight—proud, dignified knights offering such effusive thanks. Excited adventurers stomped their feet and whistled.
"Without Lee Han, we wouldn't have survived. We offer our deepest gratitude for that astonishing magic once more..."
While the knights were talking, the adventurers huddled together in the back to whisper among themselves.
"Somehow, he really managed to bring everyone out without losing a single person."
"Now this is what I call magic. I remember being impressed once by a mage who shot flaming arrows? I don't think I'll ever feel that way again after this."
"But why does the mage look so grim?"
"Tsk, tsk. Do you really think the mage is like you? It must be uncomfortable for him to receive praise when so many are still injured."
"O-of course. He's truly on another level..."
If there was one difference between Professor Verdus and Professor Alkasis, it was that pretending to be sick worked in front of Verdus but not Alkasis.
The moment Lee Han said he was in pain, Professor Alkasis had the ability to heal him immediately.
"Most impressive."
"Thank you."
Lee Han sat—no, was tied to the chair in front of Professor Alkasis, exhaustion plain on his face.
It felt like he was tied down, but that was probably just his imagination. No ropes were visible anywhere.
The students who had followed Professor Alkasis—Lee Han's seniors—were split down the middle, engaged in a heated debate.
The topic? Lee Han's punishment.
-With skills like that, we should absolutely take him along starting second semester! No, we have to! I puked so many times yesterday from mana exhaustion! And this junior handled dozens of wounded all by himself!
-You heartless bastard! How can you call yourself nobility?! No matter what, dragging a first-year into fieldwork from the second semester? Do you want to watch him wither away?!
"There's been quite a bit of discussion about bringing you into the field starting next semester."
"Professor. I dislike special treatment."
Lee Han spoke with complete sincerity.
"If this is burdensome for you, I don't mind—"
"After today, anyone who said that will want to rip their own tongues out."
'That seems a bit excessive.'
"You have a genius-level talent for healing magic."
"Yes... I've had a vague suspicion that might be the case."
"There's no need to let that talent rot over time. Take my hand. I'll help it blossom."
"......"
Lee Han was extremely curious about what would happen if he took the professor's hand.
Specifically, he wondered if he'd end up like the seniors standing behind them.
Why were those seniors spending their vacation with the professor?!
"I should return to the estate and think deeply—"
"—No need. A talent like yours doesn't require deliberation."
"Now that I think of it, I have something to discuss with the priests—"
"I'll send my students to tell them to wait a moment."
"Come to think of it, I also had something to say to the hunters—"
The professor's students formed a human wall, blocking the hunters' approach.
The two hunters were left speechless at the healers' absurd interference.
What kind of shameless—?!
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"S-sorry! We're just following orders!"
Lee Han considered breaking through the professor's pressure head-on.
He was probably going to be worked to death next semester anyway—was there really a need to start now?
'Even if I suffer retaliation next semester, it's better to protect my vacation.'
Steeling himself, Lee Han eyed the swords Professor Alkasis carried.
No matter how strong the professor was, Lee Han was no pushover either—he'd endured brutal training himself.
He wouldn't back down easily.
"Finished?"
"......"
Lee Han turned at the sound of a familiar voice.
Professor Verdus stood there, yawning as he waited.
"When... did you get here?"
"Heard you were checking the dungeon, so I came after wrapping up the event."
Professor Verdus didn't seem the least bit interested in the chaos that had unfolded near the dungeon.
Even with the injured lying bandaged around him, his expression didn't flicker.
"Any artifacts come out of the dungeon?"
"As far as I know, there wasn't."
"Really? Then that's that. Let's go. We've got work to do."
Professor Verdus smoothly pulled Lee Han along as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leading him to the carriage before setting off.
The remaining people were left speechless, staring blankly at their retreating figures.
'Seriously...'
'Is he insane???'
The Einrogard students specializing in Healing Magic couldn't help but shudder at Professor Verdus's behavior.
Even Professor Alkasis wasn't this extreme.
The hunters, utterly bewildered, turned to Nilia and asked,
"Wait... shouldn't they rest? Didn't he just say they had work to do?"
"Well... yes. He's a bit... unique."
"That's beyond unique—that's downright unreasonable."
'Exactly!'
Nilia screamed internally.
Even the priests of the Prisinga Order were murmuring among themselves—that's how absurd it was.
Lee Han returned to the mansion, finished his work with Professor Verdus, and collapsed.
He then slept for nearly an entire day.
"...I thought I went to bed in the morning, so why is it still morning?"
"You slept for a full day, young master."
"......"
Lee Han stared blankly out the window with a complicated expression.
Professor Verdus was flopping around on the carpet like a fish out of water.
'I should pretend I didn't see that.'
"But young master... another guest has arrived."
For a moment, Lee Han considered putting up a "No Visitors" sign in front of the mansion.
At this point, he couldn't tell whether they were guests or pests.
"Is it a professor?"
"No."
"A friend?"
"No."
"Are they perhaps insane...? No, wait. If they were, you'd have said it was a professor. Who is it?"
"It's His Highness, Prince Bogajun."
"Ah. That..."
He was one of the royals whose life Lee Han had saved during the last imperial gathering by slaying the basilisk.
Though he remembered the prince saying a lot of things, the only thing that stuck was...
'Didn't he say he failed to resolve the plague in Cledran Village?'
Since the royals were so enthusiastically criticizing each other, the only things that stood out in his memory were their mutual complaints.
"Lee Han of the Wardanaz family! I've heard the rumors about you!"
"About slaying the basilisk?"
Lee Han asked half-resignedly.
Even if he called it an accident, people would interpret it however they pleased anyway.
"Ah! That's not the rumor I meant."
"Then... defeating the Ghoul King?"
"You defeated the Ghoul King?! You must tell me the details of that story as well!"
'Damn it all.'
Lee Han cursed Granden City inwardly.
What kind of rumors had spread so widely that even the person being talked about had to wonder which one was being referenced?
"Then which rumor...?"
"That you rescued the knights from the Red Lotus Forest expedition! I was truly moved."
"......"
"There are many mages in the Empire, and among them, many exceptional ones... but to leap into a dungeon for the sake of the wounded, risking your life—"
"I didn't risk my life. I had my full escort with me, and it was a small dungeon where most of the monsters were already wiped out."
Prince Bogajun was too absorbed in his own admiration to hear Lee Han's words.
"...How many people would do such a thing? Even Lady Lagrinde praised you highly. She said you have the makings of a great Healing Mage."
Lee Han smiled bitterly.
He wanted to tell the prince, "Telling a farm pig it's getting plump isn't a compliment," but what was the point? The man wouldn't understand anyway.
Suppressing his emotions, Lee Han forced a polite smile and spoke.
"I'm merely embarrassed that an accidental involvement has earned me far more reputation than it warrants."
"What are you saying...? Reputation reflects the soul. Your reputation exists because your soul is worthy of it."
Prince Bogajun gazed at Lee Han with deep, soulful eyes.
"Lee Han of Wardanaz. I have a proposal for you."
"Go on."
'Absolutely not.'
"There's an upcoming gathering, and I'd like you to accompany me—"
Knock knock knock—
A servant cautiously opened the door and entered.
"Apologies, young master. Another guest has arrived."
"Who is it?"
"His Highness, Prince Gainando."
At the servant's words, Bogajun's face twisted in shock.
'I knew it!'
Ever since he'd seen the prince hiding his claws at the last mansion visit, he'd suspected something was off—and now his suspicions were confirmed.