Episode 337

"Not bad at all."

"!?!"

At Lee Han's words, Nilia jerked her head up in surprise.

For a moment she thought her friend was teasing her, but Lee Han's expression was completely serious.

"The Sangoria ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Flower is easier to obtain in seasons other than winter. The Shadow Patrol has relatively more free time outside of winter. Good choice. I was considering negotiating with guilds to arrange a rest period and have mages provide support, but mobilizing the Shadow Patrol seems like a much better approach."

"No... why... are you insane...?"

Nilia wondered if her top-ranked classmate had lost his mind from excessive labor and training.

To resolve the political instability in the southern coastal regions of the Empire, they needed some... whatever... anyway, a more clever approach—why on earth would they summon northern hunters?

"Yoner. Look at this."

"Hey!!"

Nilia shrieked.

Instead of keeping it to himself, Lee Han had called Yoner over.

'This is why everyone says not to trust noble bastards!'

"What do you think?"

"Not bad? Mobilizing mages would be too expensive, and above all, there's no guarantee it'd work immediately."

"Exactly. The Shadow Patrol is far more reliable in comparison."

"There might be adaptation issues since their usual hunting grounds are different, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"If that were an issue, Nilia wouldn't have suggested it in the first place."

"True."

"...Huh?"

Nilia flinched as she listened.

...She hadn't really ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thought that deeply about it...

"That's not—"

"Looking at this, I think I overcomplicated things. The most intuitive method is often the best."

"Definitely. I agree."

"Guys? Guys??"

Whether Nilia called out or not, Lee Han and Yoner were lost in their own world, refining Nilia's plan further.

"Even when dealing with local guilds, hunters might be the better choice."

"When mana grows turbulent and spirits are enraged, people tend to get suspicious if mages show up uninvited."

"......"

Nilia was horrified as her two friends kept adding details to a plan she hadn't even considered.

"All done. Nilia. No wonder the Maykin Family ranked you first."

"I'm proud to have you as my friend."

"I... didn't do anything..."

At Nilia's words, her two friends smiled knowingly.

"Always so modest."

"A touch of humility only makes a genius stand out more."

"But don't be too modest, Nilia. If the top-ranked student is too humble, it makes things harder for those below them."

Nilia was speechless at the shameless words of the top-ranked student, who was never humble himself.

So utterly speechless that before she could retort, her two friends had already wrapped up the conversation.

"What happens if the Maykin Family approves it?"

"A plan this solid has a high chance of being implemented. They'll probably summon Nilia for questioning."

"Indeed. I'm looking forward to the results."

Nilia, who had been listening blankly, growled under her breath like a beast.

"...Both of you, help me."

"Us?"

"Do you really need our help? Doubt we'd be much use."

"True."

Nilia instinctively reached for the bow at her waist before belatedly remembering she was dressed for a formal social gathering.

'This outfit is so damn annoying!'

"This feels really awkward. Am I wearing this right?"

"No idea. Wow. Wait. Nilia, how are you wearing that so perfectly?"

"Nilia has tons of friends everywhere. She probably attends enough events to get used to complicated outfits like this."

"????"

Nilia whipped her head around at the sound of her black Turtle Tower friends chattering as they passed by.

'What the hell did these bastards just say?!'

"Huh? Isn't that person a professor?"

Yoner pointed ahead curiously.

Lee Han responded as if questioning what she was talking about.

"What are you saying, Yoner. No, she's not."

"Huh? A beaver beastman... right? That's Professor Verdus, isn't it?"

"Must be someone who looks like him."

Upon spotting Lee Han, Professor Verdus walked over with a sullen expression.

Lee Han clicked his tongue blatantly. Yoner gave his friend a look of disbelief.

'He did recognize him!'

"Professor. What brings you here?"

"Because of an unjust directive."

Professor Verdus swung his staff with a gloomy face.

Instantly, the wrinkles on a passing student's clothes smoothed out, and their shoelaces tied themselves perfectly.

"An unjust directive, you say?"

"The Headmaster probably ordered him to come help the kids."

Lee Han guessed it immediately.

Given the Skeleton Principal's personality, there was no way he'd let Professor Verdus waste time idling nearby.

"Why on earth dancing... time... expenses... artifacts..."

Professor Verdus grumbled while waving his staff. Lee Han shot Yoner a look.

'Let's get out of here.'

But the bored and listless Professor Verdus wasn't about to let Lee Han go so easily.

"Want to try this?"

"What is this?"

"Shoes that make you dance well."

Professor Verdus held out a pair of shoes pulsing with mana.

Yoner asked in amazement.

"There are artifacts like that?"

"Shh. Yoner. If it were a normal artifact, he wouldn't give it to us."

Lee Han saw right through Professor Verdus's intentions.

Clearly, he had made the artifact out of sheer boredom, so the chances of it being safe and functional were slim.

It probably had some flaw or weird side effect.

"Have you ever made an artifact like this before?"

"Why would I make trash like shoes that make you dance well?"

'Hmm. Definitely dangerous.'

No matter how well the shoes supposedly made you dance, wearing an artifact you couldn't control was risky.

Just like how someone who'd never swung a sword would only hurt their muscles wielding a blade that granted ancient swordsmanship, those shoes were likely to cause trouble.

"What's that?"

Gainando, who arrived late, asked.

Lee Han checked the time and questioned him.

"Why are you so late?"

"Hehe. I won against three people."

"Did you have a Black Magic duel or something?"

"It was a Wizard Card match!"

Gainando bristled.

After building his new deck, Gainando was drunk on power—so much so that he was seriously wondering if this was what omnipotence felt like.

"Shoes that make you dance well."

"Ah! Thank you!"

Gainando eagerly snatched the shoes from Professor Verdus.

Lee Han frowned and said,

"They look dangerous. Wouldn't it be better to dance without them?"

"I didn't practice, so I can't."

Lee Han stopped himself from saying, 'You should've practiced instead of playing cards.'

It felt like he was nagging too much.

"Making excuses to skip?"

"If Mom hears, I'll get scolded."

"You should've practiced instead of playing cards."

Despite his resolve, the words slipped out just one second later.

The banquet wasn't just enjoyable for the Blue Dragon Tower students, who were used to social gatherings, but also for students from other towers.

Instead of suffocating the newcomers with stiff, formal air, the people of Granden City welcomed them with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

Thanks to that, even students unfamiliar with such events happily sat around chatting and dancing.

"Magician. How is life at Einrogard?"

"Uh... well..."

"Hahaha! You must be having an absolutely marvelous time! Well, of course—studying at the Empire's finest magic school, how could you have any complaints? If I could attend and learn there, I'd have no regrets."

"......"

Of course, there were still occasional people who unintentionally hurt the students' feelings.

'Not bad?'

Lee Han felt relieved by this atmosphere.

With this kind of atmosphere, even someone like him with little social gathering experience could get through it smoothly...

"Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. The magic you displayed against Sir Doin from Baldrogard was truly admirable. Would you care for a dance?"

"Ah, yes."

"Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. I heard Lady Yoanen of the Maykin family praising you. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Would you care for a dance?"

"...Yes."

"Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. His Highness Prince Bogajun..."

"The basilisk..."

"The Ghoul King..."

"This time at the communal graveyard, the Undead Chimera..."

"I heard you rescued the knights."

Lee Han thought even his time learning swordsmanship under Alarong or Ingoldel had been better.

At least back then, he didn't have to be this nervous about stepping on his partner's feet.

'This is driving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me insane.'

The excuses for dancing at imperial balls were similar to why drunkards drink alcohol.

If the weather was good, they'd dance because it was good weather. If the weather was bad, they'd dance because it was bad weather. If their partner had accomplished something, they'd use that as an excuse to dance again...

And Lee Han was essentially a walking excuse himself.

Thud—

Only after dancing through the last excuse could Lee Han finally sit down in a chair.

'What's this?'

When Giselle, who had been sitting beside him earlier, stared intently at him, Lee Han grew puzzled.

"Did I make a mistake while dancing?"

"No."

"Was there a decent request or something?"

"No."

"May I ask why you're staring at me?"

"...I heard there's a freshman claiming to be Gainando of the Moradi family. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

Giselle spoke coldly. Lee Han responded immediately.

"I'll make sure to give Gainando a stern talking-to. Mistaking his own family—what an absurd mistake."

"I heard he has black hair."

"Gainando has been quite interested in hair color transformation magic lately."

"I heard he's better at magic than second-years."

"Well, Gainando has a talent for magic."

"Confident you'll never meet him?"

Giselle asked threateningly.

She meant she'd bring Balgaro of the Alpha family, a second-year senior from the White Tiger Tower, to confront him.

So Lee Han didn't even blink.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

'I can just avoid them.'

If he got scared by something like that, he wouldn't survive under his professors.

Even if the lie was exposed later, being able to brazenly deny it without blinking was necessary to survive as a disciple.

'What kind of bastard is this, seriously?'

Giselle was left speechless.

A scion of an imperial noble family was shamelessly lying more boldly than some street thug—she had nothing to say.

Just what the hell was this guy?

"Wardanaz?"

"Ah. The professor is calling me. I should go now."

"You really—"

The one who called Lee Han was Professor Kirmin Ku, who taught Illusion Magic.

Professor Ku blinked as he looked at Lee Han and said,

"Sorry for calling you when you were having fun."

"Not at all."

Lee Han meant it.

In fact, even if Professor Ku told him to return, he planned to take his sweet time going back to the venue.

"I called because I need help. It's something a bit too much to handle alone."

"Do you need help moving something?"

Since Professor Verdus was here too, it wouldn't be surprising if more professors from the magic school were present.

If it was menial work, Lee Han planned to call Professor Verdus as well.

He couldn't bear to leave a bored professor alone.

"No, no. It's not that..."

"Then what?"

"I need to scare the students."

"...????"

For the first time (or maybe not the first), Lee Han wondered if he'd finally encountered a mad professor, but Professor Ku was perfectly sane.

"It's an annual event. We scare the students to see how they react."

"But why at a ball of all places?"

"Wardanaz. A mage must always be on guard. ...Or so the Headmaster says."

'No wonder they can't raise donations.'

Realizing who the culprit was, Lee Han sighed inwardly.

"Huh? But do I not have to participate?"

"The Headmaster said to exclude you no matter what."

"......"