Episode 35
Episode 35
"By the way, what kind of riddle did the talking oak tree give you?"
Lightning Step asked curiously.
"Uh... it gave me some really weird and bizarre riddles."
The shadow riddle was understandable, but the dwarf and candle riddles were pure nonsense.
"Talking oak trees do tend to give ridiculous riddles."
Lightning Step nodded as if it made perfect sense.
Talking oak trees were infamous for luring wizards in with seemingly profound but ultimately absurd questions.
Inexperienced wizards, enchanted by the majestic appearance of the talking oaks, often mistakenly believed there was some hidden mystery in those riddles—but there wasn't.
Talking oak trees were just dull spirits who loved dull riddles.
"...Is that so?"
"That's how it is. Most things in the world turn out to be disappointingly simple once you know the truth."
After hearing Lightning Step's explanation, Lee Han was left speechless.
So, was the goblin-at-the-ork-feast riddle just another pointless riddle too?
'Now that I think about it, the candle riddle did have that vibe.'
"The riddles I heard were..."
Lee Han recounted the riddles the talking oak had given him.
—Several ork tribes gathered for a feast, but a mischievous goblin snuck in and ate and drank to his heart's content. How was that possible?
"Easy. The answer is 'by disguising himself as an ork.'"
"...Huh?"
"You shouldn't overthink the talking oak's riddles. Think simply. If it's a goblin, tricking and disguising itself as an ork wouldn't be that hard."
"......"
Lee Han suppressed his disbelief and frustration and focused.
Sure, it was a ridiculous riddle, but it hadn't been given for no reason.
Wasn't this riddle a hint from the talking oak on how to escape the school?
At the very least, there had to be some meaning behind it.
'So... the point of the riddle was to disguise myself?'
It sounded too obvious, but in a way, it was a clever twist.
This magic school wasn't a completely sealed-off space.
Hadn't priests from other sects entered the school from outside just recently?
'And there are supplies too.'
From food ingredients to various reagents and materials—everything the magic school needed had to be brought in from outside.
And the people transporting these things were usually laborers who knew nothing about magic.
Even without magical means, there had to be a way out of this school!
Lee Han clenched his fist.
In the suffocating darkness the Skeleton Principal had cast over him—
It felt like a single ray of light had just flickered through.
"...?"
Beside him, Professor Lightning Step watched Lee Han's face with fascination.
The young wizard was clearly making an enlightened expression right now.
What was it?
'How did he gain enlightenment from those dull riddles of the talking oaks?'
Between being better at farming than seasoned farmers and now this, this boy from the Wardanaz family was endlessly fascinating to observe.
After Lee Han finished tending the garden, Professor Lightning Step brought him a few chickens from somewhere.
Judging by Thunder Step's mournful expression, it was obvious whose coop those chickens had come from.
"Raise them well, Wardanaz. Treat animals kindly, and they'll always repay you."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy them."
For the starving first-year students who'd chew on rocks if they had to, freshly laid eggs were an unimaginable luxury.
With these eggs, he could become the king of the dormitory.
"Take this too. Hmm. And this would be good as well."
Perhaps wanting to provide his new disciple with as much as possible, Professor Lightning Step filled a basket with all sorts of things.
From eggs to freshly harvested cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, butter, cheese, and thick cuts of venison—everything went in.
With each item added to the basket, the deepening wrinkles on Thunderstep's face and his growing sorrow became more pronounced, but Lee Han pretended not to notice.
"Then I'll see you in the next class."
'Well, looks like I'll be eating well for a while.'
The meal with the two dwarves had been chaotic, but he'd certainly gained a lot from it.
Not only the secret of the staff, but also hints on how to sneak out of the school.
And the extra food was just a bonus. His supplies had been running dangerously low anyway.
'How on earth did the first-years before me manage to survive?'
Sure, Lee Han had worked under a professor and received food in return, but the other students couldn't have done the same, could they?
Did they just starve and endure?
"Wardanaz!"
"Wardanaz is here!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower were sitting in the first-year lounge with tired, hungry expressions.
Those who had been passing the time playing chess or cards leaped up in excitement upon seeing Lee Han.
And when they spotted the basket hanging from his arm, their joy multiplied.
"Wardanaz! My honorable friend!"
"The most honorable family in the Empire!"
'Not that I'm one to talk, but for a bunch of high nobles, they really lack dignity.'
Still, he understood.
Whether royalty or beggars, hunger makes people weak.
As word spread that Lee Han had arrived, students from the Blue Dragon Tower came rushing out of their rooms and crowded around him.
They looked like baby birds staring at their mother, waiting to be fed.
"Seems everyone's hungry. Wait a moment."
With the vegetables and meat he'd received from Lightningfoot, he could probably make a decent soup.
Even if all the gathered students ate at once, there would be enough to go around.
Lee Han placed a pot over the fireplace fire, chopped the venison and onions, and sautéed them until golden brown.
Next came the vegetables. With practiced hands, he added water, tomatoes, and potatoes, then seasoned with salt and pepper.
Even common spices, easily obtainable outside, were precious luxuries for the first-years now.
The soup, tinged red from the tomatoes, bubbled vigorously, and the students watched Lee Han with desperate eyes.
-Isn't it done yet? Can't we eat now?
But Lee Han firmly held them off.
'Now it's time to add the cabbage.'
He tossed in the cabbage, added a bit of butter, adjusted the seasoning again...
His solemn, focused expression as he cooked resembled that of a seasoned alchemist.
Without realizing it, the Blue Dragon Tower students straightened their clothes and postures respectfully.
"It's done. Bring your bowls."
"Yes, sir!"
'Why the formal speech?'
Lee Han found it odd but didn't question it, instead ladling generous portions into their bowls.
Yoner, who had heard the news, came to help with the ledger, dipping his quill in ink.
"House Kilenen, eight silver coins... House Gainando, eleven coins..."
"Wardanaz. Isn't one silver coin too cheap?"
"Couldn't you charge more? It's too little for all your effort."
The young nobles clearly had no sense of money.
Lee Han and Yoner sighed at the sight.
'How do they expect to survive on their own later if they're like this?!'
"Um, Wardanaz."
"?"
"Could... could you bring some to Her Highness the Princess too?"
A couple of Blue Dragon Tower students asked cautiously. They were likely followers of Adenart.
At that, Lee Han's expression darkened slightly.
"I-it's not like we're forcing you or anything..."
"We know you're close to Prince Gainando, but that doesn't mean you two have to be at odds. We just thought... if Her Highness could also have something decent to eat..."
'Huh?'
Lee Han realized his friends had misunderstood.
His reluctance to bring food to the Princess wasn't because he supported Gainando.
He just didn't want to give away food for free.
"You've got the wrong idea. I'm not refusing to bring food to Her Highness because of Gainando. I wouldn't do something that childish."
"Wardanaz...!"
"As expected!"
The students' faces brightened at Lee Han's words.
Feeling in a good mood, Lee Han casually asked,
"But who's paying the silver coins? Shouldn't Her Highness be the one to pay?"
"We'll cover it! We'll each pay double."
"Thank you, Wardanaz!"
"Wait... is it really okay to do something so (money-wasting)?"
"Compared to what you're doing for us, this is just pocket change, Wardanaz."
"Really, thank you. It must be bothering you because of the prince."
The students were genuinely grateful. Their reaction surprised Lee Han.
He was surprised they were willing to spend their own money for the princess, shocked by their financial sense of increasing the payment when they could have haggled it down, and baffled by how highly they regarded Gainando.
'Gainando has almost zero political ability to form and manage his own faction as a royal.'
Though there seemed to be many misunderstandings between them, there was no need to clarify things when they were viewing him favorably.
"I just hope all the royals get along well. For the Empire's sake."
"Wardanaz...!"
"You really are...!"
Lee Han knocked on the door of the princess's private quarters, holding a bowl of soup. After a moment, Adenart appeared.
"?"
Adenart raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze questioning why he had come.
Lee Han held out the steaming bowl and said,
"I cooked this in the lounge. Please have some."
Instead of taking it immediately, Adenart hesitated slightly, seemingly unsure of Lee Han's intentions.
Having already heard the misunderstanding about Gainando downstairs, Lee Han decided to clear things up.
"All the other students have already taken some. It's fine for you to have it too."
(He didn't mention they had paid silver coins for it.)
Adenart hesitated even longer than before but eventually accepted the bowl carefully with both hands.
Hunger seemed to have won over hesitation.
As a gesture of thanks, Adenart gave a slight nod, picked up a spoon, and took a sip of the soup.
After the first and second spoonfuls, her pace gradually quickened—it seemed to suit her taste.
"You can take it inside if you'd like."
At Lee Han's words, Adenart paused, the spoon still in her hand.
"......"
Then, after bowing her head once more, she closed the door and disappeared inside.
'Did I say something unnecessary?'
When Lee Han returned to the lounge, the waiting students expressed their gratitude.
"Wardanaz. Her Highness..."
"Ah. I think she liked it."
"Amazing! You're truly an outstanding alchemist!"
'Honestly, if she were starving, she'd probably eat anything...'
"Can we keep asking you for this? We'll cover the silver coins, so whenever you make food, could you bring some to Her Highness too?"
"...A noble's devotion to the imperial family is a matter of honor."
The words flowed effortlessly from Lee Han's mouth—even he was surprised.
'Still, royals really are something.'
Just their bloodline alone could attract such devoted followers.
He was reminded once again of the power of lineage.
Of course, Gainando was a bit of an exception...
<Repetitive Training in Basic Magic Combat>, held in the basement of the main building.
Vampire Professor Voladi Bagrak was deep in thought. Though his expression didn't show it.
That one remaining student—how could he keep him attending this lecture?
'This is truly difficult.'
Originally, Professor Voladi had little interest in forcing students to attend.
His contract only required him to teach, not to gather students.
But the current situation was somewhat exceptional.
That boy from the Wardanaz family—with such considerable magical power.
Would he ever find another talent like him?
If he let him slip away now, it might take years before he could move on to the next part of the curriculum.
And there was no guarantee the next student would have the same potential.
After much deliberation, Professor Voladi finally spoke.
"Are you curious about anything?"
"...Huh?"
Startled, Lee Han looked up from his focused bead-spinning.
Why the sudden question?
Had his dark intentions of trying to coast through been exposed?