Episode 366
Episode 366
The Beech Knights weren't exactly a knight order known for intense real combat, but there was inevitably a skill gap between a formally recognized knight from an order and a student still learning magic at Einrogard.
Of course, the Beech Knights had enough sense to hold back somewhat, but even considering that, the students seemed overwhelmingly disadvantaged.
Hane couldn't for the life of him understand why the students were so excited.
"Let's crush those arrogant bastards, Wardanaz! Never forgive them!"
"They probably don't know you can wield a sword. Keep it hidden and finish them in one strike!"
"If we attack with magic first and then suddenly draw your sword, they'll be too stunned to react!"
At the vulgar shouts from the White Tiger Tower students, students from other towers looked on with bewildered expressions.
Salko muttered under his breath:
"Are those guys really knights?"
Some White Tiger Tower students were so embarrassed by their peers they couldn't even lift their heads.
They weren't even planning to step forward themselves, just leaving it to Wardanaz, yet they were acting so aggressively...
"Um... are you really sure about this?"
Hane asked hesitantly.
"No need to worry! We have Wardanaz here!"
"Eh... but shouldn't the mage be the one going out?"
"......"
"......"
Hane's innocent question brought the White Tiger Tower students back to their senses.
"We... we're weaker than Wardanaz..."
"Ah, aha. I see."
As an awkward silence fell, Hane tried to lighten the mood by exclaiming:
"I think if we were friends, I could go in your place! That's what friendship is about, right?"
"We're... not exactly friends..."
"......"
When the atmosphere became unbearably awkward, the White Tiger Tower students instinctively turned to look at Lee Han.
"You... you'll go out for us, right, Wardanaz?"
"We can't afford to lose you from White Tiger Tower's combat strength."
"Hey, you idiot. Wardanaz is from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"Ah, oops. Force of habit..."
Separate from the White Tiger Tower students' foolishness, Lee Han was taking the opponent's provocation quite seriously.
Before the duel, he called for Durgyu and Giselle to properly assess the opponent's strength.
"The Beech Knights aren't particularly powerful or renowned."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Really sure?"
"...What exactly are you implying by asking again?"
Giselle barely restrained herself from adding "you brat" or "bastard" to her question.
Instead of answering, Lee Han looked at Durgyu. Durgyu, sensing Giselle's mood, nodded.
"It's true, Lee Han. They're not that impressive of a knight order."
"That's a relief."
"But Lee Han... even if they're not masters like Vicelentz or Professor Ingoldel, anyone representing a knight order won't be pushovers."
Durgyu spoke with visible concern.
Unlike other White Tiger Tower students who, having been beaten so often, held strange delusions about Lee Han's strength (some even seriously argued that if Lee Han used forbidden magic he'd hidden away, he might stand equal to the Skeleton Principal in a fight), both Durgyu and Giselle were far more realistic.
Lee Han was strong, yes, but he was still just a student.
Their opponent, meanwhile, was an experienced knight. It was always knights who captured mages.
"Don't worry, Durgyu. I've got it all figured out."
Seeing how things had developed, Lee Han no longer intended to let this slide smoothly.
No matter how crazy the banquet got, there were limits.
Whatever the opponent was thinking, Lee Han planned to show them what he was made of.
"So what's your plan?"
Giselle asked out of genuine curiosity.
She knew Lee Han was a cunning, ruthless, and meticulous strategist, but she couldn't begin to guess what he could possibly do in this situation.
"Just watch."
Lee Han approached Hane and whispered something to him.
"This situation where students have to face knights seems too harsh. I think we should make some more concessions. Let me try to negotiate this properly."
The servant was more bewildered than moved by the silver coins slipping into his sleeve.
Even this?
"O-of course this is my duty. You don't need to give me silver coins. I'll do my best."
"Tsk. No no. Keep it. Keep it."
Lee Han grabbed the resisting servant and stuffed the coins into his pouch.
Eventually giving up, the servant pocketed the coins, went outside, and returned after a while.
"They said you may prepare magic in advance."
"Thank you."
Now Giselle thought she understood.
It was a simple but effective method.
Of course, it was absolutely not something someone from a great noble family should do.
'Is he actually insane?'
"Here. One more."
"Eh!? Really, it's okay—"
"Go back and tell them it seems like the students might reject the proposal outright, so we should probably make more concessions."
"......"
The servant went out with a dazed expression, as if unsure what he was doing.
When he returned, he reported:
"They said you may face three opponents instead of one."
"I see. Wait, don't go yet. The students have eaten so much today that their bodies feel heavy, so we should concede more—"
"Wardanaz, we have a problem!"
At the sudden shout, the three students turned their heads.
"It's not just the Beech Knights! The White Poplar Knights are here too! Those guys who visited the academy last time!"
"!"
Lee Han was genuinely startled.
This was definitely a major blow.
If word got out about what happened with the White Poplar Knights' squires...
'It'll be hard to feign weakness and make them lower their guard!'
"But given the camaraderie from when we crossed swords last time, isn't there a chance they might keep our secret?"
At Lee Han's question, Derkgu and Giselle shook their heads in response.
"I doubt those guys would do that."
"If those bastards keep quiet, I'm not from the Moradi family but the Wardanaz family."
'Isn't that too harsh?'
As Lee Han was thinking this, someone carefully opened the banquet hall's back door and slipped in.
It was a familiar White Poplar Knight squire.
"Sp-spy...!"
"Shh! Quiet. I came in secretly. I'm here to give you information."
The squire checked outside before hiding among the students.
"But what did you say earlier? Spy?"
"...Maybe you misheard chewing sounds?"
"Really?"
The squire turned his head disinterestedly and looked at Lee Han.
Then in an extremely quiet voice, he rapidly spilled information:
"Right now the Beech Knights outside are off guard. Those bastards don't know how wicked you, Wardanaz—"
"Wicked?"
"...Slip of the tongue in haste. They don't know you're skilled in both swordsmanship and magic with deep cunning. The guy who'll represent them uses sword and shield together—he's left-handed. His swordsmanship is..."
Staring at Derkgu and Giselle over this squire's friendly betrayal of weaknesses, Lee Han found them avoiding his gaze.
The Duke, having finished his rest, opened the door and emerged.
His guards and attendants waited breathlessly before the study.
Though unnecessary, the Duke walked ahead as if it were natural.
"...?"
From the central first floor below the grand staircase came a loud, boisterous noise.
At first he thought it came from the banquet hall, but upon reflection, the direction was wrong.
"What's happening?"
"......"
"......"
The attendants held their breath, unable to grasp the situation.
Having told the servants not to disturb the Duke's rest before waiting like frightened mice before the study themselves, they were poorly informed.
"I'll go check immediately."
One attendant hurried down. He moved so fast he nearly slipped and fell several times.
The servant who went downstairs felt his heart drop to his stomach when he saw the knights and students gathered in a huddle, engaged in what resembled a duel.
"What in the world is going on here?"
"W-well, there was a disagreement over where to use the banquet hall..."
The servant, noticing the severity of the situation from the attendant's grave expression, made a pitiful excuse with a distressed face.
"W-we were told not to go upstairs, so we had no choice but to..."
"You should have mediated instead of letting them draw swords inside the mansion?!"
"I-it's not swordplay, just a practice spar..."
That was the only silver lining, but the situation was still far from good.
When knights and students clashed, the outcome was obvious, wasn't it?
Even if the knights won gracefully, the students would harbor resentment toward the Duke's handling of the matter. And if the knights used rough tactics, just imagining the aftermath was enough to make one dizzy.
The attendant rushed to the Duke as quickly as possible to explain the situation.
Upon hearing everything, Duke Icaldoren froze coldly. His anger had surpassed its threshold.
"So?"
"......"
"So what's the reason for relaying that to me as is? Are you saying I should resolve it myself? Hmm?"
"We'll go down and handle it immediately!"
The attendants and guards shouted in unison and dashed downstairs.
They were prepared to beat the knights senseless if necessary to stop this.
"Th-this is cheating!"
"I fail to see how this is cheating."
"You... you were hiding magic!"
"You said we could cast magic in advance."
"...???"
However, the scene unfolding before the guards' eyes was the complete opposite of what they had expected.
Lee Han, Durgyu, and Giselle had Enhancement Magic spells cast on them haphazardly as they stepped forward.
They did their best to appear weak, frightened, and tense.
"Durgyu. Relax your eyes. You look too strong."
"S-sorry, Lee Han. I'm not good at acting..."
"Try imagining yourself as Gainando."
"I-I am Gainando. I am Gainando."
"......"
But that wasn't all.
Lee Han boldly summoned a Water Orb and demanded time to complete its rotation.
The opposing knight, unaware of what magic Lee Han was preparing, casually agreed. He had already assumed victory from the trio's nervous demeanor.
BAM!
The result? The knight shattered through a glass window and flew into the mansion's side garden.
"......"
"...Tell me you didn't send him flying on purpose, Lee Han."
"My apologies. I failed to control my strength."
The knights, belatedly regaining their senses, protested vehemently.
"Th-this is cheating!"
Originally, they had planned to fight evenly, giving the opponent an excuse like, "Haha, we let our guard down because they're just young students." But after accidentally sending him flying in one hit, Lee Han had few options left.
Bold-faced denial it was!
"I fail to see how this is cheating."
"You... you were hiding magic!"
"You said we could cast magic in advance."
Lee Han insisted with an "I know nothing" expression.
Truthfully, the knights had nothing to say.
They had already permitted everything beforehand.
"Such a cunning trick...!"
"Enough."
"Your Grace!"
The knights rejoiced at Duke Icaldoren's arrival.
"We were just having a simple spar. If it pleases you, perhaps you could act as referee..."
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked why you're sparring in someone else's mansion."
"......"
"W-well, a minor dispute arose..."
"If a minor dispute arises, does that mean you can spar in someone else's mansion? Is that the Beech Knights' way?"
Only then did the knights realize the gravity of the situation and fell silent.
On their own lands, they carried themselves with the pride of knightly families, but if the Duke unleashed his fury, they'd be sent flying in an instant.
"Y-your Grace, there's been a misunderstanding."
"Are you calling me a fool now? Am I so incompetent that I can't even comprehend your words?"
"N-no, that's not it—"
"After I generously overlooked your mistakes, you dare belittle me?!"
The Duke's anger was cold and controlled.
Watching this, Lee Han thought to himself:
'He's different from the rumors.'
This was the same man who had laughed cheerfully when the White Tiger Tower students caused chaos—yet here he was, furious over a mere spar.
Contrary to rumors, he seemed quite temperamental and eccentric.
And stingy, too...