Episode 367
Episode 367
It was rare for Duke Icaldoren to lose his composure and explode in anger like this.
Even when enraged, the Duke's way was to prepare a dagger in his heart rather than outwardly vent his fury.
The reason the Duke was erupting like this today was partly because the knights had repeatedly grated on his nerves, but more than anything, it was due to the paranoia and suspicion Lee Han had instilled in him.
No matter how composed the Duke was, when fear and confusion filled his mind, there was little he could do.
"This is strange."
"What is?"
"I've never heard of Duke Icaldoren acting so emotionally."
Giselle tilted her head in confusion.
"Rumors are often wrong. The Duke is more emotional and petty than you'd think."
"Is that so?"
Giselle was genuinely surprised.
Both words Lee Han had just used—"emotional" and "petty"—were the last ones anyone would associate with Duke Icaldoren.
But it wasn't like Lee Han to make mistakes about such things...
"Perhaps His Grace is so angry because he cares deeply for the students."
Rowena added her thoughts.
From her perspective, there was no other plausible reason.
Giselle seemed to agree, as if she didn't entirely disagree either.
"He wouldn't lose his temper this much just because of a commotion at the estate."
"Ah. Right. He's extremely sensitive when it comes to the imperial family."
"...?"
Rowena, listening beside them, felt something was off.
It was Lee Han and his friends who had clashed with the knights, not Adenart.
So shouldn't the Duke be angry about Lee Han being provoked, not the Princess?
"W-we apologize, Your Grace."
The knights of the Beech Knights seemed to have finally grasped the full gravity of the situation.
The Duke had been lenient with them, leading them to misjudge their standing, but the difference in power between them and the Duke was like that of a firefly and the full moon.
When the opponent was holding back, it hadn't mattered, but if he truly decided to wield his sword, there was no escaping it.
"Why did you mistake the date? Did our agreement seem like a joke to you?"
"W-we truly didn't know! It wasn't intentional!"
"Oh? So you're saying I was wrong? That you were correct?"
"N-no, that's not..."
"Then shut your mouths! If you dare speak insolently one more time, I'll cut you down where you stand!"
"......"
The Duke's verbal lashing was so fierce that even the White Poplar Knights were taken aback.
They had hoped the Beech Knights would be humiliated, but they hadn't expected it to go this far.
"Lord Wardanaz. Is there no way to calm His Grace's anger?"
"Huh?"
Lee Han looked at the knight as if he had just said something absurd.
What could he possibly do when someone of Duke Icaldoren's stature was in a rage?
Lee Han wasn't even close to the Duke. If he tried to say, "Please calm down," the Duke was more likely to snap, "Who do you think you are?"
"There's no way..."
"I-I see."
"...Actually, now that I think about it, there might be one."
"!"
The knight's eyes widened as he whispered urgently.
"What is it?"
"But those knights picked fights left and right. Do you really need to save them?"
At that, the knight glared at the squires.
For knights, their mouths were far too reckless...
"I won't deny that they were rude. But they're still fellow knights. We can't just abandon them."
'Why does it always seem like the good people are the ones who suffer?'
Looking at the White Poplar Knight, Lee Han was reminded of Durgyu.
The troublemakers were from the White Tiger Tower, yet it was Durgyu who had to clean up the mess...
"If you tell me how, I'll make sure you're properly compensated."
"!"
Lee Han hadn't been expecting anything, but the knight's offer was more than he anticipated.
Normally, he would have demanded gold coins, but Lee Han still had a conscience.
He knew what kind of order the White Poplar Knights were and had even owed them favors in the past. He wasn't so cold-hearted as to extort money from them.
"Then lend me your sword just once next time."
"Do you need an escort?"
"Something like that."
"I'd be happy to help with that much."
The knight readily agreed.
Truthfully, borrowing a knight's sword wasn't such a simple request.
To put it bluntly, what if someone asked them to kill another person?
But the knight trusted Lee Han.
Judging by Lee Han's previous display of character and what Bikelintz had said about him, he wasn't the type to make unreasonable requests against chivalric code.
'I'll use this during second semester's swordsmanship class.'
Professor Ingoldel would never imagine that a knight of the White Poplar Knights had already been "bought off."
And the knight in question was no different.
"But what method do you have?"
"Watch closely."
Lee Han stepped forward confidently.
The Duke's rage had left the Beech Knights' members barely able to breathe, but Lee Han was certain.
It wasn't because Lee Han was exceptionally brave or because he disregarded the Duke. He simply had a special card up his sleeve.
"Princess. Come here."
"??"
Adenart, who had been standing quietly observing, hesitated when Lee Han suddenly called her, unsure what he was thinking.
Still, assuming there must be a reason, she approached.
"Your Grace, please calm down."
Lee Han spoke clearly so everyone could hear.
'Royalty can't refuse requests—if I use the Princess as an excuse, it'll work without fail.'
If he framed it as the Princess wanting to show mercy or the Princess wishing to forgive, even the Duke would pretend to relent.
"Prin—"
"...Very well. I may have gone too far."
"???"
The moment Lee Han spoke, Duke Icaldoren stopped his rage and regained his composure.
The Princess tilted her head in confusion beside him.
"Huh? No—"
"My discourtesy was excessive, and I lost my temper even toward the students I invited. Yes, I should stop here. My apologies for ruining the pleasant gathering."
The Duke quickly smoothed things over and left. His attendants and servants, caught off guard, startled and hurried after him.
"...?"
Lee Han couldn't understand why the Duke had acted that way.
He was truly the most eccentric and capricious person Lee Han had ever met.
'Thank goodness he's not a Magic School professor.'
Of course, the Duke had retreated so quickly because, in his confusion about Lee Han, he suspected some kind of trap—but Lee Han had no way of knowing that.
"Th-that was incredible!"
The White Poplar Knight blinked in astonishment.
He hadn't doubted Lee Han when he said he had a method, but he never imagined it would be this miraculous.
Just a single sentence to quell the Duke's fury.
How in the world?
"How did you do that?"
Lee Han was curious too, but he couldn't show it.
Instead, he smiled meaningfully and brushed it off.
If he didn't explain, the other person would draw their own conclusions.
"It's a relief it ended well."
"Indeed."
As Lee Han and the knight walked away, the Princess stood still for a moment before staring at their retreating backs in disbelief.
If this was all, why did he call me...?
The students who returned to the banquet hall chattered about what had happened.
"Lee Han, be careful. Knights are cowardly and persistent—they might seek revenge for today's events later."
"Right, Wardanaz. Knights are all equally sinister and wicked."
"......"
At Gainando and Salko's words, the White Tiger Tower students nearby glared.
When have we ever—!
'Did the White Poplar Knights handle it well?'
Curious, Lee Han opened the banquet hall door and stepped into the hallway.
Unlike the lively and energetic atmosphere of the students, the mood of the knights who had caused the major incident was predictably gloomy, but...
Still, the situation had somehow been resolved, so they must have sorted things out.
Lee Han intended to check how things had turned out, show some concern, and then ask if they planned to return to Einrogard for the second semester before moving on.
Outstanding students always started preparing for the next semester during vacation.
"!"
Lee Han was startled when he saw Giselle emerge. Giselle wore an equally surprised expression.
"Don't tell me you—"
"You too?"
"Yeah."
"...That's really impressive. I'll give you that."
Giselle spoke as if raising both hands in surrender.
Her reason for coming out was to secretly familiarize herself with the knights.
Especially in the case of the Beech Knights, despite causing a major incident in front of the Duke, they still held influence among knightly families due to their wealth.
For a family like the Moradis, who frequently interacted with other knightly houses, befriending them could only be beneficial.
Human psychology dictates that people feel more gratitude toward those who approach them after a crushing defeat than during their prime.
This was precisely the opportune moment.
"You're impressive too, Moradi."
"Stop with the empty flattery."
"No, I mean it. Trying to get a head start on next semester's curriculum? The other White Tiger Tower brats should take notes."
"...What? Hey, wait a sec—"
While Giselle was flabbergasted, Lee Han said his piece and walked ahead.
He didn't want to waste time and risk Giselle interfering.
"!"
But before he could even get halfway, his eyes caught sight of figures loitering near the corridor pillars.
They were knights from the Beech Knights.
The way they were pacing, as if waiting for someone, looked highly suspicious.
'No way!'
Lee Han's mind flashed back to what Gainando and Salko had said earlier.
"Already lying in wait for revenge? Truly, knights are anything but ordinary in their pettiness!"
"What? Revenge?"
Giselle was baffled.
No matter how humiliated the Beech Knights had been, they weren't insane enough to attack again in the Duke's residence after receiving his pardon.
"That's impossible."
"Didn't you just say a White Poplar Knight would never help me, Wardanaz?"
Giselle was left speechless by Lee Han's words.
This bastard was now casually dragging family names into this...
"If you're so confident, take the lead, Wardanaz."
"I'll admit you're right, so stop twisting family names. You crazy bas—"
While the two argued, the Beech Knights spotted them first.
As the knights approached, Lee Han stopped bickering and raised his staff.
"Dammit. No time for Enhancement Magic! I'll summon undead—fall back! I'll buy time with a fog spell!"
Though Giselle wondered how a fellow first-year could cast both undead summoning and fog magic, she gripped her twin swords instead of questioning it.
Lee Han's intensity was so overwhelming that she found herself swept along without realizing it.
Later, she'd think, 'Why did I go along with that?' But seeing Lee Han's dead-serious face, most people would waver and think, 'Well... maybe?'
"I'll hold them off, so focus on your magic. Got it?!"
"Moradi. Have you finally found your con—"
"Focus on the damn magic, you mutt—"
"Thank you!!!"
"???"
"???"
The Beech Knights bowed respectfully and spoke in unison.
"We were too flustered earlier to speak, so we waited. Once again, we sincerely thank you."
"......"
Giselle quietly sheathed her half-drawn sword and glared at Lee Han as if she wanted to kill him.
Lee Han muttered without changing his expression.
"It might still be a trap."
"Shut up."
Unaware of the misunderstanding, the knights continued.
"We've reflected on our actions. They were truly disgraceful. Yet you still shielded us..."
It was hard to believe these were the same people who had arrogantly demanded to change the banquet hall earlier.
If this were Einrogard, Lee Han would've suspected the Skeleton Principal's magic at work.
"Hard to believe."
Lee Han muttered.
"People don't change that easily. What's going on? Is this a trap?"
"......"
Giselle honestly agreed with Lee Han's words.