Episode 463
Episode 463
"Get drunk, you drunkard!"
"Slip and fall!"
"May you stub your toe deeply!"
By the time Lee Han arrived, a battle was already raging at the main gate.
Students stood atop the barricade, hurling spells at the monsters ramming against the entrance.
'A Tapir!'
At first glance, it resembled a large bear, but its bizarre appearance included an elephant's trunk, a rhinoceros's eyes, tiger paws, and an ox's tail.
Lee Han recalled the monster's characteristics as taught by Professor Lightning Step.
Why was a monster that feasted on others' nightmares here?
'Well... The Einrogard library is practically a nightmare factory, now that I think about it.'
Come to think of it, no one had nightmares as frequently as Einrogard students buried in their studies.
■■■■■...
The Tapir slammed against the main gate with slow but crushing force.
Though the students had bound its legs with magic, its determination to break into the fortress was palpable.
The White Tiger Tower students gaped in disbelief as their enchanted javelins bounced off harmlessly.
"What grudge does that bastard have?! Why is it so hell-bent on getting in here?!"
"Hmm. Well, we did sweep up all the library furniture to build this barricade..."
"...Bring more spears! Wardanaz! Hurry up! Wardanaz!!"
"Hey! Don't shout so loud, it's embarrassing! I'm already coming!"
Upon arriving, Lee Han immediately headed for the barricade. That was when Giselle spoke with a grave expression.
"Wait. Wardanaz. A Tapir shouldn't have the ability to sneak in and kidnap students unnoticed."
"!"
She had a point.
Just looking at its behavior now, it clearly wasn't the type of monster to slink in stealthily and abduct someone.
Giselle glanced around briefly before lowering her voice so others wouldn't hear.
"...I actually have my suspicions about something."
"Is that true? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Because there was no point. You saw what happened with Tothanta, didn't you?"
Giselle shrugged sarcastically.
If she had voiced her suspicions earlier, someone would've just riled everyone up to charge in blindly.
"In my opinion, the culprit is..."
Lee Han focused on Giselle's words.
Finally, the lips of the northern elf parted, and the long-awaited answer spilled out.
"...It might be the Headmaster."
"......"
Lee Han's focus shattered as he stared at Giselle with the look one reserves for ridiculous conspiracy theorists.
But Giselle, oblivious, continued whispering fervently.
"Even if Einrogard is crawling with monsters, do you really think one could just waltz into a place packed with this many mages and walk off with someone? The culprit has to be a mage."
'Scary how convincing this sounds the more I listen.'
The frightening thing about conspiracy theories was how plausible they started to seem the longer you entertained them.
And the Skeleton Principal conspiracy theory was more persuasive than expected. Lee Han felt himself wavering.
'Is it really the Headmaster? He's definitely the type to do something like this. But...'
It hadn't been long since he'd visited the Skeleton Principal to borrow Black Magic reagents.
If the Headmaster had planned to abduct a student, he would've been practically giddy with excitement—yet there hadn't been even a hint of that.
Had Lee Han been fooled?
"Gahhh! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
A White Tiger Tower student screamed.
Leaning too far past the barricade, they were suddenly ensnared by the Tapir's whip-like trunk.
"I'm coming! Flash!"
Lightning crackled, making the Tapir flinch—but that was all.
As a fellow magic resistance specialist, Lee Han immediately recognized that his opponent was no pushover.
'In that case...'
"Be paralyzed, be fractured, be blinded. Bones, seize the enemy!"
It was textbook combat strategy—the kind that would've earned a standing ovation from Black Magic seniors.
Against magic-resistant foes, layer curses to whittle down defenses, then use bone elemental magic to restrict movement.
"Frost, become arrows and strike!"
And it didn't end there—Frost Arrows shot forth.
Though the Tapir, having endured lightning magic, wasn't heavily damaged by the Frost Arrows, the layers of ice and frost inevitably slowed it down.
As the opponent slowed down, Lee Han immediately summoned a Water Orb.
'Even if it doesn't pierce, the impact...'
Though not perfect, the shock from the spinning Water Orb was on a completely different level from conventional magic.
The manticore, which had been trying to break through the main gate just moments ago, flinched and began turning away to flee.
"It's running away!"
"Let's chase it!"
"No, we can't!"
"......"
As opinions immediately divided again, Lee Han felt a headache coming on.
Moreover, the situation was different from before.
'If the Skeleton Principal is behind this, that changes everything.'
Lee Han generally preferred safe methods, but if this entire incident was orchestrated by the Skeleton Principal, the story changed.
They had to act contrary to the Skeleton Principal's expectations.
"Wardanaz. Remember—if we chase it, several more students might disappear."
"But we can't just let it go. Especially if the Headmaster is involved. Moradi. You stay here and guard the place. I'll go with Salko and come back."
"......"
At Lee Han's words, Giselle paused as if caught off guard.
She hadn't expected Lee Han to entrust her with anything.
"Lee Han. Wouldn't it be better to go with Moradi?"
Durgyu spoke up, sounding concerned.
Of course, Salko and his gang were competent, but no one in the White Tiger Tower was as ruthlessly vicious as Moradi.
And in a dangerous pursuit like this, that very trait could be an advantage.
"...There's truly no one as venomous, cruel, and fierce as Moradi. Going together would—"
"Durgyu. Did Moradi hit you or something?"
Lee Han was baffled.
Since when did Durgyu spout such venomous words...?
"And the reason I'm not taking her is because of Salko. If we go together, they'll just fight."
"Ah."
Durgyu immediately understood and made an awkward face.
"I thought you trusted Moradi's skills and were entrusting her with this."
"Huh?"
Lee Han hesitated for a moment before answering belatedly.
"Haha. Of course that's why."
"...Lee Han..."
Sharkan skillfully tracked the manticore's trail.
While the manticore was a threatening monster when attacking, chasing it while it fled wasn't too difficult.
It was large to begin with, and its ability to hide wasn't particularly outstanding.
The problem was...
"It's a swamp!"
"Why is there a place like this in the library...?"
"What's so surprising about it?"
'Well, it is pretty surprising.'
Lee Han silently agreed with the conversation behind him.
Then again, at this point, being shocked by anything appearing in the school was a bit laughable.
"I hope this swamp is its hideout."
Salko spoke with a worried expression.
He was filled with concern, having lost fellow tower students.
Regardless of anything else, that kind of attitude toward his friends was worthy of respect. Lee Han nodded in response.
"Let's hope so. Salko. You've been through a lot, looking after your friends."
"Compared to you, it's nothing."
"Yeah. ...Huh?"
Lee Han absentmindedly replied before sensing something odd.
"What have I been looking after—"
"It stopped!"
"I haven't really been looking after—"
"Wardanaz, sir! Get low!"
Ratford hastily pushed Lee Han's shoulders down. Lee Han wanted to protest—'I don't look after my friends like that'—but there was no time.
The manticore, having stopped in the middle of the swamp, stretched and then submerged itself. The bone fragments and ice clinging to its body fell away.
'I don't see the students it took.'
Then, from behind the manticore, someone emerged with a splash from the swamp.
Surprisingly, it was the Siren.
"...Those cowardly bastards!"
Lee Han muttered under his breath.
So the Siren was the culprit.
There had been friction between them, but that was strictly related to legitimate exam matters.
If it held a grudge, it should have taken it out on Professor Lightning Step, not innocent students.
Of course, Lee Han had also shifted blame regarding the cabin incident, but seeing what it was doing now, that seemed like the right call.
"Everyone, fall back. Getting too close to the Siren is dangerous."
"R-right."
"Let's go. Sharkan!"
-♪♩♩???
The Siren noticed Lee Han and Sharkan and began singing in a flustered voice.
And then, pointing alternately at Mac and Lee Han, she began to sing.
-♩♩♩♩!
"O waters..."
Lee Han immediately took a stance to attack the Siren.
At that moment, Mac grabbed a floating log on the swamp with his long trunk and hurled it at the Siren.
"??"
The Siren hastily dodged.
Mac seemed determined to drive the Siren away, relentlessly throwing objects one after another.
Though the Siren retaliated with her song, Mac staggered and swayed while causing havoc, pushing her back.
'What is this? A diversion tactic?'
Lee Han was bewildered.
He had assumed the Siren was controlling Mac, but now it looked like the two were fighting over territory.
Mac, who had been wreaking havoc, turned his head and spotted Lee Han and Sharkan.
Recognizing the mage who had pounded on him earlier from atop the barricade, Mac let out a cry and prepared to attack Lee Han as well.
"...Rotate!"
Lee Han hastily completed his spell and redirected his attack.
With a dull thud, Mac staggered.
"Sharkan. I need you!"
Lee Han summoned bone restraints in preparation for Mac's potential charge.
'Bone Explosion... Will the Siren get caught in it? Even if she does, she'd understand, right?'
Unaware of Lee Han's sinister dilemma, the Siren frantically swam across the swamp, gesturing urgently at him.
"Get into the swamp?"
The Siren nodded.
Lee Han looked at her with the same skepticism he reserved for the Skeleton Principal.
His gaze was unmistakably distrustful.
-Krrrrugh!
Sharkan let out a sharp howl, warning Lee Han.
Mac was ignoring all other distractions, focusing solely on Lee Han with an ominous intensity.
"Just so you know, last time—"
Before he could finish his excuse, the Siren hastily lifted Lee Han with both arms and swiftly swam to the opposite side.
CRASH! BOOM!
At that moment, Mac rolled his massive body, trampling debris as he charged forward. It was a chilling sight.
"Wardanaz! I'm joining you!"
Convinced the Siren wasn't an enemy, Salko could wait no longer and shouted.
Leaving Wardanaz alone seemed far too dangerous.
With a metallic click, the enchanted crossbow fired. Mac grew even more enraged at the appearance of more mages.
"Bones..."
With an eerie incantation, Lee Han's mana surged.
The Siren, still carrying Lee Han, was startled by the sheer density of his mana.
"Explode!"
With a deafening roar, the bone fragments attached to Mac detonated.
Though the quantity wasn't overwhelming, it was enough to send Mac into a panic.
■■■■■...
Mac turned away as if disgusted, fleeing in the opposite direction.
Lee Han and his companions let out a collective sigh of relief.
Fighting a monster of that size and defensive capability was a nightmare for any mage.
"Somehow... we made it?"
-♩♩♪
The Siren sang a note of gratitude toward Lee Han's group.
Of course, the other mages—except Lee Han—immediately fell under her spell.
"See? She's showing her true colors!"
-♩♩♩!
When Lee Han angrily raised his staff and shouted, the Siren panicked, stopped singing, and shook her head.
A single careless note was enough to enchant the mages, and it wasn't easy for the Siren to restrain herself.
Giving up on communicating through song, she scrawled letters on the shore.
'Her handwriting is terrible.'
'Her handwriting is really terrible.'
Lee Han glared at the writing with a serious expression.
Though the worm-like scribbles were hard to decipher, the gist was gratitude for helping fight Mac despite their unpleasant history.
"?"
For a moment, Lee Han was confused.
'Ah. She mistook my attack on Mac as an attempt to help her.'
Now that he thought about it, from her perspective, it must have looked that way—since he redirected his attack toward Mac.
"Of course an Einrogard mage would act that way."
"?"
Salko stared at Lee Han as if he were spouting nonsense.
Even the Siren tilted her head in confusion.
It didn't seem like Einrogard mages were particularly known for such behavior...