Episode 466
Episode 466
Fortunately, Lee Han didn't punish the Death Knight by sending it to the detention room in a fit of anger like its previous master would have.
Instead, he answered with a calm expression.
"I do get told that quite often, actually."
-!
The Death Knight was slightly moved.
To think its master would lend an ear even to a mere servant's words.
Unlike the Skeleton Principal, this young man truly had the qualities of a wise ruler.
Of course, he might end up like the Skeleton Principal when he grew older, but for now...
"But some of those lectures were forcibly assigned by the Headmaster, you know."
-My former master did such things too?
The Death Knight was shocked.
It had known the Skeleton Principal was a mad archmage, but to think he'd gone so far as to arbitrarily add lectures for students.
Truly astonishing.
-What kind of lectures did he add?
"Basic Dance and Socializing."
-Well, that's not so...
Compared to other lectures, Dance and Etiquette was quite enjoyable and pleasant. All the more so since it didn't require much studying.
-What other lectures were there?
"...Hmm. Now that I think about it, that was actually the only one."
-...???
The Death Knight was slightly bewildered.
If the Headmaster had only forcibly assigned one lecture...
Then didn't that mean Lee Han had signed up for all the others himself?
'Oh no.'
This time, the Death Knight successfully kept its mouth shut.
If it provoked him unnecessarily and he turned as temperamental as the Skeleton Principal, only they would suffer.
A gloomy morning without a trace of sunlight arrived, and students yawned as they made their way to the docks. Each carried a lunchbox they'd prepared overnight.
"Gainando. So what did you pack besides pancakes?"
"I only packed pancakes?"
"...Huh? You only packed pancakes? Seriously?"
"Ah. I did pack some other things too."
"Like what?"
"Honey, fresh cream, and strawberry jam."
"...So you basically only packed pancakes in the end?"
Of course, there were vast differences in everyone's lunchboxes.
Even with the same ingredients, how one composed and arranged the dishes came down to individual skill.
"Your Highness. As expected, this is magnificent."
"Such a perfectly balanced variety of meats!"
Adenart's followers praised the assortment of meat dishes packed neatly in a sturdy wooden box.
To them, the lunchbox—filled with precisely grilled, steamed, marinated, fried, and boiled meats of various kinds without a single error—looked perfect.
But Lee Han, who happened to pass by, was horrified.
'What kind of insane lunchbox is that?'
A lunchbox packed full of nothing but meat, without any side dishes or other preparations.
Just because it had a variety of meats—beef, pork, poultry, rabbit—didn't mean it was balanced.
"Hey. Rowena."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Tell Her Highness to take out some of the meat and replace it with the bread, rice, and fruits left inside."
"Pardon? Why should we do that?"
Lee Han was reminded once again that despite Rowena's seemingly normal appearance, she hailed from the White Tiger Tower.
The dietary habits of White Tiger Tower students were such that it wouldn't be surprising if they developed scurvy...
"Rowena. Do you trust me?"
"Huh? Yes..."
"You know I have frequent contact with the Headmaster, right?"
"Yes. You're quite close, aren't you?"
For a moment, Lee Han wanted to grab Rowena by the collar but managed to restrain himself.
"...Right. Whatever. What do you think I'm implying by saying this?"
"...Ah!"
Rowena's face lit up with realization. She nodded quickly.
"I understand! The Headmaster dislikes meat!"
"No, that's not—... Never mind. Just go tell her quickly."
Rowena scurried off. Though the Princess looked puzzled upon hearing the message, she obediently rearranged her lunchbox as instructed.
Swoooosh—!
In the distance, eerie bone-made ferryboats began approaching like a fleet.
Floating above them was the familiar undead archmage.
"Uuuuugh...!"
Tanjuer trembled violently, clearly terrified upon sensing the Skeleton Principal's aura.
The fact that it took on all sorts of menial tasks instead of attacking the Skeleton Principal was proof enough of its sheer terror.
"Everyone's prepared for the picnic, right?"
"Yes..."
"But does it have to be today of all days?"
As Gainando pointed at the pouring rain, the Skeleton Principal shot a water gun straight at his face.
"Picnics are meant to be taken during rain, typhoons, or when the gates of hell open. Everyone, board the boat. I'll take you there."
Listening to the Skeleton Principal's unique picnic philosophy, the students reluctantly moved forward.
Of course, the Skeleton Principal didn't let them board without a fight.
"Wait."
"???"
"Open your lunchbox."
A White Tiger Tower student chuckled and pulled out his packed lunch from his backpack.
"Headmaster. Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared? After you specifically told us? We're more than ready."
Despite the Skeleton Principal's interference and oppression, the students' food supplies were actually quite abundant.
Naturally, from the Skeleton Principal's perspective, this was utter nonsense.
'These brats getting full meals just because of that Wardanaz punk... Getting cocky...'
"Anyone hearing this would think you gathered it yourself. You insufferable brat. Just open it."
"Yes..."
Click—
The White Tiger Tower student opened the lid. It was packed tightly with toasted bread and cured meats.
"How is it? Practical and easy to eat—"
The Skeleton Principal shoved the student straight into the sea.
Splash!
"Did I say we were going to war? Do you even know what a picnic is? 20 points."
"......"
"...Huh? Wasn't it just about bringing food?"
The other White Tiger Tower students looked slightly flustered.
Even with Einrogard's unreasonable food situation, wasn't it good that they'd prepared meals?
'This is why iron-headed knights... If you ever go on a spring picnic with Imperial Bureaucrats, are you seriously going to kill the mood by bringing nothing but <Satiety Potions> just because they're practical?'
Fundamentally, mages lacked social skills.
And Einrogard's mages often evolved their social skills in... unique ways, making them even more dangerous.
'Isn't that the Headmaster's fault, though?'
Lee Han, waiting in the back, thought to himself.
The lack of social skills was one thing, but the weird evolution of them was definitely the Skeleton Principal's doing...
"If I say we're going on a picnic and to prepare lunchboxes, you should bring ones that fit Imperial social customs. What is this? Huh? Next!"
"Um... My lunchbox has a variety of cured meats—"
"Are you so deprived of meat you've gone insane? 15 points. Next!"
"......"
The Princess paled as she watched another White Tiger Tower student with a similar lunchbox get ruthlessly crushed.
So it wasn't just about what tasted good to you?
-Not bad, though a bit heavy on the vegetables. Well done.
-Rice-based dishes are refreshing even for those from the east, let alone other regions. Good choice.
-What's this? Did you just pack pure sugar?
"Gasp. That's allowed?"
The Skeleton Principal shoved Gainando—who had packed nothing but pancakes—straight into the sea and declared:
"Listen carefully. Of course, a picnic is a time to relax and enjoy. But at the same time, this is an <Advanced Basic Magic Character Education> lecture. Even while relaxing, you must uphold the fundamentals of the lesson."
"...Can't we just drop the word 'picnic' at this point?"
"What kind of picnic is this...?"
The students' faces darkened as the Skeleton Principal began his brutal etiquette lecture from the very start.
They hadn't expected much, but this felt like digging below rock bottom.
"Alright. Next—"
Lee Han calmly opened his lunchbox.
Given the limited prep time and the need for picnic-appropriate food, the main dish was a sandwich filled with lettuce, sliced ham, scrambled eggs, mayonnaise, cheese, and other neatly cut ingredients.
The black tea in the side bottle was still steaming hot, releasing a rich aroma...
...Wait, these tea leaves are from the professors' lounge!
'Oh no.'
Lee Han blamed himself for his carelessness.
With so many things he'd "borrowed" from here and there, he'd completely forgotten about this one.
Whoooooosh!
With an eerie sound, the wind began to blow increasingly stronger.
Upon discovering a tiny patch of land so small it was almost embarrassing to call it an island, the Skeleton Principal nodded in satisfaction.
The wind spirits must be furious. What perfect weather for a picnic.
"......"
"......"
"Everyone, off the boat! Let's unpack here."
The students disembarked, already half-soaked.
Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept in, knocking several students into the water.
"Hey. Everyone, get out your ropes and tie yourselves together."
"What kind of picnic requires..."
Though the Skeleton Principal grumbled, Lee Han ignored him and distributed ropes to his friends.
Thus, the students spread out cloths and blankets on the island and sat down. Yoner muttered beside them:
"This is the most depressing picnic I've ever been on in my life."
His friends nodded in agreement.
There was only one thing the students wanted right now:
For this damn picnic to be over as soon as possible!
"Let's at least start a fire first."
"Right."
As the students pulled out kindling and raised their wands, the Skeleton Principal smirked.
Just as expected, the fierce rainstorm extinguished the flames almost immediately.
"Everyone, step aside. I'll light it."
When Lee Han swung his wand, flames viciously devoured the firewood and roared to life. The Skeleton Principal scowled.
'Ruining a perfectly miserable picnic.'
"Listen up while you eat your lunches. The next activity for today's picnic is... hmm. A treasure hunt."
"?"
Even Gainando, who'd been grilling pancakes, tilted his head in confusion.
"Where's the treasure?"
"......"
"...Sigh."
Having experienced this before, the friends resignedly picked up their wands and prepared their Underwater Breathing Magic.
Ah, yes. This would be graded too.
"Can't we just remove the 'picnic' part altogether?"
<One crate of pickled herring>
<Two jars of marmalade>
<Four pouches of kaolin clay>
<Three containers of bone meal>
...
The treasures themselves weren't bad.
The problem was the weather.
Chatterchatterchatter—
"Did... did someone summon undead?"
"No. That's just Gainando's teeth chattering."
With Tanjuer's limited help, the students wandered about, painfully experiencing the true nature of the Spirit Flood.
Before the might of nature, a mage's magic was pathetically weak.
Spells like <Latent Heat Enchantment> that preserved body heat vanished in an instant...
"Yoner! Did you see? Did you see?! <Latent Heat Enchantment> worked! It's not burning in the fire!"
"...Lee Han. I don't think this is the time to celebrate."
Yoner grabbed Lee Han's sleeve to stop him while the other students stared in disbelief.
"...Ahem. My apologies, everyone. I've failed at this so many times."
"N-no, Wardanaz. It happens."
"Right. It's natural to be happy when a spell works."
"Exactly? I should try it a few more times."
Rarely excited, Lee Han went around casting <Latent Heat Enchantment> while his friends watched with indescribable expressions.
"Don't you understand Wardanaz's heart? There's no way he'd act like this over just one spell," Ashan scolded the others.
"Then why?"
"He's probably like this because you all were shivering so much from the cold. He must've been really worried."
"Ah!"
"That's...!"
Gainando tilted his head.
'He just looks excited to me?'
Of course, saying that out loud would probably get him thrown into the sea by his friends, so he kept quiet.
While Lee Han busied himself casting warming spells on his friends, the Skeleton Principal waited calmly.
Though the sight was admittedly unpleasant to watch, the picnic had only just begun.
It's about time to...
"...What did you do now?"
"Please don't tell me it's sirens again."
The Black Turtle Tower students groaned, making the Skeleton Principal startle and demand:
Who mentioned sirens first?!
"......"
"......"