Episode 511
Episode 511
Nilia raised her hand, cutting off Lee Han's words.
"Why?"
"W-well, I haven't been to the deep sea spirits' territory myself, but it's dangerous, isn't it?"
"Yes. It was dangerous."
"Then why did you go in there?"
"I was tricked."
"......"
Nilia was at a loss for words when her friend said he'd been tricked. If he was tricked, there was nothing he could do about it!
"So I fought the spirits that attacked me..."
"You fought them!?"
"Nilia. If you keep interrupting, I can't tell the story properly."
"Ah, no..."
Nilia felt wronged. No matter how she looked at it, this wasn't her fault.
"Anyway, I fought them, but fortunately a spirit who knew Uphinum came to help. When I asked that spirit to introduce me to a spirit I could contract with, they agreed."
"I see."
Nilia was about to nod along to her friend's story when she tilted her head in confusion.
"But aren't deep sea spirits violent and dangerous?"
"That's why I asked them to arrange a contract with some calm, friendly spirits from another territory."
"I see... Wait. They can arrange contracts with spirits from other territories?"
"Apparently it's possible?"
"???"
Nilia felt her common knowledge being shaken. Huh? No matter how powerful a spirit is, they shouldn't be able to arbitrarily command spirits from other territories, right??
"Want to see the spirit I contracted with?"
"Eh? Yeah. Show me."
Though flustered, Nilia agreed because she wanted to see the spirit Lee Han had contracted with.
"In the name of law and contract, I summon thee."
With a relatively short and simple incantation, a magical circle glowed and a fire spirit emerged from the Spirit World. It was a fire spirit shaped like a small sparrow.
'Pretty ordinary?'
Nilia was slightly taken aback. She'd been worried that since it was a Wardanaz summoning, something like a dragon might appear. But thinking about it, summoning spirits like this was actually the norm. Moreover, the Wardanaz family had never been opposed to limiting the power of fire magic when necessary.
"You contracted with this one because of fire magic, right?"
"Yeah. I figured a fire spirit would be the most suitable."
Even if Lee Han could somehow use other magic, fire magic consumed too much mental energy. In that case, it was better to leave it to a spirit.
Nilia gave the fire sparrow spirit a light glare. Not a serious one, but more of a performative glare meant to intimidate the spirit.
"You'd better behave!"
Even if they were lower-tier spirits, they weren't necessarily easy to handle. Powerful spirits acted powerful in their own way, while weaker spirits acted weak in their own way—both could be willful. Especially fire spirits, who tended to be impatient and mischievous, requiring extra caution.
......
The sparrow spirit didn't so much as twitch, maintaining a perfectly poised stance on Lee Han's shoulder. For a moment, Nilia thought time had stopped for the spirit.
"...You'd better behave?"
"Couldn't you hear Nilia?"
As soon as Lee Han spoke, the sparrow spirit flapped its wings and nodded its head.
"Guess it heard you."
Flap flap!
"One nod is enough."
Flap!
Lee Han patted the well-behaved sparrow spirit approvingly. Having gone through the trouble of contracting it, he found it all the more endearing. He'd been worried after seeing how much his other friends struggled with their spirits...
'Lucky him.'
It was clear Lee Han had been fortunate enough to meet a good-natured sparrow spirit.
"......"
Nilia had seen similar expressions before in the mountain ranges. Prey cornered by the Shadow Patrol usually wore that exact look.
'...Isn't it just terrified!?'
No matter how she thought about it, this didn't seem like a normal contract—it looked more like coercion and intimidation forcing compliance.
"What's wrong, Nilia?"
"Ah, it's nothing? I was just thinking how well the two of you get along!"
At Nilia's words, Lee Han nodded with a deeply satisfied expression. Seeing her friend like this made it even harder for Nilia to tell him the truth.
"Your spirit really is kind and diligent, isn't it? It listens so well too...! Meeting a spirit like this is rare! Right!"
"Haha. Thanks, Nilia. It's not really that impressive—just got lucky."
The basilisk coiled around Lee Han's wrist flicked its tail with a tap tap, as if annoyed. Everyone was paying way too much attention to a mere lower-tier spirit.
"If you ever go to the Spirit World again, want to visit Uphinum's territory together?"
"..."
"Are you sure we can go there? Really?"
Just then, Professor Milley called Lee Han.
"Lee Han."
"Yes, Professor."
"When you enter the Spirit World, even if a passage to another domain appears, you must not enter it. Understood?"
Professor Milley summoned Lee Han and relentlessly explained how dangerous it was to stray from the designated path and how incredibly lucky he had been this time. Nilia averted her gaze, uncomfortable at the rare sight of her top-ranked friend being scolded.
The Skeleton Principal grew puzzled when he saw Lee Han looking pleased.
'What's this? Did he master some spell from last time?'
"No, I made a contract with a spirit."
'Oh? With what kind? Did you find some ancient spirit?'
"I contracted with a low-rank flame spirit."
"......"
The Skeleton Principal stared at Lee Han as if he were looking at trash, his gaze filled with contempt.
'You other tower top-rankers, don't act like this guy.'
"......"
"But isn't Wardanaz the top of his year?"
At Salko's question, the Skeleton Principal pretended not to hear.
'Ah, the same composition as last semester. It'd be more fun if things changed.'
For the failing students—the Punishment Room.
For the honor students—the Tower of Rewards.
Following the Skeleton Principal's principle, the top and second-ranked students of each tower were granted access to the Tower of Rewards. A place where they only had to overcome the trials on each floor and claim their rewards!
But the students who had already tasted its bitterness in the first semester weren't fooled.
"We don't need any rewards, Headmaster."
"Can't we just go back?"
'No need for false humility. I know you all want it.'
'Now, starting with the White Tiger Tower!'
"The Punishment Room might be better..."
When Lee Han muttered this, the Skeleton Principal beside him snapped irritably.
'How dare you say such a thing?'
"?"
'Because of you, the number of failing students this semester has decreased! There aren't even enough candidates for the Punishment Room, and you dare say that?'
"Ah, yes. My apologies."
Lee Han regretted listening seriously.
'Just nonsense, then.'
Enter!
Adenart, standing beside him, gave a light greeting as if asking for cooperation. Seeing this, Lee Han realized once again that he had grown close to the Princess.
'Bribery really is the best.'
If he kept offering food like this, by second year, he might even be able to ask for minor guarantees. If guarantees were too much, maybe a recommendation letter for business...
"The hardest part of the Challenge of Cooperation is, indeed, cooperation. Students, help one another."
"?"
Lee Han was puzzled by the challenge's explanation.
'Isn't it easy?'
Unless they were on bad terms, Lee Han was quite close to the Princess. No matter what challenge came, it didn't seem too difficult...
'No, considering the tower's difficulty, there might be a brutal challenge.'
Perhaps the trial would force him to cash in the guarantee he had planned to ask for later. Lee Han vowed not to let that happen.
Creak—
The door opened, and students from the White Tiger Tower, Black Turtle Tower, and Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix, who had entered earlier from another direction, walked in.
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Adenart frowned simultaneously.
Though an unexpected situation had unfolded, Lee Han remained calm and shouted decisively.
"Everyone, don't move! We can cooperate!"
At Lee Han's shout, Giselle and Salko didn't nod—they just looked incredulous.
"Put down your staff first before talking."
"Why are you pointing your staff at us while saying that?"
"It's just habit. Anyway, don't move."
"......"
Though baffled, the two didn't act rashly. They knew Wardanaz never lied in situations like this. Normally, he was lenient enough to forgive a Ganando stealing food from the storage, but when things got serious, Wardanaz could turn cold in an instant.
'Even if we counterattack, it's too risky right now.'
'If we use Moradi as a shield, could we Black Turtle Tower students escape?'
"Excuse me, everyone."
Priestess Dijiling cautiously raised her hand.
"I don't know exactly what this challenge entails, but if we keep confronting each other like this, we'll only suffer mutual losses."
"He's right. Let's trust each other."
Lee Han spoke while still pointing his staff. Giselle and Salko didn't even bother pointing it out—they knew he'd keep holding it anyway!
Salko crossed his arms and asked,
"Wardanaz, you were the last to enter. Do you know anything about this trial?"
"No, I don't have any extra information either. But I have a guess."
Lee Han coolly scanned his friends and said,
"Probably a trial where we have to reduce our numbers by attacking each other to overcome it."
"......"
"...?"
Silence fell briefly. Even Adenart beside him tilted his head and stared at Lee Han.
"Where did you get that idea...?"
"If they gathered students from different towers to test cooperation, isn't that kind of trial obvious?"
When Lee Han spoke as if it were the most natural thing, Adenart wavered slightly.
'Is... is that so?'
The Wardanaz boy sounded so serious that it almost seemed plausible...
"Alright. Let's cooperate and decide on a fair way to reduce our numbers. Understood?"
"Sounds insane, but if that's really the case, we have no choice. Better than pointlessly fighting and getting wiped out..."
Salko answered with a heavy heart.
"What a bunch of greenhorn mages!" A ghostly mage rose from the center of the tower. The translucent specter wielding a staff scanned the students with glowing eyes.
"With such clumsy magic, you'll never overcome this trial. Do you truly believe you can defeat me by working together?"
"?"
"...?"
The students blinked in confusion as the ghost mage appeared instead of the "kill a few to proceed" scenario Lee Han had described. Salko hesitantly asked,
"Wasn't this supposed to be a trial where we reduce our numbers to advance...?"
"What? What kind of horrific delusion is that?" The ghost mage stared at Salko in disbelief. The goal of this trial was for students from different towers to unite and defeat a stronger mage—since when did trials involve forcibly culling participants?
"......"
"......"
-?
Instead of answering, the students all turned to stare pointedly at one person. Puzzled, the ghost mage followed their gaze—just as Lee Han unleashed his spell.
"Blinding Flash!"
"Not bad!" Though startled, the ghost mage deftly deflected the lightning with a swing of his staff. Simultaneously, a violent gale erupted, hurling sharp rock fragments like buckshot in all directions. The students swiftly took cover. Lee Han immediately barked orders.
"Everyone, attack that ghost!"
"Wardanaz, you clearly just said—"
"Salko! Is this really the time for pointless chatter?!"
Lee Han's roar left Salko slightly aggrieved but forced to shut his mouth. Right now, the priority was taking down the ghost mage—and in battles like this, no one commanded better than a Wardanaz. As Salko gritted his teeth and prepared to fight, Giselle thought to herself:
'I really just want to punch him once.'
No wonder the trial had said, "At times, the hardest challenge is cooperation." Forget the ghost mage—she wanted to swing her sword with all her pent-up frustration.
"Moradi! Enchant your blade!"
"Got it."
Giselle prepared her magic behind cover, ears pricked. Sticking her head out carelessly would only get her hit—in situations like this, she had to rely on sound to track the enemy.
'The opposite side—Blue Dragon Tower's position.'
Confirming it was safe, Giselle signaled the Black Turtle Tower students: a command to rise and strike the enemy's rear. Tutanta acknowledged with a nod.
"Three. Two. One. Now!"
The students sprang up, ready to attack—only to see Lee Han and Adenart panting heavily over the already-defeated ghost mage.
"......"
"......"
Giselle slashed her sword through the words "Challenge of Cooperation," crossing out "cooperation" entirely.