Episode 537
Episode 537
Though it wasn't an ability he'd particularly wanted, after spending nearly a year at Einrogard, Lee Han had developed a certain knack for reading the Skeleton Principal's thoughts.
Even now was no exception.
Seeing the mercenaries training in the warehouse, he found himself imagining with strange specificity what might happen at the end of the year.
The Skeleton Principal suddenly raising a fuss about an external attack, warning them to be wary of outsiders, then hordes of mercenaries suspiciously adept at dealing with mages swarming in... 'Wait, weren't those anti-magic activists and adventurers from before also part of the Skeleton Principal's trap?' The Headmaster would've been terribly wronged if he heard this, but it was closer to karma than anything.
Just like the boy who cried wolf lost trust through repeated pranks, the Skeleton Principal had already lost all credibility.
Lee Han peered through a gap in the warehouse wall to observe the mercenaries.
It was downright absurd watching these mercenaries—who looked like they could casually kill a few people over lunch—cower before the Death Knights while whispering among themselves about "how to deal with mages." 'I should remember their faces and warn others to be careful.'
Having completed his "final exam"—or rather, his inspection of the mercenaries—Lee Han turned back.
To avoid unnecessary suspicion, he needed to return as quickly as possible.
Clapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclap
"...?"
Lee Han was baffled when he returned to the original café.
An even more thunderous round of applause was erupting from all directions—far more intense than when Ifadur had sung earlier. 'What the hell? Did Einrogard collapse or something?' In Lee Han's imagination, unless Einrogard had actually been destroyed, there was no way such enthusiastic applause would be breaking out.
Amid the noise, Lee Han calmly grabbed the elf merchant beside him and asked, "What happened?"
The elf couldn't answer. He was still sobbing uncontrollably, overwhelmed by emotion.
"Please, just one more song!"
"One more! Just one more!"
"We should probably get going. More importantly, where is that Wardanaz brat?"
At the Skeleton Principal's words, Lee Han raised his hand.
"Right here."
"Why are you over there?"
"People shoved me aside?"
"Shoved? Shoved?! Did you attend Einrogard, or did you frolic in some peaceful pasture where sheep leisurely graze?"
The Skeleton Principal scolded Lee Han with a gesture.
The enraptured crowd, still lost in their emotional high, reached out with ecstatic expressions—only to be violently shoved back by an invisible force.
"Let's go. Because of stubborn students insisting on wasting magic, I have to resort to all sorts of nonsense."
"Ah, it was truly moving."
Lee Han said tactfully.
He hadn't actually heard the Skeleton Principal's song, but judging by the reactions around him, it must have been quite touching.
Ifadur fervently agreed. The old bard's eyes were moist with tears.
"Indeed...! Isn't this the very reason this old poet still lives?" 'Wait, what the hell did he even sing?' Lee Han couldn't help but suspect the Skeleton Principal had threatened the Death Knights into pretending to be moved.
"Enough. That's hardly a compliment worth feeling good about."
"How in the world did you master such an extraordinary song?"
"I learned it long ago, back when I was a prince, to bring joy to the people in the palace. A very long time ago."
Ifadur was deeply moved by this poignant backstory.
Lee Han, however, was just bewildered. 'I can't even imagine it.' Hearing about the Skeleton Principal's childhood would only leave him baffled.
It was like hearing "Professor Voladi was such a kind and gentle child back in the day"—nothing but pure confusion.
"Let's go. We have somewhere to stop by before closing."
"Huh? Where?"
"We need instruments too. If you're going to practice Music Magic."
The central district of Granden City was a quiet area frequented by urban nobles and the wealthy.
Among the many quaint shops there was <Inpalenin's Trio>.
"Ah, I've heard of it. A master instrument craftsman, right?"
"Likely so. Even back when I summoned him for artifact-related matters, his skills were decent." 'Why "Trio" though?' Lee Han wondered as he followed the two inside.
The shop was like a museum of musical instruments.
From familiar instruments Lee Han knew by name to uniquely shaped ones he'd never seen before, a diverse array of instruments was on display.
Somewhere, the faint sound of a seven-stringed zither played briefly before abruptly cutting off.
Soon after, the shop owner, Inphalenin, appeared.
'Ah.'
Now Lee Han understood why the shop was named "The Trio." Inphalenin was an asura with three heads and six arms.
"Th-th-the heavens! The two I respect most in this world have graced my humble shop...!"
"Calm yourself. Keep those arms still."
The Skeleton Principal hurriedly stopped him, fearing Inphalenin might wildly swing his six arms and topple the instruments.
He couldn't bear to see this finely polished reddish-brown space ruined by shattered instrument debris.
"Wh-what brings you here...? Do you need help with an Artifact? But I... I... um..."
"We're not here to request an Artifact."
At the Headmaster's words, Inphalenin's face brightened instantly.
"What a relief! I had no confidence in meeting that mage's demands...!"
"......"
For some reason, Lee Han had a hunch about which troublesome mage he was referring to and glanced at the Skeleton Principal.
Perhaps genuinely remorseful, the Headmaster sighed and spoke.
"...My apologies. You won't have to deal with that... that individual again, so don't worry. Even if I make requests in the future, I'll ensure they keep their distance."
"Not at all! It was an honor to be entrusted with your work—the fault lies in my own inadequacy."
"Today, we're here to buy an instrument. This disciple of mine needs to practice musical magic... Hm. Do you know how to play any instruments?"
The Headmaster asked without much expectation.
Naturally, he assumed Lee Han didn't and planned to pick the easiest instrument for him—
Something like a pan flute or a kalimba...
"I can play the violin."
"The violin?"
The unexpected answer surprised the Headmaster.
Though music was part of noble education, it was strictly for appreciation, not performance.
Mastering an instrument to a functional level required grueling effort—hardly a match for lazy nobles.
Yet here was a boy from the Wardanaz family claiming he could play the violin.
"The Wardanaz family rarely holds concerts, do they? You must really love music."
"No..."
Having mentioned the instrument without much thought, Lee Han was flustered at suddenly being labeled a music enthusiast.
"I don't that much."
"Right. Of course not."
"......"
The Headmaster dismissed Lee Han's words like a pebble on the road and began discussing instruments with Inphalenin.
Lee Han glared at him.
"How about this one?"
"The wood is too wild. An instrument like this would tarnish the player's reputation."
"Fair point. The backplate on this one is too peculiar. The resonance is good, but it might encourage bad habits."
"Excellent choice. Ah, this one is quite nice. They used redsilver wood."
"Redsilver? The elemental balance seems skewed... Let's set it aside for now. We'll know once we try playing it."
An excited Inphalenin rushed over.
"If I may suggest, this might suit the young master. I waited a month in the frigid Sigumparri Mountains just to craft this bow..."
As the three chattered away, Lee Han, who had been silently watching, suddenly grew curious and asked:
"By the way, Headmaster. Whose money is paying for this? Surely not mine...?"
"Don't spout nonsense. Others might misunderstand."
Perhaps because of listening ears, the Headmaster reacted more sharply than usual.
"Of course I'll pay with my own gold. It's necessary for magical research."
"Eh? That's allowed?"
"Obviously. It's disgustingly wasteful, but what choice do I have? Remember this well—skimping on funds for magic research only leads to greater expenses later."
'Is this why Imperial Bureaucrats hate Einrogard?'
The Headmaster's words did hold some truth.
If you cheaped out on materials and equipment to save gold, the results could turn out wrong.
Then you'd have to redo the experiment, costing even more...
To avoid that, it was best to prepare thoroughly from the start.
Of course, such reasoning held little persuasive power for the imperial officials in charge of finances.
No matter how rationally one tried to justify it, receiving a report that said, "We burned half a ton of pure gold in the pursuit of magical research, haha, but it's still incomplete—please send more funding," would make anyone's neck stiffen and their vision darken.
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
"Good. Don't go selling it off somewhere."
"......"
"Why the hesitation?"
"I was briefly worried someone might steal it."
"Don't worry. I'll place a spell on it. If anyone steals it, I'll hunt them down and retrieve it for you."
'Tch.'
Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly at the Skeleton Principal's thoroughness.
No matter what excuse he came up with, selling it seemed impossible.
"Out of these three, you should pick one..."
"I was thinking the same."
After a long discussion, the choices had narrowed down to three.
The first was a stable violin made from fully matured eight-tier wood, combining the strengths of only the most renowned violins in the empire as observed by Inphalenin.
The second was made from young twilight wood. Though its body and fingerboard structure were quite experimental, sacrificing stability for a unique character, it was well-suited to grow alongside a young musician.
And the last one wasn't a violin crafted by Inphalenin but one acquired from elsewhere.
Its history was drenched in blood—the previous owner died in a love affair gone wrong, the one before that perished in an unfortunate accident mid-performance, and the one before that died in a fire. A truly ominous artifact.
"The first one seems the safest..."
"I agree. Given your inexperience, it would be best..."
Lee Han was naturally inclined toward the first option, but the Skeleton Principal decisively chose:
"The third one."
"...Why in the world?"
At Lee Han's question, the Headmaster replied as if it were obvious.
"Can't you sense the mana? It's rare for a natural object to be imbued with that much."
"No, but—"
They were here to pick an instrument, not a mana-infused relic.
Of course, Lee Han could sense the mana emanating from the third violin too.
It was just that it felt vicious and wild.
Given that all its previous owners met tragic ends, it would've been stranger if the mana felt pure and serene.
"If you're considering Music Magic, you should obviously pick the item with higher mana."
"But it's cursed!"
"Look at your own arm."
"?"
Lee Han glanced down at his arm at the Headmaster's words.
The cursed artifacts he usually wore jingled faintly.
"You, who dangles cursed artifacts all over yourself, have the nerve to— Here, take it."
"Are—are you sure? This wasn't even meant for sale..."
"Then it must be cheaper!"
* * *
By the time all their business was concluded, the weekend was nearly over.
As the carriage passed through Einrogard's gates, Lee Han let out a sigh.
Even for someone like him, it was bitter to see such a golden weekend end like this.
"Huh."
When the Skeleton Principal casually spoke while looking ahead, Lee Han followed his gaze.
Professor Voladi stood waiting, his face expressionless.
"Why is the professor here?"
"Ah— Damn it. I forgot. Professor Bagrak mentioned he had something to teach you this weekend."
"Why on the weekend?"
"His weekdays are packed because of the other professors."
"...?"
Lee Han tilted his head at the inexplicable unease in the conversation.
The way the professors shared information was too seamless.
What was going on?
"Professor Bagrak! Sorry for shaking up the schedule, but there was a reason."
The Skeleton Principal stepped out of the carriage and approached Professor Voladi. Meanwhile, Lee Han, who was busy helping Ifadur down, froze at the next words.
"That kid kept pestering me about Music Magic, so I had no choice but to bring him along. Well, I'll be off now."
The Headmaster reverted to his skeletal form and vanished with a whoosh.
Lee Han locked eyes with Professor Voladi's blank expression before instinctively glancing at Ifadur.
'Hm. I'm screwed.'
Blaming Ifadur and escaping wasn't an option—Lee Han's magic simply wasn't strong enough.