Episode 611
Episode 611
"It's a Wizard's Attack!!"
"What!?"
The mercenaries upstairs were startled by the shout from below.
Ugda quickly pulled out a regeneration potion, drank it, and grabbed his shield and mace. It was a reaction befitting a seasoned mercenary.
"Who dares—!?"
"Wasn't it the Thieves' Guild who hired us? Those arrogant bastards. We should've finished them off!"
"Everyone, stay calm! Wizards aren't invincible!"
Ugda shouted firmly at his subordinates.
The most important thing now was to prevent his men from fleeing.
Any mercenary who had ever been on a battlefield feared wizards. When eerie incantations were chanted and magic was completed, it was commonplace for dozens of people nearby to be obliterated—how could they not be afraid?
"Their magic is powerful precisely because it takes time to prepare. On a battlefield, maybe, but since they've come to us first like this, they won't be able to cast anything too strong!"
"Exactly...!"
"Follow my lead. I'll cut that wizard's head off myself!"
Ugda raised his shield and stepped forward, leading by example.
To command these wild dogs and wolves, he couldn't show any weakness.
With his magically reinforced shield and the regeneration potion he'd just drunk, he should be able to withstand at least one decent spell!
Gulp.
One of the mercenaries waiting at the top of the stairs swallowed hard.
Judging by the screams growing louder from below, the wizard seemed to be approaching.
"Mercenary scum. You're all clearly visible just standing there. Why don't you come down instead?"
A mocking voice drifted up from below. The mercenaries exchanged startled glances.
"Don't fall for it! The wizard's trying to provoke us. They can't cast spells back-to-back!"
"That's only true for half-trained street trash."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a sword burst through the floor. The icy blue blade traced a straight line in an instant, piercing through the mercenaries.
"AAARGH!"
"GYAAAH!"
"Wh-why?! Who sent you?!"
Ugda shouted in shock.
The wizard's skill far exceeded his expectations.
For his entire group to be taken down in a single strike...
Even if they looted the entire Thieves' Guild's wealth, they wouldn't be able to hire a wizard of this caliber.
"You should've received a letter."
"A... letter?"
"Yes. A letter from Einrogard. Don't tell me you didn't get it? Even if you didn't, don't complain. It's your own fault for not receiving it."
"N-no. I got it! I got it! But I didn't realize it was serious!"
"You read the letter I wrote with all sincerity and didn't think it was serious? How insulting."
Ugda broke out in a cold sweat at the wizard's reply.
He had heard rumors about the eccentric temper of wizards before. Judging by this one's power, their personality was undoubtedly just as peculiar.
"I didn't know much about magic, so I misunderstood."
"Of course you ignored it—you didn't know any better. If someone who did know ignored it, they'd be insane."
"...Let's talk this out. Just talk!"
"Talk? Aren't we doing that right now?"
The Skeleton Principal chuckled dryly as he ascended the stairs.
"If I hadn't been talking, everyone here would already be dead."
"......"
"And if you were serious about talking, you should've put down that mace. You're transparent, trash."
"!"
Ugda flinched, realizing his thoughts had been read.
While talking, he had planned to lull the wizard into complacency, then attempt close combat once they came up.
He was dancing in the palm of the wizard's hand.
Ugda tightened his grip on the mace and tried to lunge forward with a roar.
At that moment, the sword embedded in the wall flashed back like lightning, piercing straight through Ugda's body.
Crunch!
"Guh... gahk..."
As Ugda—now completely frozen into an ice statue except for his face—stood immobilized, the Skeleton Principal offered some advice.
"From now on, don't ignore letters."
"M-my slave that I paid good money for...! Why would you...! That kind of trash isn't even usable in the Magic Tower! At best he'd only be good as a test subject, so why go this far—"
THWACK!
Lee Han, who had been listening from behind, got slightly angry and blasted Ugda's jaw off with a Water Prison Bomb.
Wasn't that going too far!
"Wasn't that going too far?"
"Are you talking about your Water Orb? It was a bit excessive, but there's no need to feel guilty over killing one piece of trash like that."
"No... I was referring to what that person just said. ...Wait, did he die?"
"He might be dead, or he might not be. Unlucky if dead, lucky if alive. What does it matter? This way."
The Skeleton Principal treated the fallen mercenaries like crumpled paper balls to be discarded.
After casually kicking them outside the building, he ordered the Death Knights to take them to prison.
SCREECH—
Lee Han wrinkled his nose at the musty moldy stench inside the door.
He'd known the mercenaries had bought and imprisoned slaves, but the conditions were worse than he'd imagined.
There were no other slaves in sight, only a metal cage covered with cloth deep inside the room—the kind used to confine wild beasts.
"Is the slave from a physically strong race?"
"Hmm. Remove the cloth."
Following the Headmaster's words, Lee Han approached and lifted the cloth.
Then he gasped in shock.
The slave sleeping inside the cage was, astonishingly, a gorgon hybrid.
"...Uh..."
Would it be okay for a gorgon hybrid to enroll at Einrogard?
Lee Han panicked momentarily.
Regardless of anything else, gorgons were monsters born with the Petrification Curse—creatures that could turn enemies to stone just by meeting their gaze.
Naturally, the gorgon hybrid must have inherited at least some of that ability...
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Pity. If you'd asked whether a gorgon hybrid can enroll, I would've relayed that directly to Professor Garcia."
"......"
Lee Han shuddered at the Skeleton Principal's wicked sense of humor.
"Wake them up. We need to take them with us."
"Wait. Headmaster. If they open their eyes, won't the Petrification Curse activate?"
"Who here would get petrified?" 'Does this guy only think about himself?' Lee Han grumbled internally.
"Even if you'd be fine, Headmaster, I—"
"You're immune too."
"...Huh, really?"
"You fought a basilisk already, and you've forgotten already? Why act surprised now?"
Under the Headmaster's disdainful gaze, Lee Han felt slightly embarrassed.
It was as if he'd become an oblivious fool regarding his own capabilities.
"I asked because while I might withstand a basilisk's gaze, a gorgon's might be different—"
"Stop spouting nonsense and just wake them up."
Lee Han opened the cage door, stepped inside, and shook the gorgon hybrid junior's shoulder.
Snore snore!
"How can they sleep so soundly in this situation?"
"Those with monster bloodlines tend to be mentally tough too. Seeing how peacefully they're sleeping, waking them seems almost cruel."
The Skeleton Principal used magic to make the gorgon hybrid move.
Still deeply asleep, their forced movements resembled a grotesque jointed doll.
"Won't they spread the Petrification Curse if they wake up midway?"
"Good point."
The Headmaster wrapped the junior's entire face in bandages, leaving only the nose and mouth exposed.
"There. Let's go."
"Headmaster... Wouldn't it be better if we returned separately—"
Of course, the Skeleton Principal didn't let Lee Han go.
When Eandurde opened their eyes, the first thing they noticed was that the air had changed.
It felt far fresher than the usual damp, musty atmosphere.
Sniff!
Taking a deep breath, Eandurde closed their eyes again to assess their physical condition, preparing for whatever battle might come next.
"It wasn't bad. No matter what enemy came, I could turn them to stone and inject venom."
Though she'd been sold from place to place and met many slaves along the way, Eandurde's way of thinking remained simple.
If an enemy appears, fight.
Win and eat your fill. Lose and go hungry.
Beyond that, she had little interest. Eandurde counted how long it might be until her next fight.
Given how the surroundings had changed, she might get to fight soon. The thrill of battle and the subsequent feast made Eandurde nod in satisfaction.
'Who covered my face?'
Only after nodding did Eandurde realize someone had tightly wrapped her face in bandages.
It was surely done by the arena operators.
Though she didn't fully understand, those who prepared fights often spouted incomprehensible things like "to adjust the odds" or "for the audience's interest."
This was probably something like that.
"Headmaster, she's awake."
"Remove the bandages and tell her to eat."
"There's only sardines on the table right now."
"Then go smack Pengerin around a bit."
"...I'll just prepare something myself."
Eandurde assumed a combat stance at the distant voices.
The fight might start the moment the bandages came off.
Sniff!
Eandurde took another deep breath, readying herself.
"I'll undo the bandages now. Don't be startled."
The instant the bandages loosened, Eandurde moved.
She fired a gaze with maximum force while simultaneously striking with her snake-like hair to bite her opponent.
"...Uh, what are you doing?"
Lee Han stared at his junior with a baffled expression.
Using petrifying eyes and snake hair to bite the moment the bandages were off?
The basilisk hidden in his sleeve hissed furiously, as if itching to strike if given the command.
"Junior, I think there's a misunderstanding—"
Eandurde grabbed Lee Han's shoulders, leaped up, and tried to choke him.
Lee Han reacted reflexively. He kneed her solar plexus, created distance, then kicked her sideways, sending her flying.
"...Gah! What did I just—?!"
Horrified by his own actions, Lee Han apologized.
His time at Einrogard's harsh environment had conditioned him to reflexively counterattack when threatened.
Sniff!
Eandurde charged again, as if declaring she wasn't beaten yet. Lee Han immediately grabbed her head with one hand and pinned it firmly to the floor.
When her snake hair reared to strike, the basilisk shot out from his sleeve with a deadly glare, making the hair shrink back in submission.
Eandurde strained with all her might, grunting to break free, but once her stamina ran out, she slumped in defeat.
"I lose..."
"R-right. Sorry. Are you hurt badly?"
"It's fine..."
"I'm letting go now. You won't attack again, right?"
Eandurde nodded. Lee Han released her and helped her up.
"Headmaster, please explain Einrogard to her."
"I'm busy—you do it. Just don't beat the junior too much."
"......"
Lee Han cursed the Skeleton Principal internally before beginning his explanation to Eandurde.
So, there's this absolutely hellish place in the Empire...
"...But there's no better place to learn magic and build connections. Your magical talent is exceptional. I'd love for you to study magic here. It'd be a great opportunity."
"Do they serve meals?"
"They do, but you have to fight to eat properly..."
Eandurde's eyes sparkled at Lee Han's words.
"I'll go!"
"...Wait. I think you're deciding too hastily. Let me explain again. So, Einrogard is a truly hellish—"
"Enough! If she likes it, why are you making it worse?"
The Skeleton Principal, watching from the study, scolded Lee Han for his unnecessary additions.