Episode 613
Episode 613
As Lee Han stepped outside, Eandurde came scurrying after him.
"Junior. You need to stay here."
"??"
Eandurde stared at him as if asking why that was necessary.
Seeing that expression, Lee Han pondered how to explain.
"Well, you see... where we're going now, there's no telling what kind of violence the Headmaster might—"
"Don't casually slander people. I've already used up all my violence."
The Skeleton Principal cut off Lee Han's words and slipped a bracelet onto Eandurde's wrist.
It was a bracelet designed to suppress both the petrification curse from the magic eye and the hair that transformed into snakes.
"May I take him along?"
"If he's to adapt to Einrogard, he needs practice moving around as much as he needs studies."
Hearing his junior growl, Lee Han suddenly grew concerned.
Surely he wouldn't attack random citizens, would he? 'I must absolutely prevent that.' Lee Han firmly resolved not to let his junior become an imperial criminal.
"Let's go."
Following behind the Skeleton Principal, the two students set off.
The junior sniffed the air, taking in the scents of people passing by.
"That thing..."
"That's an ice cream cone. They use a baked waffle as the cone and put ice cream on top."
At Lee Han's explanation, the junior's eyes sparkled.
He immediately prepared to snatch the ice cream cone from a passing child's hands.
"Transform into steel, cloak!"
Quickly binding the junior's limbs with his cloak before transforming it into steel, Lee Han urgently whispered:
"What did I tell you, junior? About attacking first...?"
"Ah. You mustn't attack first!"
"Exactly!"
At Lee Han's words, Eandurde looked crestfallen.
He had really wanted to try that snack.
"...Headmaster. Please give me some money to buy ice cream."
"If I buy everything they want to eat, it'll spoil the child."
Despite saying this, the Skeleton Principal flicked an imperial silver coin his way. Lee Han went to the stall and bought an ice cream cone.
"Here. When you want something, you buy it with money. Understand?"
"Money comes from work."
"Exactly!"
Seeing his junior licking the ice cream while repeating what he'd learned so admirably, Lee Han felt a swell of pride.
True to his clever nature, when taught one thing, he remembered three.
"But is taking money forbidden?"
"...Junior. Let's go over this again. So if you take money first..."
On their way to meet the new student from the Pengerin family, Lee Han continued instructing Eandurde.
While the junior grasped concepts quickly, whenever passersby carried something interesting, he'd forget his lessons and assume a combat stance.
Observing this, the Skeleton Principal remarked:
"We should enroll him in Einrogard soon."
"......"
Lee Han grew worried that once enrolled, his junior might earn nicknames like "The Beast of the Black Turtle Tower" among tower mates.
He should have lots of friends like Nilia...
"That thing—"
"I said no!"
Lee Han immediately grabbed the junior by the scruff with one hand while waving his wand to firmly secure the cloak with the other.
The junior spoke with a dazed expression:
"I think we've arrived..."
"...Haha! Your observation skills are excellent! How admirable!"
Lee Han quickly released his grip and praised the junior.
Eandurde, forgetting he'd just been misunderstood, beamed and nodded happily.
The Pengerin family was one of the Empire's most prestigious bloodlines, and its nobles carried correspondingly immense pride.
Among those who inherited these traits most strongly was Alhidis.
Before even turning ten, Alhidis had mastered not only imperial script but also scripts from the Three Kingdoms era, Ancient Kingdom period, and Seven Kingdoms era, while solving all manner of complex arithmetic problems.
His talents weren't limited to intellect alone.
In swordsmanship—considered essential noble education—he achieved feats that impressed many masters, while also excelling without exception in music, literature, and art.
Given his extraordinary talents, the family's expectations for him were naturally immense.
"That's precisely why he should be sent to Einrogard. We already decided on Einrogard—why change our minds now? Are you trying to tarnish the Pengerin family's reputation?"
"If it's for Alhid's future, I can endure even if the Pengerin family's reputation gets a little sullied. I'll persuade Lord Gonadaltes myself! Alhid has no need to waste time mingling with mediocre talents. We should summon private tutors and have him study at home!"
"Why do you think other nobles send their children to Einrogard instead of hiring private tutors? Einrogard is the Empire's most prestigious and time-honored magic school. How many nobles who received magic education from private tutors ever achieved remarkable accomplishments?"
"That's only because the mages they hired as tutors were incompetent! If we bring in the best, it'll be different. Whether it's a magic school or a magic tower, we can't let him waste precious time mingling with ordinary talents!"
The family members fiercely debated over Alhid's future.
The elders insisted that he shouldn't waste his precious time and should instead focus on proper self-study alone, while the relatively younger members argued that they shouldn't make unnecessary attempts and should just send him to Einrogard.
Both sides genuinely held Alhid's talents in high regard, which only intensified the conflict. Neither was willing to yield easily.
"Alhid. What do you think? Wouldn't you like to go to Einrogard? It's a chance to hone your skills alongside the Empire's finest talents at its greatest magic school."
"Don't pressure him needlessly, Alhid. Even if you go, you'll struggle to find anyone who matches your level. You'll just waste time and end up lonely!"
Alhid hesitated, glancing between the family elders.
He knew his own talents were exceptional, but deciding which path was right wasn't easy.
Considering the outstanding instructors, going to Einrogard seemed correct—but then again, if he went, he might not find friends on his level, and it could just feel like a waste of time...
"Are you here?"
"L-Lord Gonadaltes! Forgive this discourtesy... Please, come in."
"No need. I happened to overhear the discussion. I see. So you're debating enrollment due to young Pengerin's talents."
"Y-Yes, Your Excellency. Forgive my presumptuous words, but in my foolish opinion, it seems more efficient for Alhid to study on his own rather than enroll..."
The Skeleton Principal maintained his composure.
Thankfully, his winter affairs had concluded early—otherwise, he might have lost his temper.
"That's understandable. Everyone has such concerns."
"Your Excellency! I knew you would understand!"
While the Skeleton Principal placated the Pengerin family's penguin beastfolk with feigned diplomacy, Lee Han whispered to his junior.
"That guy over there is one of the students who'll be enrolling with you."
"Fight? Struggle? Submit?"
"No, I'm not telling you to fight... Well, actually, if he's from another tower, you might end up fighting. I just meant he could be someone you enter with. If you can, try to befriend him."
"He looks weak."
"Being weak doesn't mean you can't be friends, I mean—"
"Wardanaz. Come here."
Lee Han, who had been instructing his junior on "Making Friends at Einrogard," froze at the Skeleton Principal's call.
"What is it, sir?"
"The Pengerin family here wishes to know the average standard of Einrogard students!"
"...?"
Lee Han wondered what the average standard of Einrogard students had to do with him.
Was he supposed to give a speech or something?
"Should I call Gainen to speak as well?"
"No need for that."
The Skeleton Principal placed a hand on Lee Han's shoulder and declared:
"This Wardanaz fellow here is, by Einrogard's standards, a fairly average student."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
Of course, he wasn't overflowing with arrogance or overconfidence, but he at least knew he wasn't "average" by Einrogard's standards.
"After all, he was the top student!"
"That's precisely why observing this fellow will give you a sense of Einrogard's average standards. Now, Pengerin. Come here."
Alhildren walked forward with visible tension from encountering unfamiliar mages.
Yet there was also a glimmer of confidence in his demeanor.
The confidence that even if they were his seniors, he wouldn't be outmatched in knowledge.
"In what area does Pengerin excel?"
"Alhildren has no shortcomings when it comes to handling numbers."
"Would you care to demonstrate?"
Without hesitation, the Pengerin family members brought out a thick arithmetic tome.
They randomly flipped open a page.
"Here. Alhildren. Solve this."
-The mage wishes to purchase the following items with twenty-two silver coins...
Scratch scratch.
-Alhildren bowed his head and began swiftly moving his quill. Numbers and equations flew chaotically across the page.
How much time had passed?
Finally, Alhildren lifted his head with the answer.
"I've solved it!"
"......"
"......"
"?"
The unusual reaction left Alhildren bewildered.
The family elders were exchanging baffled glances between Alhildren and Lee Han.
"Well done, Pengerin. But your senior here wrote down the answer the moment you lowered your head."
"...?!!"
Alhildren stared at Lee Han in disbelief.
Astonishingly, the paper Lee Han held bore the exact same answer Alhildren had arrived at.
And it was written cleanly, without a single equation! 'This can't be! It's a trick!'
The Skeleton Principal spoke with an arrogant tone.
"You're not bad either, Pengerin. You might be slightly lacking by Einrogard's standards... but well... Einrogard isn't so cruel as to reject students for being slightly inadequate." 'This is really too much.' Lee Han felt slightly guilty seeing his penguin-beastman junior's world-crumbling expression.
Someone of Alhildren's caliber could probably rank within the top five among first-years.
It wasn't that Alhildren was lacking—Lee Han was just excessively skilled in arithmetic...
"A-Alhildren isn't just good with numbers! Alhildren is also exceptionally proficient with texts."
"Would you care to demonstrate?"
Without hesitation, the Pengerin family members brought out a thick historical text from the Three Kingdoms era.
They randomly flipped open a page.
"Here. Alhildren. Read this."
-As the three kingdoms burned the continent with mutual hatred, the enraged ■■■■■ rose in retaliation...
"Hold on."
The Skeleton Principal pointed out when Alhildren subtly skipped over it, halting his recitation.
"Why did you skip that?"
"Huh? It's erased, so I can't read—"
"It's not erased. Wardanaz? Explain."
"...That's rewritten in Seoharin Kingdom script. In Seoharin script, it reads 'Gonadaltes.'"
"!!!!"
Alhildren was utterly shocked by Lee Han's words.
Unlike before, there was no room for trickery here.
This was a book the family had brought out themselves! 'T-there's someone... more skilled than me?!'
"Next, what? Swordsmanship?"
"Y-yes."
"Bring a sword. Wardanaz."
At the Skeleton Principal's merciless command, Lee Han whispered,
"Headmaster. Isn't this a bit cruel?"
"You think I'm cruel for trying to admit a talentless kid out of pity? Thanks for the consolation."
"...No, I meant this junior—"
"I'm giving him a free reality check, and you think I should be thanked, not pitied? It's better he realizes now. Realizing it when he's older would turn him into an Alsicle—would that be better?"
Watching the Skeleton Principal ruthlessly tear into the absent Alsicle, Lee Han quietly shut his mouth and went to fetch a sword.
After several rounds of matches, the Pengerin family's reception room had grown quite silent.
One of the family elders murmured softly,
"Perhaps Alhildren's talent wasn't as exceptional as we thought..."
"Could it be we were just too enchanted because he's one of our own?"
"...W-what are you saying! Even outsiders praised Alhildren's talent!"
"Maybe they were just being polite."
"...?!"
C-could that be true!?