Episode 655
Episode 655
"Huh, how can someone say something so terrible upon first meeting?"
Priest Siana muttered in shock.
Among Einrogard students, the term "fifth-year" was considered worse than insulting one's family.
No matter how much of an enemy someone was, how could anyone tell another to "keep rotting in Einrogard"?
"P-please calm down, Priest. At Baldrogard, it might have a different meaning."
"No magic school would ever use 'rot for five years' as a positive expression!"
Ingsen was flustered by the words of the snake beastman student wearing Flemeng Order priest robes.
The priest had been far too blunt. 'Is he really a priest...?' "What does this 'fifth-year' business mean?"
Lee Han, who had been maintaining a quiet silence, finally spoke up.
Though his expression showed no particular change, Yoner could sense the subtle killing intent hidden beneath Lee Han's sculpted face.
Even for someone as unshakable as him, being told to stay until fifth year was hard to endure.
"Well... um... Senior Lee Han of the Wardanaz family, correct? About Einrogard's fifth year..."
"?"
"?????"
Not only Lee Han but his friends were equally baffled.
What grade?
"Fifth-year?"
"Yes. Fifth-year... or, are you a fourth-year?"
"......"
Only then did Lee Han's friends realize the Baldrogard students had mistaken his year and began whispering among themselves.
"Why do those guys think Wardanaz is a fifth-year?"
"Because of what happened in Granden City?"
"What did I even do?"
"You fought the Ghoul King, fought a basilisk, fought a Sea Serpent, fought anti-magic activists, fought magic criminals, and so on?"
"...There were things I didn't do in Granden City too."
Lee Han weakly grasped at straws to refute, though it wasn't very effective. His friends ignored him.
"Rumors spread fast, after all. If I'd heard such rumors, I'd have assumed he was a fourth-year senior too."
"But they think he's a fifth-year?"
"Even so, that's strange. There's no way what happened in Granden City and Einrogard could spread that far."
Lee Han spoke up again, but his friends ignored him once more.
"Guys, can you not hear me or something?"
"Um..."
The two Baldrogard students grew increasingly flustered as the atmosphere turned awkward.
"Senior... you're not a fifth-year?"
"Rather, I'm curious why you thought I was a fifth-year in the first place."
At that, Bashew quietly whispered to Ingsen where only he could hear:
"Oops, seems he's actually a fourth-year."
"......"
As Lee Han stared at Bashew in disbelief, Ingsen stepped in to explain.
"Last year, some seniors from our school visited Einrogard. At that time..."
"Ah, so that's how it was."
Lee Han finally understood what had happened from Ingsen's words.
"What was it?"
"Remember the assignment Professor Nayton gave us during the festival?"
"Which one? Calculating imperial rainfall and resulting road damages along with repair costs?"
"The number of mages needed to maintain the empire's fortress network?"
"Research projects within Einrogard feasible with Lee Han's mana?"
Given how many assignments the professor handed out, the friends' answers were all over the place. Some weren't even real assignments.
"All wrong. And the last one wasn't even assigned."
"Ah, Lee Han. The last one was mentioned when you weren't there. You were off handling that Pocket Knife Fortress commission from outside at the time."
"......"
Lee Han was horrified.
To think they'd sell him out to their friends while he wasn't even present!
"...That's not what I meant. Remember the sculpture of light and illusion Professor Nayton made during the festival?"
"Ah."
Only then did his friends realize what Lee Han was referring to.
During last year's festival, many outsiders had visited, and as first-years, they had worked hard to prepare hospitality for them.
One such preparation had been Professor Alpen's magic circle—one that created light and illusions...
"But that wasn't an assignment. That was you, Wardanaz, accomplishing something the professor never even asked for...?"
"Shh. Nilia. You'll hurt Lee Han's feelings."
Yoner stopped Nilia.
Even if it was a question without any malice, it was still something that could hurt Lee Han's feelings.
"...Let's just say it was an assignment. Anyway, back then, the Baldrogard students came and ruined the magic circle, remember?"
"Right. That did happen."
"Anyway, those Baldrogard bastards... ugh."
Lee Han covered Gainando's mouth and continued explaining.
"Back then, I luckily managed to replace it with the magic I had learned."
The Baldrogard students who had visited as guests during the festival had accidentally destroyed Professor Alpen's magic circle.
Naturally, the Einrogard students criticized them, and Lee Han—who was worried they might all get scolded if a fight broke out (and who had already beaten the Baldrogard students with water orbs beforehand)—stopped the fight and somehow managed to salvage the situation using the <Azirmo Enchantment>.
"Why does that matter?"
"Back then, the Baldrogard students called me 'senior'..."
"......"
"......"
His friends were so dumbfounded they were at a loss for words.
Just how strong of an impression had he left for students from another school to call him 'senior'?
"I thought I cleared up the misunderstanding with their professor, but I guess not."
"Well, that's a relief!"
Siana let out a sigh of relief as she spoke.
"I almost got angry thinking those lunatics were telling Lord Wardanaz to go to the fifth year."
"Tell me about it. Haha. I was shocked too."
'Has Priestess Siana's language gotten a bit rougher?'
'It's just that all the priests from the Phoenix Tower have changed in general.'
While Nilia and Yoner whispered to each other, Lee Han turned to face Ingsen and Bashew.
"I think I understand how this misunderstanding happened. When the Baldrogard students visited, this incident occurred..."
Lee Han explained the heartwarming incident involving Professor Alpen's magic circle.
The fact that they had mistaken him for a senior due to unfamiliar magic was quite amusing.
"Haha. What a coincidence. Rumors really can't be trusted, right?"
"...Ah, no. So that was also Wardanaz Family's Lord Lee Han?!"
"...?"
Lee Han was taken aback by the unexpected reaction.
Huh?
'Wasn't this the reason?'
"Th-that person who fixed the ruined magic circle... uh..."
"This is weird...? D-dissociative identity...?"
But Lee Han's bewilderment was nothing compared to Ingsen and Bashew's shock.
The two looked as if their world had collapsed.
The idea that the same person could be both the high-ranking student who had cowardly attacked Baldrogard students with water orbs and the high-ranking student who had kindly helped the Baldrogard students after they ruined the illusion magic was unbelievable.
"Wait. Then why on earth did you think I was a fifth-year?"
"W-well, didn't you beat the seniors with water orbs? W-wait. Is this also a false rumor?"
"...No. That part is actually true."
"......"
An awkward silence filled the reception room.
It took Ingsen and Bashew about two hours to accept the fact that Lee Han was the same age as them, had beaten Baldrogard seniors with water orbs, and then helped fix the magic circle they had ruined.
Gainando watched them with a look of pity from the side.
If it had been Gainando, he would've understood in about five minutes.
'How can they be this stupid?!'
"So... the water orbs..."
"There's a bit of a misunderstanding there. It wasn't a proper duel or magic battle—it was more like a festival game, just for fun."
Lee Han shamelessly spun the lie.
It was the kind of lie the actual participants would never have accepted.
Though he called it a festival game and entertainment, the participants had practically risked their lives dodging those water orbs.
If that wasn't a duel, then what was?
"It was just a festival game, so the idea that I humiliated the Baldrogard seniors because of it? That's completely false. You shouldn't believe such rumors."
"B-but the seniors said you were a fifth-year and that they were horrifically beaten..."
"That was just a joke."
"A... joke?"
With Yoner's support, Lee Han gave him a grateful look and continued.
"A mischievous joke. Even the seniors at Einrogard make mischievous jokes sometimes. Like poisoning the underground corridors..."
"???"
"..."
"Things like playing pranks on incoming freshmen. Can you really be sure it wasn't that kind of joke? Honestly?"
Lee Han pressed them hard.
As he glared, pressuring them with the unspoken thought, 'You seriously believe I trampled your seniors with magic?!', Ingsen and Bashew were visibly shaken.
"Th-that so...? So it was just a joke...?"
"B-but they definitely seemed serious. The seniors didn't look like they were joking. They were trembling while talking about it..."
Lee Han stated firmly:
"It was acting."
"A-acting?!"
"Seniors are always dead serious about messing with juniors. Of course they'd put on an act."
"...!"
Ingsen and Bashew were utterly shocked.
Until now, they'd believed Baldrogard's seniors were noble among nobles who always upheld their honor and never lied—but that wasn't the case!
"Th-that's absurd! Our seniors are nobles!"
"Haha. Being noble doesn't mean they never lie. Isn't this just a white lie to get closer to their juniors?"
Having mercilessly painted Baldrogard's seniors as liars, Lee Han neatly wrapped up the situation.
"S-so that's how it is..."
"Maybe we trusted our seniors too much. We should've believed what we saw and heard with our own eyes and ears."
"Right. Just because someone couldn't dodge a Water Orb doesn't prove their magical ability. The seniors probably knew that and were just messing with us."
Though their reasoning was laughable, Lee Han chose not to point it out.
Even he had no desire to earn a title like <Baldrogard's Nose-Breaker>.
Winning in a proper duel would've been honorable, but breaking Baldrogard students' noses with Water Orbs during a festival was closer to infamy. 'Well, it's somewhat settled now. Just wait, you Baldrogard bastards.' Lee Han felt indignant.
After helping repair the magic circle they'd ruined, they went around spreading rumors just because they got hit in the nose during the festival?
Next time they met, he'd challenge them to a proper duel!
"What nonsense!"
"?!"
Gainando wasn't having it.
"If you can't dodge a Water Orb, you're bad at magic! How can you make excuses for failing to dodge?!"
"What are you talking about? That's unrelated!"
Caught off guard by Gainando's outburst, Ingsen dropped honorifics to argue back.
Bashew, seemingly agreeing, shouted too:
"Magical skill isn't about how fast you cast, but how great the magic you cast is—"
"Can't hear you, losers!"
"Are you listening? I'm saying dodging Water Orbs has nothing to do with magical skill! Even the great mage Bakhuntala—"
"Can't hear you, dirt diggers!"
"Magic isn't about brawling in muddy marketplaces—it's far more noble and dignified—!"
"Ooooh! Losers! Dirt diggers! Defeated dirt diggers!"
"Eeeek!"
Gainando's taunts and provocations made their faces burn bright red.
"H-how can a prince behave so undignifiedly...! Bashew was right—you lack the dignity of royalty!"
"Losers, losers, losers, losers!"
The friends were amazed. 'Do they not even have fights like this at Baldrogard?' 'Why can't they handle such simple provocations?' Lee Han grew concerned internally. 'If they challenge him to a magic duel over this, it could get dangerous.' Even if their casting was slower and clumsier than Gainando's, that didn't mean they lacked overall magical ability.
Einrogard's teaching methods were just unique—among the empire's mages, many had slow and unpolished casting.
Since situations requiring urgently completed magic were rare, it wasn't a major flaw either.
If they fought in Gainando's weaker areas, it might be risky.
"Y-you—relying solely on magic to act so rudely! Do you think being good at magic makes you superior? Without honor and character, your magic is worthless! Even if you were top of your year!"
"???"
But instead of challenging Gainando, Ingsen and Bashew tucked their tails and resorted to criticism.
Siana tilted her head and asked:
"Who are you talking about now? Are you insulting Lord Wardanaz?"
"Pretty sure they mean Gainando..."