Episode 657
Episode 657
"Wardanaz. No matter what, you can't shoot them."
"What are you talking about?"
Lee Han was horrified by Nilia's extreme way of thinking.
"O-Oh, no?"
Nilia looked embarrassed.
Come to think of it, Lee Han wasn't insane—there was no way he would tell them to shoot arrows at Baldrogard students.
"Arise, warriors of bone!"
As bone dust was scattered outside the window, Skeleton Warriors rose.
Lee Han pointed at the Skeleton Warriors and said:
"Shoot those."
"......"
Nilia was horrified by Lee Han's extreme way of thinking.
Was it really okay to summon Skeleton Warriors on noble estate grounds and shoot them with magic bows?
Of course, the answer was obviously no.
The two Baldrogard students began screaming.
"AAAAAAAH!"
"S-Skeletons! Undead! It's undead!"
"What's the big deal about skeletons?"
Gainando asked, sounding utterly baffled.
The words of an Einrogard lunatic who knew nothing but magic were of no help to the two.
Ingsen, who had barely calmed down, teared up and shouted at the others:
"U-Undead! It's undead!"
"Yeah, they're undead. Do they look like living people to you?"
"Why are you all so calm about this?!"
Ingsen shrieked at Gainando as if having a fit.
Gainando's composed demeanor, as if he were just watching a puppy running around an empty lot, only drove Ingsen further into madness.
Yoner, sensing things were getting out of hand, urged Nilia:
"Hurry. Take them down quickly!"
"O-Okay."
Nilia hastily cast Enchantment Magic on her bow and summoned a spirit.
With a deep hum, a powerful energy swirled around the bow. Sensing its master's urgency, the spirit settled at the tip of the arrow and adjusted its aim.
BANG!
The arrow struck the Skeleton Warriors dead-on. Seeing the skeletons properly shattered, their friends applauded.
"As expected of Nilia."
"Hmph. If Lee Han had summoned stronger ones, raised bone shields, and even cast curses..."
"Now's not the time to brag about Black Magic, Gainando."
"Uh, guys? Look over there for a second."
"?"
The friends belatedly noticed the two Baldrogard students who had collapsed in shock.
"..."
"Here, you two! Look outside the window! The skeletons are dead! Nothing to worry about!"
"That's right. Lady Nilia took care of them! Get up and see for yourselves!"
"M-My legs feel weak..."
Priest Siana whacked the Baldrogard students' backs with her staff in response to their excuses.
The other friends hurriedly intervened.
"You can't hit them!"
"You said your legs gave out, so..."
"Uh, does hitting their backs restore strength to their legs?"
"No, I just hit them because I was annoyed."
Fortunately, the two were so out of it they didn't even realize they'd been struck.
Finally managing to get up, they looked out the window, confirmed the shattered skeletons, and let out sighs of relief.
"Th... They're really dead!"
"Technically, skeletons aren't alive to begin with, so they can't— Mmph!"
Ratford covered Gainando's mouth.
There was no point in giving a Black Magic lecture here.
"Who took them down?"
"Nilia did it. A combination of Enchantment Magic and spirit arts."
"...!"
Ingsen was stunned.
Even mastering one was difficult, yet she had used both simultaneously to take down skeletons.
It was an unbelievable level of magical ability.
"Th... That's incredible!"
"Impossible. And she's not even a noble?"
Yoner, who had been explaining as politely as possible, flared up at Bashew's muttering.
"Ah, this little brat, I swear—"
"Huh?!"
"What?"
"Wh-What did you just...?"
"I didn't say anything?"
The friends all nodded in unison at Yoner's words.
"I didn't say anything just now."
"My, my. Could it be your heart softened upon seeing the undead?"
"Y-yes... That must be it."
Ingsen and Bashew nodded with utterly drained expressions.
The sight of the Skeleton Warrior still walking toward them outside remained vivid in their minds.
They say encountering evil beings shakes one's soul, but who knew it'd make you hear nonsense too...
"Lady Nilia. Thank you for your kindness. That was truly incredible magic. You saved our lives—"
'That's a bit much, isn't it?' Nilia panicked internally.
Who could possibly die from something like that?
"I didn't get a proper look."
Bashew muttered beside them. What little pride remained made him nitpick.
No sooner had those words left his mouth than Lee Han shouted from outside:
"Nilia! Ready!"
"...Ready for what?"
Unbeknownst to the others, Lee Han had gone outside to prepare the next spell.
Realizing this belatedly, Nilia and the others were taken aback.
What exactly had he prepared?
Outside stood various defensive spells conjured by Lee Han. Tilting her head, Nilia asked:
"You want me to aim at this?"
The target looked no different from the skeleton, leaving Nilia puzzled.
"Yep. But hold on."
Lee Han approached the Baldrogard students and grabbed both by their arms.
Then he dragged them behind a shield.
"Alright. Now you can shoot at us!"
"......"
"...?!!"
The two students looked ready to faint at Lee Han's confident declaration that they should fire arrows at them.
Nilia, too, seemed to think this was going too far and stammered:
"Th-this is a bit..."
"Come to think of it, this spot seems perfect for experiencing the magic up close. You'll really feel it."
"...Won't they be scared?"
Gainando, freed from Ratford's grip, quickly interjected:
"He said he was too disappointed about not seeing it properly earlier!"
"Oh. Perfect. This'll be way more visible than before."
Lee Han, as if pleased, placed his hands on their shoulders.
Under that iron grip, their faces turned from ashen to corpse-like.
Ingsen glared at Bashew as if to kill him.
"You... d-don't ever speak like that again...!"
"I... I didn't... know... spare me..."
"Haha. You won't die. Don't worry. Nilia. Fire away!"
After that, Lee Han showed off a few more of his friends' spells.
And with each one, the Baldrogard students grew more gaunt and lifeless.
But Lee Han paid no mind to their deterioration.
His sole focus was firmly impressing upon outsiders just how incredible his friends' magic was.
"Deurgyu. Ratford. Come out for a sec. This one might need some prep."
"What are you planning?"
"How about a Demonic Illusion Bloody Slash?"
The moment the three stepped out, Ingsen rolled his eyes like a cornered rat and slipped quietly toward the door.
"?"
"Where's he going?"
"Is he running away?"
At Gainando's remark, Bashew—half out of his mind—jerked his head up.
'No... way...?'
The others scolded him as if the idea was absurd.
"With other friends still here? No way he'd run."
"He left his friends behind so he wouldn't look suspicious."
"Even so, how could you think that way?"
Five minutes later.
Ingsen returned with Lee Han.
Lee Han smiled warmly and patted Ingsen's back.
"My, my. Getting lost? The estate is quite spacious."
"H-how did you find me..."
"Saw someone leaving and followed the footprints just in case. Good thing I caught you in time. Getting lost inside the mansion would be the most ridiculous thing, wouldn't it? Haha."
"H... hahaha..."
Ingsen laughed dryly with a face that wished for death.
Just when he thought he'd escaped, the Wardanaz boy had appeared out of nowhere behind him.
"Then please rest for a while. I'll prepare some magic."
"Wardanaz. Aren't you showing them too much magic?"
"Is that so?"
"!"
At Nilia's words, the two were genuinely moved.
In this cold and cruel reception room filled with mages, she was the only one who cared about them.
"Then let's just do this last magic..."
"!"
"...and prepare the spells those two brought. It'd be unfair if we kept showing only ours."
'This is magic hell!' The two finally realized.
This was magic hell.
They'd read about it in fairy tales.
A place where mischievous children who played pranks got dragged away by evil wizards.
The inescapable magic hell where no one ever came to rescue you.
They'd be forever trapped between spells, doomed to despair.
Thinking they'd never see their family members or seniors again, Ingsen burst into tears.
And when Lee Han stepped out, he begged the only person he could trust.
"Please!"
"?"
"Please, Lady Nilia! Have mercy on us!"
"Wh-what am I supposed to..."
"Let us escape!"
"Huh? You can just leave if you want."
Nilia couldn't understand why they were acting like this.
They were babbling like people who'd lost all rational judgment.
If they just said they had urgent business, Wardanaz would surely let them go.
'...'
Or would he? Would he not let them leave?'
"If we escape... we'll get caught. By that Great Mage of the Wardanaz family..."
'How did they learn about Wardanaz's nickname?' Nilia found this curious.
"Then sneak out?"
"I told you we'll get caught! If we step out of this reception room, we'll be discovered! We'll definitely be caught...!"
Basil was desperately pleading now.
"Lady Nilia. I apologize for envying you. I unknowingly grew jealous of your outstanding magical skills."
"Eh??"
"But now I understand. You're the only one who cares about us. Please! I'm sincerely apologizing. Just show us that mercy one more time...!"
The two tearfully appealed to Nilia.
Their desperate pleas left Nilia unable to even call for her friends.
"Well... I do have invisibility potions."
"!!"
"Th-that's the solution...!"
'Are these really Magic School students?'
Any Einrogard student would immediately think of using invisibility in dangerous situations.
Suppressing her disbelief, Nilia continued,
"But the footprints would be a problem."
"Ugh...!"
"Actually, there is a way around that too."
"Lady Nilia!!"
"...If you crawl through those bushes, you can reach the main gate without leaving traces?"
Nilia felt slightly embarrassed as she said this.
Even she, a former Shadow Patrol hunter, felt ashamed crawling through bushes—could these two nobles really do it?
"But it might be too difficult for—"
"Thank you, thank you!"
"We'll never forget this kindness! If I have a child, I'll name them Nilia!"
"...Please don't actually do that."
Nilia sternly refused.
Lee Han, who had returned after diligently preparing with Durgyu and Ratford, paused upon seeing two fewer people in the reception room.
"Where'd they go?"
"W-well. They might have left?"
"Even left their reagent pouches behind?"
"Th-they must've forgotten them."
"Why didn't I see them? Hmm."
"M-maybe you were too focused on magic?"
Lee Han shrugged at Nilia's words.
Now that he thought about it, that might be the case.
"Why are you sweating so much, Nilia?"
"I-it's hot. You know, I'm from the northern mountains! Shadow Patrol hunters wear just one thin layer even in midwinter!"
"Last time I saw the Shadow Patrol, they were all bundled up in thick coats..."
"......"
Fortunately, Lee Han didn't press further and sat down.
"What a shame after all that preparation. Did they have urgent business?"
"What will you do with these reagent pouches?"
"Hmm... bothersome, but what can I do? I'll send a letter. I'll visit to deliver them personally."
"You're too kind, Wardanaz."
"It's nothing special."
Nilia had a strong premonition that those two students might suddenly come down with mysterious illnesses starting today.