Episode 698
Episode 698
"Ah, no. Why is this here?"
-Because a student put it there, of course.
The Death Knights stared at Dhumcha with stern eyes.
Students who ended up in the punishment room often came up with all sorts of excuses—from sleepwalking to multiple personality disorder, even aftereffects from Divination Magic.
Of course, most of those excuses vanished without having much effect.
"This isn't my luggage! I'm sure it was a junior who—"
-Are you saying you put this in your junior's luggage?
The Death Knights' gazes grew even colder.
The Death Knights conducting the inspection here were well aware that Einrogard students would stop at nothing to succeed in smuggling.
Including manipulating innocent juniors into acting as decoys.
-Hmph, seems like your plan backfired!
-You shall be punished for the crimes of insulting our master, attempting smuggling, and deceiving a junior!
"Damn it, fine, I'll admit to the smuggling and tricking a junior, but how is telling the truth a crime?!"
Realizing things weren't going his way, Dhumcha quickly threw off his backpack and swung his staff to cast a spell.
A loud explosion erupted near the checkpoint as magic spread outward.
-He's trying to escape!
"He's trying to escape!"
The Death Knights swarmed in, tightening their defensive formation. The students took advantage of the chaos, setting off smoke and launching illusions to slip away.
"Lee Han, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine. I got out."
After safely escaping, Lee Han waved to his friends.
What Lee Han had just done was extremely simple—so much so that calling it a trick would be embarrassing.
He had undone the magic on the box in his luggage and slipped a Bone-catcher Parrot into his seniors' belongings, casting a new spell on it.
The seniors, who never imagined their junior would already know their entire plan, were caught off guard by the sudden screech of the Bone-catcher Parrot and failed to react properly.
"The commotion's more intense than I expected. Are you sure this is okay?"
"I think they'll be subdued soon."
Lee Han calmly assessed the battle near the checkpoint.
Dhumcha's group was fighting valiantly, but they had their limits—they hadn't anticipated combat.
They laid down a blazing barrier, spread magic circles around to amplify firepower, and even summoned spirits to launch a combined attack to forcibly banish the Death Knights. But their opponents weren't pushovers.
The moment the burning barrier rose, the Death Knights severed the follow-up spells and struck with a blow saturated with Negative Energy, dispelling the barrier's summoning.
Simultaneously, they invoked their master's power, spreading dark mist in all directions. The mages who inhaled the dark-infused elements shuddered as their vitality was sealed, losing control of their magic.
Dhumcha's group made a final desperate stand, unleashing all the spells they had prepared in formation, but the Death Knights held firm with shield walls and summoned low-tier undead.
They'd probably be subdued the moment those spells ended.
'Too straightforward. Trying to overpower that many Death Knights in a contest of strength...'
While Lee Han was analyzing the battle unprompted, another group of seniors appeared.
This time, it was Senior Ivanna's faction.
A radical group that combined Body Enhancement Magic with Racial Transformation Magic to move their contraband!
"Junior, where are you?"
"Senior Ivanna. I'm right here."
"Now's our chance. Let's go!"
The new seniors had absolutely no intention of helping Dhumcha while he was under attack.
Instead, they tried to slip past the checkpoint amid the chaos.
"Here. Drink this potion! It's a potion that blocks inspections!"
"Yes. Understood."
The seniors, who had planned to trick Lee Han into drinking the potion and transforming into a giant, hesitated.
The transformation was taking longer than expected.
"Aren't you going?"
"J-Just a moment."
"Wait a little. The potion needs time to take effect."
Senior Ivanna's group had no idea what would happen if a mage possessed an absurd amount of mana.
The body instinctively blocks external interference that poses a threat.
"Are you sure you gave me the right one? Why don't you try drinking it yourself?"
Lee Han gulped down another mouthful before passing it back to the seniors.
Seeing their junior remain completely unaffected, the senior who'd begun doubting the potion's efficacy cautiously took a sip to taste it.
"Guh... GAAAAAH!"
In an instant, the senior's body began swelling, transforming into a giant race.
The Death Knights watching this cried out in disgusted voices:
-Did you think turning into giants and charging would let you pass?!
-Bring out the bone ballistae! These disgusting student brats!
"W-well, no choice now. Charge through the checkpoint!"
"We shall pass the inspection! We're not hiding any contraband!"
-What nonsense! If you're truly innocent, stop and wait properly!
"We ARE waiting! If you can't inspect us now, we're going through!"
"Push forward!"
Before the commotion from Dokgo's group could even settle, Ivanna's faction began causing their own disturbance.
Seeing this, other smugglers seized the opportunity and rushed toward the checkpoint.
"Now's our chance!"
"Let us through! Inspect us! Ah, never mind? Understood! We'll just pass then!"
-Mad student brats!- ■■■■■ ■■■!
-Mind your language, elders!
As if they'd expected this, the Death Knights began gathering at the checkpoint while hurling curses.
The remaining seniors desperately tried luring more juniors as decoys.
"Junior, drink this potion!"
"Isn't this a mix of berserker potion and blade-bear transformation potion?"
"...How did you know? Did Elde betray us?! We thought he got caught by the Headmaster!"
"He DID get caught by the Headmaster, actually."
"Shut up and drink! Every junior should experience transforming into a mad blade-bear at least once!"
"Isn't bullying juniors punishable by the Penalty Room?"
"By that logic, the Headmaster should be first in line! If you won't drink willingly, we'll make you!"
Elde's remaining friends swiftly waved their wands, extracting the potion from its vial.
They then reshaped the liquid into bat form and sent it flying toward Lee Han.
"Be re-summoned as bats, o liquid!"
"O ice, float forth as my shield!"
Lee Han immediately summoned an ice shield to block the front. The seniors attempting to control the potion bats were slightly delayed by his quick reaction, their attack thwarted.
Buying time, Lee Han analyzed their magic. 'This shares similarities with Summon Paper Bird magic.' Fortunately, it was a spell he'd learned during his first year.
Summoning from nothingness
required complex magic circles or additional reagents, but currently his opponents had already completed the summoning for him.
Lee Han only needed to seize control. 'There must be an opening!' "Break the shield first!"
"It's sturdier than expected. This kid must specialize in ice element!"
The sound of magic detonating against the ice shield echoed. 'I can hold for about five more seconds.' Assessing the remaining durability, Lee Han focused his mana senses.
Suddenly, nearby mana currents shifted—his opponent was attempting to re-summon.
"The potion's slowing down! Need to resummon!"
"Got it. Covering you!"
"Be re-summoned as ba— Ghk?!"
Lee Han swung his wand at precisely the right moment, casting Reverse Magic.
This advanced technique was only possible because he'd learned similar magic and fully analyzed its structure.
The seniors never imagined a second-year junior could demonstrate high-level magic like Reverse Magic. Caught completely off guard, they lost all control over the bats.
"Be newly summoned, o liquid!"
With this incantation, Lee Han seized control. The potion transformed into a bird shape and streaked toward them.
"What the—?! He stole it!"
"Be paralyzed!"
"You think a Lesser Paralysis Curse can— Gah!"
The senior, still disoriented from the Reverse Magic, paid dearly for his arrogance.
Relying solely on the magical defense of his equipment, the senior had tried to withstand the Lesser Paralysis Curse—but the curse Lee Han fired had a completely different level of piercing power.
In an instant, the senior's body stiffened, and the potion flew straight down his throat.
Gulp!
"No! Transform into a Blade Bear!"
"..."
"At this point, lead them to the checkpoint! Damn it. You little brat. I'll remember you! What's your name?!"
"Vible Verdus!"
"You crazy bastard... Fine! Run to the checkpoint!"
Seeing one of their own transform into a Blade Bear, the remaining members of Ulte's gang realized they couldn't afford to waste any more time and retreated in defeat.
Having secured victory, Lee Han turned to his second-year friends and said:
"You all saw it, right? What kind of schemes those seniors were hiding! Do you still want to join them in smuggling after this?"
Lee Han had countered the seniors' offers one by one—partly out of revenge for their deceit, but also for the sake of his fellow second-years.
If he didn't show them directly, too many students would be blinded by greed and refuse to believe him!
"Th-that...!"
As the White Tiger Tower students muttered in shock, Lee Han nodded in satisfaction.
"What did I tell you? That's why—"
"Wait, that Wardanaz bastard just took on a senior three-to-one and won?!"
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
He had pointed at the moon, and these idiots were staring at his finger!
"Is that really what you're focusing on right now? You bunch of dimwits!"
"W-well, we should still prepare, honestly..."
The White Tiger Tower students were painfully blunt.
Regardless of the help they'd received from Wardanaz, he was the kind of person who, when angered, would mercilessly blast them with magic.
Statistically, White Tiger Tower students had been on the receiving end of his spells more than anyone else, so their reaction was understandable.
Even the Black Turtle Tower students nodded in reluctant agreement.
'Hmm. True. Even if you befriend a dragon, it's not bad to prepare for when it might bite you...'
If Lee Han heard that, he'd flip a cooking pot in frustration.
"L-look, it's not that we don't trust you, Wardanaz."
"Right. Just like how we respect the Headmaster but still fear him, we do trust you—but it's closer to being cautiously wary..."
"Enough! Comparing Lee Han to the Headmaster is going too far!"
Durgyu couldn't take it anymore and stepped in to stop his friends.
Realizing that getting angrier would only deepen the hurt, Lee Han called out to Giselle.
"...Moradi. You explain it to them. If I keep trying, I'm going to clutch my head in frustration."
'Why is this bastard dragging me into this...?'
Giselle made a face.
Anyone watching would think they were close friends!
"Why are you asking me?"
"...You helped me out back at the estate. Return the favor."
"Huh?"
"Wait, what?"
Students like Anglona and Duke-ma immediately doubted their ears.
Who helped whom where?
At their reaction, Giselle gritted her teeth and quickly stood up.
"Don't trust the seniors, everyone!"
"Moradi, just now—"
"Regardless of the grudges Wardanaz has built up over time, those seniors are not trustworthy! You all saw how they acted just now!"
Desperate to divert the topic, Giselle inwardly cursed Lee Han a hundred times while shouting aloud.
"If you fall for their tricks, that's what happens!"
"R-right."
"Definitely."
As the smuggling-attempting seniors caused simultaneous chaos at the checkpoints, the commotion was anything but ordinary. The second-years shuddered at the thought that they could've easily ended up among them.
Watching the spectacle alongside them, Lee Han suddenly grew curious and asked:
"Moradi. You didn't participate in the smuggling, did you?"
"I heard the truth from a family senior. That's why I wasn't interested."
"...Wait, you heard about it but didn't join?"
"Isn't that normal?"
Giselle looked at Lee Han as if he were the strange one.
Once you learned the truth about smuggling, it was obvious how disadvantaged second-years would be. Any sensible person would naturally back off this year—and Giselle had assumed Lee Han would do the same.
"...R-right. I didn't either."
"Obviously."
"Yeah. Didn't do it."
"Why are you saying it twice? I heard you the first time."