Episode 745
Episode 745
'What kind of twisted accounting is this?' There were clearly countless disciples, yet he insisted like this.
It wasn't much different from Gye-nando stubbornly claiming he hadn't eaten the chocolate he'd just devoured.
"Please reconsider. Those disciples who tried to burn down the continent or attempted to burn His Highness the Prince..."
The Mad Doppelganger flicked his fingers, sending a shockwave flying.
As he tumbled backward, Lee Han cursed inwardly. 'Couldn't you just say it? Did you have to do this?' Dealing with people from the past was truly exhausting.
"Even barbarism has its limits. Do you not know the slightest thing about etiquette?"
The Mad Doppelganger looked at Lee Han with genuine contempt in his eyes.
How dare someone talk back like that in front of royalty?
Though he knew it was barbaric, the sheer vulgarity was hard to tolerate.
"......My apologies. I'm not well-versed in manners."
Lee Han gritted his teeth, vowing that someday, when he assassinated the Skeleton Principal, he'd take out this Mad Doppelganger too.
But for now, he had to endure.
After all, his opponent was essentially a thug with a staff.
"Naturally, lowborn."
'...Now I get why the Black Turtle Tower hates the Blue Dragon Tower.'
Lee Han silently swore that once he got back, he'd smack every Blue Dragon Tower student who flaunted their lineage or noble status.
"Now that I think about it, you must be mistaking me for a doppelganger."
"...?"
Lee Han was taken aback when the Mad Doppelganger mentioned "doppelgangers."
"There are dregs who fled from this royal. You, being dim-witted and vulgar, might confuse royalty with such dregs. I'll forgive you this once, but don't make that mistake again. Understood, lowborn?"
To avoid provoking him further, Lee Han cautiously asked for permission to ask a question, fishing for information.
No matter how he thought about it, the Mad Doppelganger's claim—"I am the original, the rest are copies"—felt off.
Still, after taking a few more hits, Lee Han managed to have the following exchange:
—If the original retains far more, wouldn't the copies usually be left with just their pride?
—When you churn butter from milk, plenty of dregs remain. Does that make the dregs butter? The essence is what matters most.
—Ah... I see... So, you don't acknowledge the disciples of the doppelgangers?
—Yes. Understood. You can stop hitting me now.
—I merely answered, why are you hitting me agai—
'Those last few hits were unnecessary.'
Resolving not to provoke the Mad Doppelganger further, Lee Han asked one final question.
"But... there's a wizard named Antagondals, isn't there? Isn't he your disciple?"
"That wretch is a servant."
The Mad Doppelganger glared at Lee Han with icy eyes.
How dare this insignificant slave presume to equate a servant with a royal disciple?
Had he not been a mannerless barbarian, such insolence would warrant the severest punishment.
"...?"
Of course, from Lee Han's perspective, this was baffling.
Though he didn't know much about Antagondals, he was well aware that the man was regarded as an Archmage among magic criminals—a truly exceptional wizard.
Undoubtedly, Antagondals was several times more skilled than Lee Han.
Yet, Antagondals was treated as a servant, while Lee Han was considered a disciple?
'That's weird.'
"Um... isn't that 'servant' much better at magic than I am?"
The Mad Doppelganger sighed disdainfully before shouting into the void:
"O Fate, be cursed! Why have you denied this royal a worthy disciple and thrown this witless lowborn at me instead?!"
'Then send me back, you bastard.'
Lee Han cursed inwardly, utterly dumbfounded.
It hadn't even been a few hours since he started talking to the Mad Doppelganger, and he already missed the professors of Einrogard.
How dare he complain after kidnapping me?
"Professor Verdus never spouted such nonsense."
Be that as it may, the insane simulacrum lamented its own unfortunate fate several times before placing a caterpillar on its finger.
In an instant, the caterpillar's time rapidly rewound, transforming into a butterfly.
"Can this caterpillar fly, or not?"
"It can fly now."
"Why? It was a caterpillar."
"Because it's a butterfly now."
The insane simulacrum let the butterfly fly away.
Then it stopped a mouse passing between distant rocks and asked:
"Can that mouse fly, or not?"
"It cannot fly."
"Why? Given time, might it not grow wings?"
"Mice don't grow wings even as they age."
"Exactly. You fool. Why ask pointless questions when you know the answer?"
The insane simulacrum attacked Lee Han once more.
Enduring the pain, Lee Han thought:
'So... it's about innate talent?'
He couldn't precisely grasp what this mad simulacrum was thinking, but roughly guessing, it seemed to need a disciple.
Not just any disciple, but one who could complete its legacy.
The criteria weren't clear, but innate potential appeared more important than current ability.
Frankly, it was hard to believe a mage like Antagondals lacked such potential...
"I understand now."
"Ha! How slow can you be?"
"...What must I do to become that honored disciple?"
Lee Han began seriously considering escape plans.
The best option was persuading this mad simulacrum to let him go.
Since conventional escape seemed impossible—as confirmed earlier—persuasion appeared more viable.
Fortunately, though insane, this simulacrum was consistently so; if reasoned with properly, it might release him.
"Should I learn that shield magic from earlier?"
"That's something even a stablehand could master, not a disciple."
"......"
Apparently, stablehands in ancient kingdoms were quite skilled at magic.
"Then what must I learn?"
"The True Essence cannot be spoken of so lightly. You fool. But considering your stupidity, I'll explain..."
Lee Han tensed.
What magic would this mad simulacrum demand before releasing him?
"...We begin with Word Magic."
"......"
Lee Han immediately changed his plan.
'I must escape at all costs.'
Mastering enough magic to satisfy this simulacrum might require him to remain at Einrogard long after his friends graduated.
Angrago sat with a pensive expression, agonizing.
'Should I go play polo, or study in advance for next week?'
To pull his weight in the club, he needed to practice harder than ever. The seniors were no pushovers either.
With rumors already circulating about that Wardanaz brat potentially playing as striker, Angrago couldn't fall behind.
Yet preparing for next week's studies was more crucial than expected.
Every second-year student must have realized it by now.
This year's different!
As if to prove last year's lectures—kind and considerate for freshmen—were mere pretense, professors now charged ahead ruthlessly.
If the first week was this intense, he dreaded imagining the next.
Even White Tiger Tower students were murmuring, "Shouldn't we be studying ahead?"
Rustle
"Huh?"
Hearing a noise from his bag, Angrago tilted his head and rummaged through it.
'What's this?'
The source was the paper artifact shared among each tower's top students.
Wondering if something interesting had come up, Angrago unrolled the crumpled message.
-Guys. I've been kidnapped by the Headmaster's insane simulacrum. Might need help.
-How did this even...!
-Where are you held?
"!!!"
Angrago jolted in shock.
One of the eight students had apparently been kidnapped by the Headmaster's mad simulacrum.
When Wardanaz had warned them to 'beware of the Headmaster's insane clone,' it hadn't felt quite so real—but now that Angrago's friend had actually been kidnapped, it sent a chill down his spine.
-"So Wardanaz was telling the truth! I thought it would just stay on the outskirts, but it actually kidnapped a student?! It really is the Headmaster's insane clone. Wardanaz, what are you planning to do? How are you going to rescue that poor guy?"
-"Angrago. The one who got kidnapped is Wardanaz."
-......
Angrago froze, his face blank as ink dripped from his quill.
He had never imagined that out of the eight of them, it would be Wardanaz who got kidnapped.
-"Th-that can't be! Not Tuntantana Richmond?!"
-"I can guess who you wanted to get kidnapped. But unfortunately, no."
-...
-"Sorry to interrupt your fun chat, but could we maybe focus on figuring out an escape plan?"
-"Wardanaz."
-"Even if you've been kidnapped by the insane clone, you mustn't lose hope."
-"Do you have any useful Artifacts on you right now? Anything that could help you contact the outside...?"
'What the—?' Angrago was taken aback by the rapidly scrolling text.
Who was this?
-"Princess, you can take your time writing."
"......"
-"Also, some of my Artifacts were taken. I had one that could summon the Headmaster, but since it's a clone, it recognized its own magic immediately."
-"What kind of Artifact can do what?!"
-"Angrago. Is that really important right now?"
-"Angrago. Are you secretly working for the insane clone?"
-"Ah, no... Sorry. Damn it."
-"Wardanaz. Your location?"
-"Somewhere in the mountains, I think. Not sure."
'This is bad.' Angrago's expression darkened.
Sure, friends occasionally went missing for days at Einrogard, but they usually turned up within a week.
But Wardanaz's situation looked unpredictable—there was no telling when he might return.
Just the thought of Wardanaz being gone made this semester feel overwhelming.
Could they really survive this year, which was already tougher than the last?
Thud.
-The sound of a private room door closing was followed by Giselle descending the stairs. Angrago called out to her eagerly.
"Moradi! Did you see?!"
"Yeah. Big trouble."
"Right? Without Wardanaz, we won't even have anyone to ask about magic."
"It's worse than that."
Giselle pressed her fingers to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"The entire second-year system is about to collapse."
"Huh? No way... Why would it collapse? Because we can't take exams?"
"Wardanaz was the one securing supplies, the one handling trades. Alpha. And the only reason we could negotiate with those Black Turtle Tower bastards was because Wardanaz mediated. Now he's gone. Do you really think you can trust those Black Turtle Tower guys without him?"
"...No. That'd be tough..."
"If we'd operated separately from the start, maybe. But now that we're deeply entangled, suddenly cutting ties would ruin us all. We have to get Wardanaz back."
"B-but we don't even know where he is. Can we even find him?"
"It's not about whether we can—we have to. At least we have some advantages over last year. We've got seniors now."
At Giselle's words, Angrago's face brightened.
It was true—there were seniors more experienced and skilled than them.
"Though if it involves the Headmaster's insane clone, they might not be so eager to help."
"Then we'll trick them!"
"......"
Giselle gave Angrago a dry look as he suggested deceiving a fellow knight—and a senior—without a second thought.
She had considered lying too, but his target was just too much.
"Fine. If we hide the real objective and just bring them along..."
-"I'm on my way to see the Headmaster right now. If I meet him, I'll definitely ask him to save Wardanaz..."
"......"
"......"
The two White Tiger Tower students silently stared at each other.
Come to think of it, there was a way to talk to the Headmaster.