Episode 746
Episode 746
"But Will the Headmaster Save Him?"
Angoroh asked with an uneasy expression.
The Skeleton Principal was far from being a warm educator to begin with.
In fact, most professors at Einrogard were far from warm educators.
There had been a few instances of students going missing in the past, but even then, the Skeleton Principal never stepped in.
—If you got yourself lost, get yourself back!
"......"
"But this time, it's because of himself, so it might be a little different."
Giselle spoke cautiously.
Honestly, even Giselle was half-doubting right now.
On one hand, it was the Skeleton Principal, so he probably wouldn't help. But on the other hand, since it was the Wardanaz brat—his prized disciple—maybe he'd treat this situation a bit more specially. And also, since it was his own doppelgänger causing trouble...
—I don't think the Headmaster will help Lord Wardanaz...
—I agree. The chances of the world ending in flames are higher than the Headmaster helping Lord Wardanaz.
'Why are the priests the most pessimistic?'
Giselle irritably tossed down the crumpled paper.
It wasn't that they couldn't think negatively—it was that right now, they had to force themselves to think positively.
Glancing to the side, Angoroh already looked like the world had ended.
"Right? The Headmaster won't help, will he?"
"Just wait."
"But..."
Giselle drew her sword. Angoroh immediately snapped back to attention.
"I'll wait!"
"Good."
How much time had passed?
A trembling message from the Princess, who seemed too excited, appeared.
—The Headmaster said he'll take care of it!!!!
"!!!!"
"R-Really...?! Wait a second."
Giselle felt something was off. Wardanaz, who was still trapped, must have felt the same because he asked the question she was about to.
—Princess, was that... all?
—Huh?
—I mean, did he say anything about when or how he'd save him?
—...No.
Even Adenart seemed to realize something was wrong, as she didn't follow up.
The watching students all had the same thought simultaneously.
'...Is he really going to save him?'
If the Headmaster had immediately jumped up and shouted, "Let's go rescue him! Follow me!", they might have been slightly suspicious. But all he said was "I'll take care of it."
—Anyone going to see the professors?
—Let's go together.
—It'd be better to go see the professors.
—I'll go too...
The students quickly accepted reality.
Rather than relying on the Skeleton Principal, it'd be faster to ask the other professors for help.
* * *
"But why professors (plural)?"
"......"
Angoroh's question left the other friends silent.
Now that they thought about it, aside from Professor Garcia, there wasn't really anyone else they could talk to.
"What about Professor Verdus?"
—Guys. Not that I, a captive, should be saying this, but Professor Verdus really doesn't seem like the right choice.
Lee Han answered his friends immediately.
"Professor Bagrak?"
—Guys. Not that I, a captive, should be saying this, but you might get attacked.
"Hey. Stop asking Wardanaz."
Giselle glared sharply at Angoroh.
He kept asking the trapped guy for escape methods one by one.
"B-But Wardanaz knows the professors best!"
"Professor Garcia will explain things well to the other professors."
Dijiling spoke in a trusting voice.
Given Professor Garcia's personality, she'd definitely explain things properly to the professors who could help.
"I'm not sure if Professor Garcia is okay—she seemed really shocked."
"It's fine. If it's Professor Garcia, she'd probably punch the doppelgänger into submission."
"......"
The friends inwardly tilted their heads at Angoroh's baseless confidence, but no one said anything.
Right now, they needed hope.
"Then let's go to the seniors."
"Can we persuade the seniors?"
"We'll have to trick them. Don't bring up the crazy doppelgänger stuff. Just say he went missing somewhere in the mountain range."
Some of Giselle's friends showed negative reactions to her suggestion.
"We need to flesh out the story a bit more."
"Just saying they went missing feels awkward. What if we say they went in to tame a new magical beast and disappeared?"
"That version would work better on the Polo Club seniors."
Angrago clicked his tongue as he watched even the priests huddle together to plan 'how to deceive them properly.'
"Wow. I never knew priests could be so skilled at lying."
Thwack!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me, Moradi!?"
The Mad Doppelganger, which had been attacking Lee Han every time he cast below 3rd Circle magic, sighed in exasperation.
"Oh Fate, cursed be thou—"
"Your Highness. But don't you need to practice these lower spells to learn higher magic?"
The remnants of the former prince's pride looked at Lee Han with disdain as it spoke.
"Such trivial spells should've been discarded within two or three years of starting magic."
"I've only been learning magic for about a year— Gahk!"
After delivering another precise strike to the crawling disciple, the Mad Doppelganger began its explanation.
The low-level elemental magics, enchantments, transformations, divinations, and summonings Lee Han was currently casting were all far too rudimentary in the doppelganger's eyes.
These were spells for boiling water or lighting fires—not something to proudly demonstrate before one's master. The only barely tolerable spell among this brat's repertoire was the Water Prison Bomb.
"So you want me to practice 4th Circle magic instead?"
Another attack sent Lee Han flying backward.
"...5th Circle?"
The Mad Doppelganger paused mid-attack and sighed deeply.
Though Lee Han couldn't read its mind, he could practically feel it cursing fate internally—probably thinking something like 'How did I end up with such an idiot?'
"Fine. 5th Circle. We'll compromise at 5th Circle, you wretch."
"Yes. Thank you."
"Then cast one."
"...I haven't learned any yet?"
Instead of attacking, the Mad Doppelganger shuddered at its disciple's horrifying stupidity.
Then it commanded:
"Shield magic."
"?"
"Prepare yourself to explain that shield magic you mentioned to this royalty."
The exhaustion in the doppelganger's voice strongly implied this was its absolute limit for compromise.
Of course, from Lee Han's perspective, this was complete nonsense.
Whether the other was disappointed or not—how was he supposed to perform something he'd never even tried before? It was essentially asking him to create an entirely new spell...
"I've never done it before."
"Then do it now."
With those words, the Mad Doppelganger sent Lee Han flying backward again. A solid rock face split open like jaws and swallowed him whole.
Inside, a hidden workshop was revealed.
"!"
Aside from being slightly more antiquated, it closely resembled Einrogard's magic workshops—complete with various reagents and magic tomes... 'Just like the school's, except there's no exit.'
"You have one day."
Lee didn't bother asking the retreating doppelganger questions like 'What happens if I fail?'
He could already guess the answer without asking. 'Let's try to figure out what that bastard's thinking.' Sitting in a chair, Lee Han sank into thought.
No matter how insane the opponent, understanding their thought process was crucial. 'What's the connection between demanding 5th Circle magic and then telling me to create shield magic?'
Creating magic sounded grandiose, but approached simply, it could be easy.
Right now, if Lee Han uniquely composed the <Flame Creation> spell with his own incantation, gestures, and mana flow, he could name it something like <Wardanaz's Flame Creation>.
But this type of spell development was meaningless.
Spells like <Flame Creation> had been refined over centuries to near-perfect efficiency.
Forcing changes would only produce slower, more mana-intensive versions inferior to the originals.
To have any real significance, it needed to have at least one aspect that was better than existing spells.
Whether it was specializing in shape transformation or delving deeper into the properties of flame itself...
The shield spell Lee Han had unconsciously conjured was a spell cast to block the attacks of that mad doppelgänger.
To summarize its characteristics...
'It's a telekinesis-type spell. The casting speed is extremely fast. No incantation? Did I really cast it without an incantation? I guess humans really can do anything when faced with death.'
As Lee Han pondered this, he suddenly recalled Professor Voladi's theory and shuddered.
'No. You can't generalize a fluke occurrence into an educational principle.'
Lee Han returned to the main point.
'Will refining this shield spell help me learn 5th Circle Magic?'
Nothing else came to mind.
If not, why would the mad doppelgänger suddenly bring up 5th Circle Magic only to demand I create a shield spell?
-Huff... Did you figure it out???
"?"
While sketching out the telekinesis spell incantations and mana structures he had learned, trying to adapt them into a shield form, Lee Han was startled by Dilette's sudden message.
He had told his friends, but he hadn't informed Dilette.
He didn't want to add to the already overwhelming hardships of a fifth-year student.
-What's the matter?
-That's my line! Where are you?!
-In the Blue Dragon Tower dormitory?
-Junior, do you have a death wish???
-...
I was kidnapped by a mad doppelgänger.
-Yeah! That's the rumor going around the clubs!
'Ah.'
Lee Han realized what had happened.
It seemed his friends had visited various clubs to ask for help.
-The Polo Club is saying you went missing while trying to tame a new beast, the Kitchen Club is saying you disappeared trying to catch a Mountain-Destroying Sheep, the Library Club is saying you vanished while searching for some secret tome sleeping somewhere in the mountains, the Stonemason Club is...
-My friends must have lied. Probably Moradi's doing.
Lee Han was certain Moradi was the only one who'd come up with such fabrications.
-Good strategy. So, your location?
-I'm not entirely sure. It's a workshop inside a rocky mountain—tracking me will be difficult. This mad doppelgänger isn't your average mage.
-Got it.
-...
Senior, you're not planning to send a complaint letter, are you?
Dilette, who was far away in the main building, was startled.
'How did he know?!'
-A complaint letter might... unnecessarily put you at risk, Senior.
-Is that what matters right now?!
-No. The Headmaster said he'd come to help too.
-And you believe that??
'Right in the sore spot.'
Truthfully, Lee Han was also skeptical about whether the Skeleton Principal would actually come to his aid.
-Regardless, if it's the Headmaster's doppelgänger, sending a complaint letter won't solve anything.
-So what? You're just gonna stay trapped there forever?
-Of course not. I'll endure for now, wait for an opening, and find a way to escape.
"......"
Dilette suppressed her anger and let out a long exhale.
Lee Han wasn't wrong.
Having personally witnessed the magic left behind by the Skeleton Principal's insane doppelgänger, she could feel with her entire being just how formidable a mage he was.
If a mage like that was determined to hide, finding him wouldn't be easy. No matter how ordinary it might look on the surface, inside would be dozens of arcane secrets and mysteries.
In the end, the most feasible and fastest way was for the trapped junior to find an opening himself and break free before calling for rescue.
'That this is the only way...!'
Dilette lamented, gripping her quill, that magic was nothing but a useless, powerless trick when it came down to it.
-Got it. Any plans for finding an opening?
-Yes. For now, I'll follow orders, create a new spell, and try learning a few 5th Circle spells. I'll wait for the moment he's satisfied and lets his guard down.
"......"
Dilette covered her face with both hands and let out a pained groan.