Episode 769
Episode 769
After that, Ilendil continued to fume angrily for about fifteen more minutes before storming off. He was genuinely furious that his pure-hearted affection for the beaver had been insulted.
"Th-that was scary. You guys were right."
Once the senior had left, Gainando wiped his cold sweat and spoke.
At first glance, he had seemed as peaceful as a tree, but when he got angry, the very air around him trembled.
'Gainando was definitely in the wrong just now.'
Even the kindest senior at Einrogard would probably grab someone by the collar if they asked something like, "Do you like Professor Verdus?"
Lee Han himself would immediately curse anyone who interrupted his black magic practice with nonsense like, "Oh! So you're learning black magic... that means you must respect Gonadaltes, huh?"
"That wasn't the kind of scary I meant."
"R-right! I meant alchemically scary. I heard he often ambushes people in the forest... He mostly leaves first-years alone, but sometimes even they get attacked."
"......"
"......"
At Imirgue's detailed explanation, the students' faces grew solemn.
Agdung, a student from Kallarogard, couldn't understand and asked,
"You're joking, right?"
"Uh... yeah. It's a joke. Haha. An Einrogard-style joke."
"Hahaha! Right? I thought so. Einrogard jokes have always been a bit hard to understand."
Lee Han quickly brushed it off, realizing that other Einrogard students had also passed things off as jokes in the past.
There was just no way to explain everything to outsiders.
"Lee Han. I think we really need to figure out a way to deal with Senior Ilendil."
Yoner whispered.
The others were equally troubled, but for the Alchemy School students, the forest monster was a very real threat.
Since their school required the most diverse range of reagents and materials, they had no choice but to venture into the forest within the academy grounds—only to face an enemy like that.
Normally, they would ask a senior from their own school for help, but shockingly, Ilendil was the Alchemy School's senior.
Who would've thought that the biggest obstacle to their studies would be a senior from their own school?
"The senior must have some kind of weakness."
"Like what, for example?"
"Fire, maybe..."
"......"
"I think a more peaceful approach would be better."
Siana, who had been listening quietly, nodded in agreement.
Burning the senior with fire probably wasn't the best solution.
"What if Wardanaz tries persuading him? He's favored by the seniors—maybe he can pull it off."
"Can you really call that favor? By that logic, even Professor Verdus's antics could be considered affection... I'll try, but I'm not too confident."
Though his friends treated him as the expert in negotiating with seniors, Lee Han himself wasn't so sure.
At best, it was more like mutual benefit—he wasn't that close with the seniors.
Besides, all of Einrogard's seniors were eccentric in their own ways. There was no telling when they might snap and go berserk.
Right now, Ilendil was only looking favorably on Lee Han because he was trying to purify the corruption by contracting with the artificial dark spirit. But if he caught Lee Han cutting down trees in the forest, an attack was highly likely.
"Maybe avoiding the senior would be better. The Einrogard forest is vast, and he's just one person. It might be smarter to slip in when he's not around."
"Wardanaz. I heard Senior Ilendil is an exceptional spirit mage—even the spirits he hasn't contracted with share information with him."
"Damn it!"
Lee Han, rarely, was furious.
Siana was startled. His anger was almost on par with when he caught White Tiger Tower students skipping study sessions to run away.
"Calm down, Lee Han. At least we don't have to go into the forest right now. We've already secured reagents like this."
"That's right... Ah. I should ask Senior Agdung for help."
Lee Han approached Agdung, who was sketching while observing the purification of the contaminated beings.
"Senior Agdung. When are you planning to return to Kallarogard? If it's alright with you, I'd like to discuss a few more things."
The outstanding junior's proposal made Agdung smile pleasantly.
"Don't worry. I'll be staying for at least another week. I still have some business with the juniors here. You want to discuss Black Magic, don't you?"
When Black Mages from different backgrounds meet, it's only natural to exchange their achievements.
Even within the same school, the paths they walk are distinct, making the comparison of their methods always enjoyable and beneficial.
"Mm. Yes, something along those lines."
"Have you decided on any specific topic you'd like to discuss? If you have, I'd like to prepare a bit."
"I'd like to discuss Black Magic items that would sell well."
"......"
Aghdung was taken aback by the completely unexpected topic.
'The wisdom of Einrogard's Black Magic school. And the wisdom of Kallarogard's Black Magic school. Combining the two should definitely yield something marketable.'
Lee Han was contemplating creating a sellable item in the Black Rock Hall's workshop.
He needed to improve the Black Magic school's precarious financial situation, even if it meant involving seniors like Ogoldos or Professor Mortum.
Of course, some mages might criticize, 'Is gathering talents from multiple magic academies, even professors, just to create something profitable?' But Lee Han paid no heed to such criticisms.
In fact, he would've loved to summon even the Skeleton Principal to collaborate if he could.
'I must... fill the Black Magic school's treasury...'
As he drifted into sleep with these thoughts, Lee Han suddenly found himself in a familiar place.
A desolate wasteland where the sky and horizon were utterly empty.
It was the Black Book's illusion.
"Good to see you!"
Lee Han exclaimed as soon as he spotted the Black Book fluttering in the distance. His unusually enthusiastic demeanor made the Black Book flinch slightly.
"I know why you called me here, Black Book! It's because I'm troubled about the Black Magic school's financial situation, right? Am I correct? Then give me your secret plan!"
Normally, Lee Han would complain about the Black Book's coercive method of not releasing information until fully mastered, but today was different.
Given that he needed to devise a new Black Magic item, he couldn't help but welcome the Black Book's summons, which contained the Skeleton Principal's arcane knowledge.
However, the Black Book slowly shook its body side to side.
"...No?"
The Black Book shook up and down in affirmation, then flipped its pages and pointed ahead.
When it indicated the distant, empty horizon, Lee Han was puzzled.
"Is there something over there?"
Instead of answering, the Black Book shrugged its body, as if telling him to look again.
'What is it?'
Lee Han focused his gaze. He cast Enhancement Magic, and when that wasn't enough, he channeled mana into his eyes...
Then, a faint humanoid figure appeared on the seemingly empty horizon. Lee Han immediately recognized who it was.
It was the Skeleton Principal in human form.
"You treacherous little—! I trusted you!"
Thinking the Black Book had deceived him, Lee Han angrily grabbed it by the spine.
Even if the Skeleton Principal had created it, after all the time they'd spent together, how could it summon the Skeleton Principal without a word?
The Black Book fluttered its pages as if denying the accusation and pointed again, urging him to look once more.
Upon closer inspection, the Skeleton Principal wasn't approaching to kill Lee Han but was slowly disappearing into the distance somewhere.
'Underground... No, is that a portal?'
The portal, engraved with the pattern of a Golden Wheel, created an optical illusion as if it were sending those who entered underground.
And far away, the Skeleton Principal seemed less like an avatar with a mage's will and consciousness and more like a mere illusion, repeating the same motions over and over.
The Skeleton Principal kept disappearing into the golden-ringed portal, only to reappear and enter it again in an endless loop.
As Lee Han watched, he realized the illusion's face looked much younger than the Skeleton Principal's usual human form.
'Is this from before he became a lich? Even younger?'
Come to think of it, even if the Skeleton Principal was a grand mage who reached mastery at a young age, there must have been a time when he was even younger.
There must have been someone who taught him magic, and a period where he trained his craft.
Though it was hard to imagine...
The Black Book fluttered its pages and moved, as if telling Lee Han he needed to go there too.
"...You're saying I should go there?"
The Black Book bobbed up and down excitedly.
"Why in the world would I?"
The book pointed at the Skeleton Principal's illusion, then flipped its pages to sketch an image of a grand mage, before pointing back at Lee Han and then to the grand mage again.
It was a complicated gesture, but after some deep thought, Lee Han pieced it together.
"So... back when the Principal was young, he entered that kind of dimension, and that's how he became a grand mage?"
Agreement.
"And now I should go in too?"
Another agreement.
'Is this thing insane?'
Lee Han seriously considered burning the book the moment they returned to reality.
Just who was this thing trying to kill?
Among the uncharted outer dimensions where mages could tread, there were countless dangerous and bizarre worlds.
If the Skeleton Principal had entered and gained enlightenment in magic to the point where even Einrogard would struggle to measure up, that place had to be lethally dangerous.
And yet this book was boldly recommending it...
"The Principal might have been an exceptional mage even at that age, but I'm still a student! First, it lulls me into complacency by teaching me magic, and now it tries to kill me like this?!"
Lee Han accused the book in a voice thick with betrayal.
The book fluttered its pages indignantly, as if wronged.
The distant illusion and portal had only revealed themselves because Lee Han's level had risen—not because the Black Book had maliciously shown them to kill him.
"You're saying they appeared because my level increased?"
The book nodded up and down. Lee Han spoke in a grave tone.
"You misjudged."
—......
"Never mind. Let's pretend we never saw that. Now, teach me some magic. You didn't call me here without any magic to teach, did you?"
The Black Book nodded reluctantly.
Regardless of Lee Han's level rising enough to detect the distant portal, there were still plenty of spells left for the book to impart.
But shouldn't a mage set off immediately upon discovering such a portal?
No matter how distant or mirage-like it seemed, even walking endlessly might not be enough...
'My anger is subsiding a little.'
As Lee Han woke up and prepared to head to Black Rock Hall, he reflected.
Though it had first brought up the portal, the Black Book was indeed gifting him magic tailored to his needs.
Its suggestion to enter that suspicious portal was still unforgivable, though!
'Is it giving me useful magic so I can't burn it? If so, it really is an evil artifact.'
In the Empire's old fairy tales, there were often stories about protagonists who, after picking up an evil artifact, became ensnared by it and met ruin.
At first glance, one might wonder, "Why would anyone fall for that?"—but evil artifacts never revealed their true nature right away.
They would first deceive their owners by appearing useful, then, once trust was gained, show their true colors.
If the Black Book was like that, maybe cutting ties now was the right move.
'But it is useful. Ugh. Is this how people get tricked by evil artifacts?'
Lee Han stared intently at the Black Book, conflicted.
Sensing his emotions, the book vibrated its cover in displeasure. What an utterly rude owner.