Episode 802
Episode 802
The only thing more terrifying than the Skeleton Principal's subordinate was a subordinate of the Skeleton Principal who didn't know he was the principal.
Which meant...
"Um... may I ask exactly who Lord Gonadaltes is?"
Lee Han clung to the faint hope that there might be someone else in the Empire with the same name.
"He is a Great Archmage who attained enlightenment, a descendant of noble royalty, one destined for the great Wheel of Reincarnation! Surely you didn't ask that question in ignorance?"
"......"
"Lord Intarendals, where are you from?"
"I hail from the Margada Kingdom."
"......"
The Margada Kingdom didn't even exist in the current Empire. Lee Han felt his mind go blank at the mention of a kingdom name that seemed to belong to the Three Kingdoms era.
This confirmed the man's identity.
Not a subordinate of the Skeleton Principal, but a subordinate of the Crazy Doppelganger.
'Is Einrogard's defense really okay with this?'
Of course, given how vast the grounds were, it was impossible to completely prevent intrusions. But if there was a deranged monster within the territory, shouldn't they be more vigilant?
Who would have thought the subordinate of a mad monster would waltz in so brazenly...
"How exactly did you get in?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Einrogard estate is protected by powerful magic. Especially these days."
Though frightened and pained, Lee Han tried his best to extract as much information as possible from the enemy.
That way, he could report it to the Death Knights and strengthen their defenses.
"Of course, I entered with permission."
Intarendals smiled like a nobleman, seemingly thinking Lee Han was joking.
"......Permission?"
"Yes. Would you like to see the permit?"
"......I'd appreciate it if you showed me."
Lee Han barely held onto his sanity as he made the request.
Surprisingly, the permit Intarendals produced was genuine.
By the seal of the Dalkard Family and the proof of blood, the following individual is hereby permitted entry to Einrogard. Should the promised amount of gold not be spent, a curse shall...
Einrogard's rules weren't lax.
To visit during Club Week, one had to provide definitive proof of identity.
For noble families, this meant a signet ring and a drop of blood—both nearly impossible to forge, making them reliable verification methods.
After such verification, visitors would pledge, "I will invest or sponsor at least this much," before entering Einrogard...
"??????"
Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.
'The Dalkard Family is Ashan's family.'
Ashan, his fellow student from the Blue Dragon Tower.
Why would a great noble family, one that had served as the Empire's treasurers for generations, collaborate with this insane doppelganger?
'Ashan... don't tell me you're a traitor...!'
As he shuddered at the absurd sense of betrayal, Intarendals gave him a concerned look.
The young noble before him didn't seem well. He had been staggering around with a pale face this whole time.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. It's just... I'm curious—are you a member of the Dalkard Family? I don't recall ever hearing about you."
"Ah."
Intarendals smiled politely, finally understanding the boy's confusion.
"I am not currently a member of the Dalkard Family. In fact, when I was alive, the family wasn't even called Dalkard. Names weren't structured like this back then."
"......"
Shockingly, the man before him was a distant ancestor of the Dalkard Family.
From so long ago that even the name had changed.
Lee Han was speechless as he examined the ancient-style signet ring and drop of blood.
And the Dalkard Family would be even more baffled.
Someone was impersonating their family name—and it turned out to be their resurrected ancestor.
'This is a nightmare beyond reason.'
"I was temporarily resurrected under Lord Gonadaltes' orders to visit Einrogard. Does that clear things up?"
Intarendals, who had once been Gonadaltes's chamberlain, had temporarily reversed death and returned to life upon his master's command.
And to visit Einrogard, he had gathered his old signet ring and assets. Fortunately, there was quite a bit of gold that his descendants had failed to claim and had been lost over time.
'Later... I'll have to ask about it later. I can't bring it up right now.'
Lee Han was so shocked that even after hearing about the gold, he couldn't bring himself to ask about its burial site.
"I think I understand a little now. Um, why are you looking for a boy named Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family?"
"I'm afraid I can't disclose that, as it pertains to my mission. Have you perhaps recalled anything?"
"Ah! It just came to me. I believe I heard he's a sixth-year—perhaps you could search among the sixth-years?"
"Indeed. Thank you."
Intarendals turned to give an elegant farewell, but the boy had already vanished in a flash.
'What an impatient young man!'
"Pfft! Where do you think you're going?"
As Lee Han sprinted out of the seventh-floor village district, Falkrius spotted him and grabbed hold.
"Senior, have you been bribed or something?!"
"Huh? What bribery?"
"Never mind, then. Please let go. Something urgent has come up."
"What nonsense are you spouting, you? What could be more urgent than squeezing gold coins out of outsiders?"
The pot-bellied senior from the Kitchen Club couldn't comprehend Lee Han's words.
After all that preparation, where was he running off to now?
"Pfft... You. You're scared, aren't you? Right?"
"Well, I am scared, but..."
"Even a genius like you gets scared. But that's just how it is for everyone. I was the same once."
Falkrius spoke with a misty-eyed gaze, recalling the moment he'd first experienced Club Week as a second-year.
Back then, he'd been utterly overwhelmed and terrified. Even when guests asked friendly questions, they sounded like they were mocking his magic.
-Is this magic pot usable?
-Did... did you just insult my pot?!
'Hmm. Memories.'
Falkrius sent another silent apology to the guest he'd once dunked headfirst into a cauldron, then turned an encouraging gaze toward his junior.
"But Wardanaz! This is something everyone must overcome. And if anyone can do it better than most, it's you. If you can't overcome it, who could?"
"That's not what I'm scared of, Senior."
"Did I say anything was 100% certain? Pfft. But with you, it might just be close to 100%. Even in the Empire's Magic Academy, geniuses like you are truly rare."
The pot-bellied senior thumped Lee Han's back relentlessly, cheering him on.
He usually avoided praise to keep his junior from getting arrogant, but Lee Han's skills were more than enough to strut proudly even in front of Einrogard's seniors.
"And most importantly, there are guests who want to see you. Come along. I'll hand you some gold coins myself!"
"By any chance, is one of them a guest dressed in old-fashioned clothes?"
Falkrius let out a hearty laugh, not understanding, and dragged Lee Han along.
In the Kitchen Club's dining hall, several external guests had already arrived and were observing with interest.
"Behold! This kitchen knife ensures that no matter how unskilled the wielder, it will cut between flesh and bone, not through them. Imagine introducing this blade to the Butchers' Guild!"
"Hmm. But our guild's artisans might lose their competitive edge because of this knife."
"Uh... I hadn't thought of that. What if we reduce the number of artisans in the guild?"
"Is that even worth saying out loud?"
Representatives from the Bakery Guild and the Butchers' Guild exchanged comments about the magical research conducted by the Kitchen Club members.
Then, spotting Lee Han and Falkrius, they called out.
"Falkrius!"
"Good to see you, Goladek!"
"I'm much better than when you shoved me into a cauldron two years ago!"
"Pfft-hah! My apologies!"
"No, no. Thanks to your magic, we managed to take down those insufferable confectionery guild snobs."
Goladek from the Bakery Guild praised Falkrius repeatedly.
Had it not been for this mage from Einrogard, the Bakery Guild would have been the loser in the Capital Sugar War!
"Is this mage perhaps that junior you mentioned?"
"That's correct, Mr. Goladek."
Lee Han shook off a slight tension and glanced around. Fortunately, Intarendals was nowhere in sight.
"Hello, I'm—"
"You're Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family, correct?"
"I heard you're taking the Advanced Magic course. Is that true?"
"I heard you've already gained recognition from external mages? Is it true that Lady Yoanen of the Maykin Family acknowledged you?"
"Master Puyo has mentioned your name before. I was surprised."
"I heard you're already discussing research with 5th-year seniors. Did you really complete a 5th-Circle spell?"
"...??????"
Lee Han was bewildered by the guests who seemed to know everything about him before he could even introduce himself.
What in the world?
"How...?"
"Pfft. Wardanaz. The people visiting here aren't fools! They investigate very thoroughly and meticulously."
Just because the Empire had many wealthy individuals didn't mean they carelessly wasted gold coins.
At the very least, those gathered here were people who wanted to invest their gold in the most promising talents.
Goladek spoke with a proud expression.
"Of course, Einrogard is a secretive sanctuary of magic, but we artisans also have ears all over the Empire. I dare say, there isn't a single piece of information we've missed. Isn't that right?"
"......"
Lee Han recalled the numerous formidable opponents he had faced this year and the last.
Then, he quickly smiled and replied.
"Truly, there's nothing to hide. You haven't missed a single thing!"
"Right? Haha."
"I want to sponsor you."
"Me too!"
Lee Han hesitated at the guests' proposals.
"I haven't even talked about my research yet?"
"What does research matter so much? What's important is the person."
'No...!'
A senior standing nearby trembled with a ladle in hand.
His ambitious project, A Bowl That Endures Even Poisonous Dishes While Eating, had been criticized for lacking commercial appeal!
'This is why non-mages! They know nothing!'
Falkrius wore a proud expression at his junior's success.
"Pfft. Congratulations, Wardanaz. It seems things will wrap up successfully. Just don't get too arrogant! If you act recklessly like Professor Verdus, even the most lenient sponsors might get angry."
At Falkrius's words, the guests turned serious and spoke up.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
"Don't even mention that ominous name!"
"..."
"Exactly what do I need to do?"
Lee Han asked cautiously, just to be sure.
Free gold coins were nice, but nothing in this world was truly free.
Falkrius waved a hand as large as a pot lid, as if telling him not to worry, and explained.
"As I said, as long as you don't act arbitrarily like Professor Ber Mo, investors and sponsors won't get angry. Show them what you're researching, and if they have requests, fulfill them."
"Requests?"
"Things like research direction... or improvements. Sometimes, they might ask you to check if their child has magical talent."
'That doesn't sound too difficult.'
For an arrogant and fussy mage, such requests might grate on their pride, but Lee Han was willing to visit a sponsor's mansion and put on a dazzling magical birthday celebration if they paid him in gold.
He didn't know exactly what Professor Verdus had done to anger them, but...
'...'
I won't go that far, right?'
"Twenty imperial gold coins."
"Then I'll offer thirty."
"Sixty coins..."
While the sponsors debated the amounts, someone suddenly asked Falkrius,
"Is this where Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family is?"
"That's correct."
"I see. And these people?"
"They're gathered here to sponsor him."
"Tell them they can all leave. They're unnecessary."
"Excuse me?"
Falkrius was taken aback by the absurd statement.
Intarendals pulled out a massive chest filled to the brim with gold coins and slammed it down with a loud thud.
"My sponsorship of Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family is more than sufficient on its own. The rest of you gathered here should go support other mages."
"...!"
"!!!!"