Episode 807
Episode 807
Lee Han turned to look behind him.
"Gasp!"
"We weren't thinking anything at all. Huk... Lord Wardanaz."
"???"
Lee Han eyed the Death Knights suspiciously as they seemed excessively startled.
"I was just about to ask how you blocked my lightning magic earlier..."
Before practicing powerful lightning magic, it was essential to prepare safety measures in the surroundings.
Especially for Lee Han, who had recently caused an unfortunate accident that damaged Einrogard's Main Building—he had to be even more cautious.
Up until now, practicing lightning magic of that level in a standard classroom would have been fine, but if he aimed for something greater, he needed to consider safety precautions in advance.
"Ah. What I used was <Magus Ahriman's Shield>, Student Lee Han. Since you're from the Black Magic school, you must have heard of Magus Ahriman, right?"
"Yes. He's a famous black mage, isn't he?"
"Correct."
"Who was so impoverished and destitute that he turned himself into an undead..."
"..."
"Out of all his countless achievements, why focus on that one?"
Setting aside the fact that, in his later years, numerous research failures and bankruptcy drove him to turn himself into an undead, Magus Ahriman was indeed an outstanding black mage who left his mark on the Empire's magical history.
Among his works, <Magus Ahriman's Shield> was a convenient spell even the Death Knights under the Skeleton Principal frequently used.
"It can be described as a crystalline structure meticulously arranged with negative energy and dark elements. This shield absorbs and neutralizes the energy and vitality of its surroundings."
Creatures capable of wielding negative energy or dark elements could produce similar effects against living beings.
Just by making contact, living beings would lose their vigor and grow exhausted.
<Magus Ahriman's Shield> was the result of refining and layering this effect with extreme precision.
This spell, perfected through highly efficient combinations, was so groundbreaking that even the Death Knights—far more ancient warriors—found it satisfactory to use.
"Can I learn it too?"
"Of course!"
"Thank you! What circle is it?"
"5th Circle."
"......"
Lee Han's initial joy quickly turned into a stern expression. The Death Knights exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend why the successor looked so grave.
"If it's 5th Circle, it should be manageable..."
"I'm already preparing to learn a 5th Circle spell—why are you adding another one now?!"
At the successor's outburst, the Death Knights wilted, lowering their helmets in defeat.
The Crazy Doppelganger coldly admonished them.
"Knights are, by nature, an utterly foolish and dim-witted lot. Whatever brains they had have long rotted away—what could they possibly understand?"
"..."
"Master, when exactly are you going to exterminate that damn bastard?"
The Death Knights gnashed their teeth, but the Crazy Doppelganger ignored them and continued his explanation.
"Spirits are beings whose very essence is the crystallization of power. To replicate their Authority through magic is akin to mortals foolishly attempting to mimic immortality. However, mages..."
'This is bad. His explanation is putting me to sleep.'
As the Crazy Doppelganger launched into a lengthy lecture, Lee Han realized it was far more convoluted and sleep-inducing than he had anticipated.
Before, the tension of not knowing when an attack might come had kept him alert, but now that the illusion was just talking, drowsiness began creeping in.
'Gainando endured it. I can endure it too.'
Gritting his teeth, Lee Han recalled how Gainando had stubbornly resisted dozing off in class.
He had mercilessly smacked his friend's back to keep him awake—he couldn't possibly collapse now...
"Therefore, the first thing you must do is cultivate the power of lightning."
"Indeed! Wow!"
Relieved that the speech was finally over, Lee Han reacted with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Pleased by his disciple's passion, the Crazy Doppelganger revealed a satisfied expression.
"How much do I need to develop the power of lightning?"
"Until the surrounding space distorts. Only then will the mutation become possible."
"Ah, I see. I'll do my best."
"Make sure you achieve it within this week."
"You can count on me!"
Whether Lee Han's attitude pleased the Crazy Doppelganger or not, it refrained from further reprimands and obediently vanished.
The Death Knight who had been watching from behind asked with a tone of incomprehension.
"But Lord Wardanaz. Didn't you clearly say earlier that you had no intention of learning from this Mad Clone? Are you really alright with this? Surely you have many other things to attend to..."
"It's fine."
The Death Knight was slightly impressed by Lee Han's confident reply.
'As expected, the Skeleton Principal's successor is truly different.'
Even with a magic study schedule that would suffocate ordinary people, he was adding more without hesitation.
It felt like witnessing a miracle—watching someone pour water recklessly into an already full glass, yet it never overflowed.
"Anyway, I'm not going to do it."
"......"
Lee Han declared this with absolute boldness.
Though he had humored the Mad Clone to avoid provoking its temper, he had absolutely no intention of actually learning the magic as instructed.
For one thing, it was physically impossible to begin with. 'It's just an illusion anyway. Whether it throws a tantrum or not, I can just apologize later and say I tried my best but failed.'
The Mad Clone was misunderstanding its disciple.
Despite the distance and the fact that it was merely an illusion, it had assumed that Lee Han would naturally follow along once it demonstrated the profound secrets of magic that even Einrogard's lectures couldn't match.
But Lee Han was the type to shamelessly dodge anything unless a blade was literally at his throat.
"Honestly, I thought Lord Wardanaz would just pick it up naturally."
"Why on earth would you think something so absurd?"
From the perspective of the entire Club Week, the Mad Clone of the Skeleton Principal and the ancestor of the Dalkard Family it had summoned were nothing more than minor incidents.
Most students weren't even aware these events had occurred. They merely gossiped, "This year, some big spenders came and went, throwing gold coins around."
For the students, Club Week had only just begun. After dealing with the early-arriving generous sponsors, it was now time for the troublesome guests to start showing up.
"They're here...!"
"Dammit. Why are these broke bastards coming?"
A few seniors who recognized the visitors muttered with voices full of discontent.
During Club Week, only those with verified identities and the willingness to offer Imperial gold coins were supposed to visit Einrogard.
But there were exceptions to this rule.
External club members who had ties with clubs within Einrogard could be invited without meeting these qualifications.
These club members were usually mages—and in the Empire, mages could broadly be described as "people perpetually short on gold coins," with little exaggeration...
"Greetings, everyone of Einrogard! We come from the <Wildland Pebbles> Magic Tower. We've traveled here to observe and learn from the improved famine-resistant crops you've developed."
"Uh... So... Are you here to invest?"
"Haha, well... After pouring all our funds into research last year, we're a bit short on investment money... We'd be delighted if we could receive some sponsorship here instead."
"..."
"Let me show you the warehouse. Follow me for a moment!"
Einrogard's reputation was so renowned across the Empire that many mages longed to visit.
A significant number of them came just to look around without any gold coins to offer, so the seniors of Einrogard visibly recoiled at the sight of mages who looked obviously impoverished.
"These bastards are scaring away the rich ones! Damn mages!"
"This magic applied to the cauldron is astonishing! How on earth did you maintain this form?"
"That's enough looking! Move aside, will you?!"
Mages who came just to gawk were still tolerable—the real headaches were those who arrived with competitive spirits.
"Is this the <Iactus Soup Club>?"
"It is, but..."
"What a grandiose name. I am Bathsaden. You've probably heard of me. The one who restored the withered plains back to greenery—"
"First time hearing it."
"What?! You've never heard of me? Einrogard truly is nothing special. To think you don't know my name. Regardless, I've come to settle a challenge. Do you see this vial of my potion here? We'll see who can make plants grow faster—"
"Pfft. Guest, if you're not here for magic, step aside."
"Gah, ugh...! Gahk! How cowardly to call security...!"
From the students' perspective, they needed to squeeze every last coin they could, so these random nuisances constantly interfering and causing disruptions made their blood boil.
"Just why does the Headmaster keep letting those bastards in?!"
"In my opinion, it's absolutely intentional. He's doing this to test our patience."
"This won't do. We should tell our invited guests to rest for the day. There are just too many troublesome pests."
As the visiting mages loitered around the 7th floor, the Einrogard students let out deep sighs.
At this point, they had no choice but to temporarily set aside their well-paying guests and deal with—no, dispose of—these unwelcome visitors first.
"We've arrived. Is this Einrogard?"
"Yes, that's correct!"
The Baldrogard Gourmet Club students nodded eagerly, their eyes burning with both anticipation and vengeance.
Last year, when they had visited Einrogard, how many humiliations had they suffered at the hands of the Kitchen Club and others?
For the honorable students of Baldrogard, it had been an unbearable wound.
Who would have thought that one of the two leading forces guiding the Empire's magic could be so despicable?
But the noble students of Baldrogard refused to stoop to their level. If one of the twin pillars had fallen to corruption, the other had to maintain its dignity.
And so, the Baldrogard students had honorably and nobly hired an outside mage before making their grand return.
'These damn Baldrogard brats...'
Garal, the hired mage, had to suppress the scornful look rising in his eyes.
Once, he had been a promising talent—respected enough to conduct research alongside Alsicle of the Pengerin Family.
But fate was cruel. No one could predict when it would reveal its merciless side.
After three failed experiments, five accidents, and one attempted assassination of a sponsor (Garal had pleaded it was an accident, but the sponsor hadn't believed him), a storm of misfortune had swept through his life, leaving him without any proper opportunities for a long time.
Because of this, he had to join adventurer parties desperate for a mage, assist guilds in urgent need of magical aid, and even take on the frivolous requests of idle Baldrogard students.
The first two were exhausting but bearable.
But this current request from the Baldrogard students plunged Garal into self-loathing.
Challenging young Einrogard students just to crush their pride?
Even if the pay was good, he couldn't believe he had sunk to this.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"The Kitchen Club. Please engage in a magical duel with its members."
"If it's the Kitchen Club... they must be skilled in alchemy or transmutation magic. I'll need to be careful."
"As expected of Lord Garal. You truly have an eye for these things."
'This is just common sense...'
Predicting that Kitchen Club mages would be proficient in alchemy or transmutation was the most obvious assumption.
Seeing them marvel at such a basic deduction made Garal's vision darken.
'Sigh. No. Now isn't the time for pride.'
Garal shook his head and composed himself. This wasn't the moment for pointless stubbornness.
"Feel free to humble any Einrogard students you come across on the way."
"Wasn't it the Kitchen Club members who insulted you?"
"The other Einrogard bastards who stood by and laughed are just as vile. Look! There's one right there."
Spotting a noble-looking boy with sculpted features walking in the distance, the Baldrogard students urged Garal forward.
With a sigh, Garal approached Lee Han.
"Are you a student of Einrogard?"
"Are you perhaps a minion of the Crazy Doppelganger?"
"What nonsense is that? I am Garal. Originally from the Northern Snowflake Magic Tower, currently unaffiliated... but in any case, I've been invited by the Einrogard Kitchen Club."
"Ah."
Lee Han nodded. So this was the infamous 'not-worth-the-money' guest he'd heard about.
'Wait. Isn't that Baldrogard over there?'
"I have a question for you, student."
"Yes?"
"Can you suggest substitute ingredients for Dobruk's Soul-Returning Potion to replace juniper, perilla leaves, and galena?"
"???"
Lee Han was taken aback. This was an etiquette he'd never encountered before.
'Do Baldrogard bastards really ask these kinds of questions right off the bat?'
Garal waited with a weary expression. He didn't enjoy throwing out such questions abruptly, but to satisfy the Baldrogard students, he had no choice.
"Let me think about it for a moment."
"Take your time..."
Lee Han turned away briefly, then stepped back and began whispering to his staff.
"Are you there, Master?"