Episode 831
Episode 831
Only after several unfortunate physical clashes (Giselle swung her fist to shake off her friends, Lee Han nimbly dodged, and Durgyu ended up getting hit)
did Giselle finally calm down.
"......"
"Everyone, apologize. I let myself be provoked."
"......"
"Everyone has their own sensitive spots."
Lee Han spoke as if he understood.
It was only because Lagesa was glaring at Giselle—had she instead glared at Lee Han and said, "Heh, as expected of the Skeleton Principal's disciple, so cautious," even Lee Han might have charged into the domain.
Everyone has their own vulnerable weaknesses.
"Don't be fooled by Lagesa's words, Moradi. Lady Jiklin isn't some berserker—do you really think she'd just charge into a newly discovered domain looking for trials?"
"......"
Giselle felt conflicted inside.
Because her sister was absolutely the type of person who would do exactly that.
'She absolutely would.'
Just as mages would stubbornly venture into dangerous ancient ruins, knights would stubbornly challenge trials—all for the sake of glory.
And that glory included various rewards earned from overcoming those trials. The braver the knight who risked their life, the faster they grew stronger.
Of course, they also died faster.
"Think about it, all of you. When will you ever get the chance to visit the Spirit King's domain? Hmm? You brats will eventually leave this school and either work for knightly orders or serve the Empire in various places. When other knights ask you, 'So, what did you learn at Einrogard, mage?'—what do you plan to say? That you hid behind your friends and broke through the Punishment Room?"
"......"
"Lady Lagesa, please stop with your wicked whispers. Kids, don't pay her any mind.
"It's nonsense to visit a domain just because of words like that. What's wrong with hiding behind someone and breaking through the Punishment Room hallway? It's an excellent strategy."
"......"
"......"
Giselle and Durgyu wore awkward expressions.
While Wardanaz was usually capable of turning even lies into truths, some things were simply impossible.
And that was glorifying the act of hiding behind friends and scurrying through the Punishment Room hallway as something heroic.
Any mage with a functioning brain and conscience would find it impossible to accept that.
"Let's take the challenge, Wardanaz."
"......"
"We came here to challenge it in the first place."
"......"
"You hid just fine when breaking through the Punishment Room—why the sudden change?"
Lee Han grumbled.
* * *
Flash!
As they passed through the rift, a powerful protective barrier enveloped them, and a new dimension unfolded before the students' eyes.
Just as they had anticipated, an expanse of dense, ancient forest stretched as far as the eye could see—so thick that not a single ray of light could penetrate.
Except... it was upside down in the sky.
"......"
"The—the ground is clouds. Are we really supposed to step on them?"
"Hey, Wardanaz is glaring at you. Act brave."
"Wardanaz, don't worry. This time, we'll protect you!"
The White Tiger Tower students, perhaps feeling slightly guilty for dragging along a skeptical Lee Han, loudly proclaimed that he should just trust them.
Of course, they weren't very convincing.
'...Well. It'll be fine.'
If he had truly judged it to be dangerous, no matter how much his friends rolled around on the ground begging, he wouldn't have entered.
First, they had the domain owner's guarantee of protection. Second, they could retreat if things got too dangerous. And third, with the White Tiger Tower students taking the frontlines, Lee Han could focus more on his magic.
Even though they were only second-years, a group of knights capable of casting magic was still a formidable force.
'But I'm already starting to regret this.'
Lee Han stepped onto the clouds spread out like earth and sighed.
Seeing the dense forest growing upside down in the sky while clouds served as the ground made him want to turn back immediately.
He had heard that other dimensions were bizarre, but he hadn't expected it to be this strange right from the entrance.
"Wardanaz. Navida."
"!"
The butterfly that had come earlier as the Broad-Eyed King' messenger fluttered toward them, and Lee Han cautiously greeted it.
The small butterfly with transparent wings flitted about before circling around as if to say, 'Follow me.'
"It seems we're being summoned."
"Is there a possibility of a trap?"
At Giselle's question, Lee Han pondered for a moment before answering firmly.
"No. Since we were invited, he swore to protect us."
"My apologies for the foolish question."
"No need to go that far."
Lee Han and his friends followed the butterfly, stepping across the clouds as they moved. From the sky, leaves periodically fell instead of rain.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wander or sightsee for long—their destination was already visible in the distance.
A structure floated before them, using the suspended seawater as its ceiling, with upside-down mangrove trees serving as pillars and walls.
As the butterfly entered the Sea-Drifting Mansion Forest, the host stepped out to greet them.
It was a demon clad in a chaotic mix of extravagant attire—hats and helmets, shirts and dresses, pants and skirts—all mismatched without any coherence. The Duke of Pride, Garisaima.
"..."
"IT'S A TRAP!!!! A TRAP!!! FALL BACK!!!"
"Wh-what?! Huh?!"
The White Tiger Tower students, startled by Lee Han's sudden shout, immediately raised their weapons.
Garisaima tilted his head slightly, as if questioning what nonsense they were spouting.
'Calling this a trap—'
—how utterly—
—rude of you—
—human—
—mage!'
"Isn't that a Demon Duke?!"
Lagesa gestured in rare panic. She had followed, not wanting the students to suffer alone in another dimension, but she hadn't expected to encounter a Duke-level demon.
"Lady Lagesa! You have to help us with this!"
"This doesn't make sense! Isn't this the Broad-Eyed King' domain?"
'This—'
—mage's—
—words—
—are—
—nonsense!—
—To call it—
—a trap—
—is beyond—
—disrespectful!'
Garisaima chastised the impolite guests. He, too, was a guest staying in the Broad-Eyed King' domain, and here these mages were spouting absurdities about traps and such.
Not only did it damage the dignity of the mages themselves, but it was also an insult to both the Duke of Pride and the Broad-Eyed King.
For the Duke, it implied he was vile enough to set a trap in his friend's domain, and for the King, it suggested he couldn't even protect the guests he had invited, leaving them to fall into traps.
Lee Han, trying his best to listen with cold rationality, kept his guard up as he asked,
"So... you're truly a guest here?"
'Of course!'
"..."
"Is it normal for a demon to be invited as a guest in a spirit's domain?"
Giselle asked sharply, her voice laced with disbelief. Her hand hovered near her waist, ready to draw her sword at any moment.
Though no mere mage could fully grasp the infinite order and dynamics of dimensions, there were still certain laws—one of which was that spirits and demons generally did not get along.
Their mutual hatred was almost instinctive.
'The Broad-Eyed King—'
—knows how—
—to respect—
—a demon—
—he's a—
—good—
—friend—'
"This spirit is insane?!"
"Wardanaz. This spirit's crazy."
'Didn't I tell you guys it was the Broad-Eyed King? Damn it,' Lee Han cursed inwardly at his friends' muttering.
They called him a mad spirit, but why did they ignore me when I said it earlier?!
"I see. Your Grace, the Duke of Pride... were you aware that I was invited as well?"
'Of course—'
—this Garisaima—
—introduced—
—the human—
—mage—
—himself!'
The Duke of Pride Garisaima proudly boasted of his own kindness. When the letter had arrived for Perkuntra, he had been one of those who chimed in, saying, 'Ah, I know that mage,' and vouched for him.
"......"
Lee Han swore to himself that he would never again step so carelessly into a supposedly 'safe' domain. 'I can never let my guard down!'
Who could have guessed that when a spirit invited him, the Duke of Pride would be right there beside them?
"Quickly—"
"Come in—"
"No—"
"Still—"
"I wanted—"
"To have—"
"A conversation—"
"At least once—"
'I really don't want to go in.'
Giselle, perhaps sharing Lee Han's exact thoughts, replied with a guarded expression on her composed face.
"Had it been just the host, perhaps. But with a Demon Duke present as well, one can't help but be wary."
"Human—"
"Mages—"
"Are truly—"
"Rude—"
"Aside from me—"
"There are—"
"Other guests—"
"Inside—"
"Too—"
The Duke of Pride Garisaima shook his head in exasperation, as if disgusted that the mages remained suspicious despite his coaxing.
Lee Han asked with a stiff expression.
"Are there other Demon Dukes here as well?"
"No—"
"They're—"
"Humans—"
"Like you—"
At the demon duke's words, the White Tiger Tower students reacted with disbelief.
"What kind of madman would visit a place like this?"
"You don't mean they were abducted, do you?"
"Captain Lagesa. What do you think?"
"Hmm. Even to me, it does seem a bit far-fetched."
Before the words had fully left her mouth, Arsil emerged from the mansion.
Wondering why his younger brother was taking so long, Arsil beamed brightly upon seeing Lee Han and his friends gathered outside.
"......"
"......"
* * *
The Broad-Eyed King was a spirit whose form resembled a tangled mass of vines and roots shaped into a humanoid figure.
The Pride Duke lightly admonished him.
"Now, now—"
"Human—"
"Mages—"
"Have come—"
"You should—"
"Match your appearance—"
"To greet them—"
"Isn't it—"
"Unattractive—"
Though the Broad-Eyed King wore an avant-garde ensemble—pants and a skirt stitched together, blending Three Kingdoms-era attire with Seven Kingdoms-era fashion—the mages remained silent.
Arsil, as if agreeing, relayed the message. The Broad-Eyed King nodded and then transformed into the familiar visage of a beaver beastman mage.
"Will this do?"
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
The students let out the loudest scream of the day.
The Broad-Eyed King tilted his head in confusion. The fact that he was staring at them with Professor Verdus's face made it even more terrifying.
"I heard beaver and penguin beastmen are the most popular among the Empire's races! So I chose the form of a mentor mage you'd be most familiar with!"
"KYYYYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"They must be—"
"Screaming—"
"Out of joy—!"
"Please, return to your original form."
At Lee Han's desperate plea, the Broad-Eyed King reverted to his tangled mass of vines and roots.
"We of the maddened mind are rarely called upon by subordinates or outsiders alike. Had these two dear friends not requested it, We would not have summoned such young human mages either."
"...Brother. What exactly did you say to him?"
"I told him what an outstanding younger brother you are."
At Arsil's cheerful reply, Lee Han's face twisted in agony.
This was the problem with being on good terms with spirits.
You never knew when you might stumble into a spirit's domain unawares!
"Why is a Demon Duke here as a guest?"
"Because the Broad-Eyed King himself is half-demon, half-spirit."
"I see. Such a secret... Wait. Are you sure you should be telling me this?"
"The madness is too severe to care, so fret not."
'That makes it even scarier.'
"Now, now. You must state your request."
"Human—"
"Mage—"
"Hurry—!"
"Before—"
"The Broad-Eyed King—"
"Changes his mind—"
"You must—"
"Take the branch—!"
"......"
With two immensely powerful beings cheering him on from the side, Lee Han felt like he couldn't breathe.
Who knew pure encouragement—without any hostility or threat—could be this agonizing!
Lagesa also spoke to Lee Han.
"It's best to get to the point quickly."
"Are you saying that just to watch me suffer?"
"You brat. Now's not the time for that. You heard him—he's a spirit with madness. Since we don't know when his mind might snap, we must finish this as fast as possible and take what we came for!"
Under normal circumstances, she would have enjoyed watching the students squirm, but this was different. Lagesa was deadly serious.
This was an opportunity that might never come again, so they had to act swiftly.
"Understood. Your Majesty, Broad-Eyed King."
"What is it, Spirit Offering Hall Master's—"
"......"
The abrupt reply made Lee Han realize the spirit's mind had already slipped away.