Episode 832
Episode 832
"Ah. A prophecy from a king-class spirit? How intriguing."
"..."
-Pride Duke
-How intriguing
-To think such a prophecy exists, truly fascinating
Without knowing Lee Han's inner thoughts, Lagesa, the Pride Duke, and Arsil each made their own remarks.
And as punishment for being the last to speak, Arsil had to endure his younger brother's fierce glare.
"Brother, you were the one who said it, weren't you?"
"?!?"
Arsil flinched and waved both hands in denial.
But Lee Han had already half-convinced himself of his suspicion.
"Be honest with me. You told them I'd become the Magic Tower, didn't you?"
Arsil had always had a tendency to overestimate his relatively younger brother.
Knowing this well, Lee Han firmly believed that Arsil must have brought up the topic of the Magic Tower.
Faced with his brother's persistent suspicion, Arsil shook his head vigorously.
Though Arsil did have high expectations for Lee Han, he would never go so far as to dictate to beings from another dimension what his brother "would become."
Words held power, and he had no intention of rashly influencing his brother's future.
'How sad that you doubt us! I truly never did such a thing!'
-Human
-Mage
-Do not
-Doubt
-Your kin
-How sorrowful
-The Butterfly Prince must be
"And what business is it of yours to meddle in another family's affairs?!"
"!!"
The Pride Duke was deeply wounded by the cold-hearted human mage's words.
How could someone be so cruel?
Fortunately, the misunderstanding with Arsil was cleared up by the Broad-Eyed King.
-Ah. Wait... It seems I was mad just now.
"I see."
"So the title you just called me was the rambling of a madman?"
-What was it I just said? Oh dear.
It seems I fell into madness again and made a prophecy. If it was an unpleasant one, I apologize.
"......"
"I didn't know an apology could feel this unpleasant."
Lee Han wore a troubled expression.
Realizing that his guest had heard a rather disagreeable prophecy, the Broad-Eyed King added:
-Human mage. Just because you hear a prophecy doesn't mean it will come to pass.
"That must be the case, right?"
"But—"
-The Broad-Eyed King'
-Prophecies
-Have
-A high
-Accuracy rate
-Be quiet, Garisaima.
Arsil, sensing his brother's anger, quietly warned the Pride Duke to stay silent.
It seemed Lee Han was displeased at the idea of his future being prematurely defined by a prophecy about becoming the Magic Tower.
-Though most of them do come true. My prophecies, especially. Anyway, before madness takes me again, speak quickly. You came about a staff, didn't you?
The Broad-Eyed King spoke hurriedly in a weary voice, not even pausing for breath.
Once madness overtook him again, normal conversation with his guests would become impossible, so he wanted to finish the discussion quickly.
"That's correct. Of course, I know it's absurd to make such a request of someone with no prior connection, but if you could at least grant me an opportunity to prove myself through a trial..."
-Head north from here, and you'll find a Sacred Grove I've cultivated. The visiting mages may take any branch they desire from there. This promise was made while I was sane, so it will hold even if I fall into madness.
I swear upon my domain.
The Broad-Eyed King' words grew increasingly rapid, leaving no room for pause by the end.
Lee Han, who had been listening intently, was taken aback.
"Uh... So we can just take one?"
Lagesa, who had also been listening carefully beside him, was equally stunned.
"Uh... Just taking one? Won't that spoil young mages? Shouldn't there be a proper trial?"
Contrary to their benevolent and righteous image, spirits were not beings who gave gifts without reason.
As even the Empire's old tales showed, forming a contract with a spirit itself was a kind of test—one that required overcoming trials.
Spirit contracts were like that, and the same went for any gifts or requests for Authority. Spirits, too, were beings from another dimension, each with their own desires.
A spirit forming a contract with a mage was also for the spirit's own benefit—to borrow the mage's power.
Spirits give mages trials to overcome because the spirits themselves need to verify the mage's capabilities.
But this Broad-Eyed King was readily telling them to just go to the nearby forest and take whatever branch they wanted, without demanding any trial, contract, or negotiation.
From Lee Han's perspective, this was baffling. It was the same for Lagesa.
-This one's madness is severe, so I have little need for contractors. I forget them often anyway—what meaning would it hold?
"But at the very least, shouldn't there be some verification before giving a mage such a precious treasure? Don't you need to confirm their qualifications?"
"Lady Lagesa..."
Lee Han called out, sounding bewildered, but Lagesa ignored him.
The Broad-Eyed King answered again.
-This one's madness is severe, so treasures and possessions hold little meaning anyway.
"But you might have to entertain outsiders later, no?"
-Outsiders rarely come, so there's no need to prepare for hospitality. Since you're here, take whatever you desire. Who knows when you'll visit again.
"......"
"......"
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew solemn.
Lee Han felt guilty, as if he were forcibly extracting gifts from a weary and suffering spirit. Even the White Tiger Tower students, whose skin had grown thicker by their second year, murmured uneasily.
"Uh... are you really sure about this?"
"Poor thing..."
-This one's forest flourishes abundantly regardless, so you mages need not worry. It's fine—call your friends and take what you will.
Though the Spirit King appeared exhausted, he maintained a regal and generous dignity. Seeing the young human mages hesitate, he persuaded them that there was no need.
"Are you truly certain this is acceptable?"
At Angrago's question, the Broad-Eyed King nodded, then paused briefly.
-Why would you be in prison after receiving a branch from me?
"Huh?"
-Ah, it seems this one was briefly mad again. The headache grows severe.
"......"
"......"
The friends stared pointedly at Angrago.
Angrago hastily shouted,
"N-no! Even if I were imprisoned, it'd be for a crime I could escape from!"
-Ugh.
Unable to bear it any longer, Arsil stepped forward.
"Let me prepare some tea."
The Pride Duke also chimed in.
-May
-I
-have
-a
-cup
-too?
At the Pride Duke's coquettish request, Arsil wordlessly brewed two cups of tea.
The Broad-Eyed King sipped his tea, enduring his throbbing headache, then spoke again.
-For this mad one, guests are fleeting yet precious encounters. A rare bond, uncertain whether it lies in the past, present, or future. So take freely, human mages. You may never meet this one again in your lifetimes.
The Spirit King's kind and generous words deeply moved the mages—even striking a chord in Lagesa's heart.
Even Lee Han, who had earlier heard a prophecy bordering on a curse, felt his chest tighten.
They're both kings, so why is the difference between Perkuntra and this one so vast?
One regrets not being able to give more with a selfless heart, while the other...
"Spirit Lord King..."
"Every time I wield my staff, I shall remember Your Majesty, the Broad-Eyed King!"
-Madness may return, so I do not recommend it. Now, go!
The Broad-Eyed King issued a decree of dismissal. His firmness made it clear he would entertain no further conversation.
Arsil and Garisaima also rose to escort the students out for their friend's sake.
But—
-Almost
-forgot!
As the Pride Duke saw the students off, he clapped his hands and called Lee Han.
Lee Han, about to leave with his friends, turned back in confusion.
-Regardless
-of the
-Broad-Eyed King'
-affairs,
-shouldn't
-this
-human
-mage
-face
-another
-challenge?
-This
-Garisaima
-enjoys
-vengeance,
-you see.
"......"
Perkuntra was not a spirit skilled in prophecy, but it knew how to make accurate predictions.
Realizing he was about to be skewered by the Pride Duke, Lee Han panicked. Worse, unlike last time, his opponent now knew his full profile.
"I have urgent business to attend to, so I'll come visit you again later..."
"Very well."
"Very well."
"Leave your mark."
"I shall send a messenger later..."
It was clear that deceiving someone of the Duke's caliber wasn't easy.
While Lee Han was desperately racking his brain about what to do, Pride Duke's complexion suddenly changed.
Cough-cough!
Thud!
Pride Duke fell to his knees. Lee Han and his friends were startled, completely baffled as to why the Demon Duke was behaving this way.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I—Prince Nari—the tea—poison—!"
Pride Duke glared at Arsil with eyes full of betrayal.
Unlike other mortals, he had thought this one was a pacifist—who would have imagined he'd pull such a trick!
Ignoring him, Arsil quickly pushed his younger brother's back. It was a signal to escape while Pride Duke was paralyzed.
'Brother!' Lee Han looked at Arsil with eyes full of gratitude. Even after his younger brother had doubted him so unreasonably, he was still protecting him like this.
Truly, family was everything.
"Let's go!"
Ignoring Pride Duke's desperate cries of "Human—mage—wait—next—promise—cough-cough!" as he struggled to detoxify, Lee Han hurriedly escaped with his friends.
The students walked quietly across the clouds.
Too much had happened inside the mansion just now, and they needed time to process it all.
"...This is incredible luck."
"Y-yeah, right!"
The friends decided to gloss over the poisoning attempt at the end and Angrago's imprisonment prophecy, focusing only on the positive aspects of the incident.
Lagesa nodded seriously in agreement.
"You brats have caught some extraordinary luck. Encounters like this don't come easily."
"See? I told you!"
The students all wore excited expressions at the thought of receiving branches from the Sacred Grove.
'Something's off.' Lee Han felt puzzled that Lagesa wasn't acting spiteful.
Broad-Eyed King had just handed them gifts without any trials—so why was she so calm?
While Lee Han was still suspicious, Lagesa spoke first.
"I told my own comrades to come take some too, so I suppose we can call the other brats and let them take some as well."
"...Huh. Lady Lagesa!"
"?"
When Lee Han exclaimed with sudden realization, Lagesa flinched.
Had this brat already figured it out?
"By any chance... can I sell my friend rights for money? To seniors or outside mages..."
"......"
Lagesa felt ashamed of herself for flinching just now.
Getting tense over nonsense like this.
"Are you seriously spouting that nonsense right now?"
"Well, I could ask out of academic curiosity..."
'Is this brat really not from a pirate family?' Lee Han was about to ask about the limits of contracts and oaths but quickly backed off.
Apparently, selling friend privileges for money was impossible.
"Stop thinking useless thoughts and hurry up before the rift closes. Once Broad-Eyed King' madness truly begins, you won't be able to enter."
"Over there!"
The White Tiger Tower student running at the front shouted excitedly upon spotting a forest in the distance.
Unlike the other forests floating unreachably in the sky of this domain, this was the only one resting atop the clouds.
Tap-tap-tap!
The White Tiger Tower student, borrowing the power of Enhancement Magic, bounded forward energetically.
Then he grabbed a branch from the nearest tree and snapped it off.
Whoosh!
"?"
The student stared dumbfounded at his empty hand.
He had clearly grabbed and broken a branch, yet nothing was there. When he looked ahead, the branch was perfectly intact.
He tried again...
Whoosh!
"......"
Only then did the student realize the tree before him was a mirage. Lagesa burst into laughter she had been holding back.
"Kihihihihi! Did you really think obtaining a branch from a Spirit King's forest would be that easy, even without trials?!"
Come to think of it, even without trials, enough hardship was expected—which was why Lagesa had taken it so calmly.
The other White Tiger Tower students cursed loudly, but Lagesa ignored them and kept laughing.
Suppressing the urge to push her off the clouds, Lee Han asked,
"Lady Lagesa. Then how do we actually take one?"
"You wander around until you're chosen."
Lee Han instinctively checked the expanse of the Sacred Grove again.
One thing was certain—it had no visible end.