Episode 860
Episode 860
"??"
However, unlike Gainando, who would do anything for a piece of chocolate, Eandurde—the proud Gorgon half-breed—simply stared blankly at Lee Han.
Lee Han whispered quietly.
"Could you try to get along with His Highness?"
"......"
Eandurde's face twisted in conflict and anguish, torn between her sense of duty to obey her respected senior and her hostility toward the wicked, tyrannical Dragon.
Her agonized groans made even Lee Han, who had made the suggestion, feel guilty.
"Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything. Eandurde, forget abou—"
"...Friend."
Suppressing the humiliation and attack she had just endured, Eandurde extended her hand first.
Jowurin was overjoyed at the sight of her new Gorgon half-breed friend.
'Lee Han! It's Jowurin's new friend! See? Jowurin has so many friends now!'
'It doesn't seem like that many...'
Come to think of it, just as Professor Voladi's disciples had increased by 100%, Jowurin's friends might have also increased by 100%.
Lee Han congratulated her with a generous smile.
"This truly is a miracle of Einrogard."
'Lee Han. Jowurin will make more Einrogard friends! Quickly!'
Jowurin tapped her front paws impatiently, as if urging Lee Han to summon more Einrogard mages to the collapsed underground airfield.
Of course, Lee Han didn't go along with the mood.
"That won't do, Your Highness."
Why not?! Wo-, Wardanaz! Jowurin wants to make more Einrogard friends!
"Just because you say it politely doesn't mean it'll work..."
Perhaps thinking she had been refused due to her rudeness, Jowurin spoke again, this time more courteously.
Of course, no matter how Jowurin phrased it, Lee Han had no intention of agreeing.
Even sturdy Eandurde had nearly broken a few bones—what would happen to the other students?
And it wasn't just the students he was worried about. Jowurin herself was also a concern.
'It's hard to predict what might happen.'
Just imagining if one of those insane seniors decided to try hunting Jowurin was terrifying.
Not to mention, there was also the insane archmage's avatar in the territory.
"Your Highness, you came here for the exam. You shouldn't wander around other places recklessly."
Hmph.
Jowurin was saddened but, surprisingly, didn't insist further.
This was because she had already spoken with the Skeleton Principal even before talking to Professor Voladi.
Well, they did say the students might be afraid of Jowurin...
"Your Highness's overwhelming majesty naturally inspires such reactions."
'You don't feel that way, do you, Lee Han?'
"I..."
Well, Lee Han had faced far more terrifying monsters.
"......"
Lee Han was left speechless, at a loss for words.
The sight of Professor Voladi and Eandurde nodding subtly beside him was so infuriating he wanted to smack the back of their heads.
"...I don't fear Your Highness."
Of course not! Now, then, lead the way.
"?"
Lee Han was caught off guard by Jowurin's abrupt change of topic.
"Where to?"
'Lee Han's dorm room.'
"Why?"
So flustered, he instinctively blurted out a response without honorifics.
Fortunately, Jowurin didn't mind at all.
'We decided to stay there, didn't we?'
"...Who decided that?"
'With Gonadaltes?'
To be precise, the conversation had gone:
'I'll hide in Wardanaz's room!'
'Your Highness won't fit inside.'
'I can just stay in human form!'
'It'll be uncomfortable for you.'
But Jowurin remembered it however suited her.
Unfortunately, unaware of the full details of the conversation, Lee Han couldn't refute her.
'This is insane. Is it time for Einrogard to collapse?'
When royalty visits, even offering Einrogard's finest accommodations wouldn't be enough—what kind of nonsense is this cramped dorm room...?
Come to think of it, other royals had also stayed in cramped dorm rooms. From a consistency standpoint, it made sense.
'No... but this is still too much.'
Lee Han glanced at Professor Voladi, his eyes pleading for help, but of course, the professor didn't understand.
"Professor. Wouldn't it be better for His Highness to stay somewhere else?"
Before Professor Voladi could answer, Jowurin responded first.
No! No! No!...
With the tantrum of a spoiled brat.
As the massive dragon rolled from side to side, debris scattered in all directions. Eandurde recoiled in horror and hid behind Lee Han.
"It seems His Highness refuses."
"...I can see that too..."
Lee Han sighed in resignation.
If it had been Professor Garcia, she might have been able to calm Jowurin down, but expecting that from Professor Voladi was too much.
'Well, there's no choice. Let him stay for now, and if he complains about discomfort, we'll just kick him out immediately.
...Wait, would putting him in the chicken coop be considered disrespectful?'
Lee Han, who had planned to move Jowurin to a secret base or an outdoor hut if he complained about the cramped space, suddenly hesitated.
Now that he thought about it, that did feel a bit too disrespectful.
Was there really no place in Einrogard suitable for a dragon to stay...
"Wardanaz."
Professor Voladi called Lee Han, who snapped out of his thoughts and answered belatedly.
"Ah. Yes, Professor. About the exam—would it be alright if I told you my decision within this week?"
He had no idea what kind of magic he could possibly test against Jowurin, but Lee Han wanted to buy some time.
There was no way he could decide on a topic right now.
Fortunately, Professor Voladi readily agreed.
"Very well."
"Thank you."
"I'll help move His Highness."
After granting permission, Professor Voladi revealed the reason he had called Lee Han.
At the offer to help move Jowurin, Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.
"I can handle it myself, though?"
Lee Han could manage the move on his own—if Jowurin transformed into a human, he could just cast an invisibility spell and guide him through the dormitory.
But Professor Voladi shook his head.
"It'll be difficult alone."
"What do you mean..."
No, wait!
Jowurin, who had been boasting earlier, attempted to shift into human form. His massive dragon body writhed and rippled as his shape continuously morphed.
For a brief moment, it seemed like he had maintained a human form, but Jowurin soon reverted back to his dragon self. Professor Voladi remarked calmly,
"Young dragons find transformation frustrating."
"...Uh... Just a second."
Lee Han was stunned at the thought of Jowurin entering his room in that massive form...
Would he even fit?
'Wait. The rooms do expand, but would they stretch that much?'
"Professor. Are you sure His Highness can fit inside the room?"
"Yes. It'll expand."
'How does he know that?'
Lee Han suddenly wondered if Professor Voladi had conducted some experiments in the dorm rooms during his own school days, but now wasn't the time to ask.
Wasn't his personal dorm room about to become a dragon's nest?
'Well, at least it's good that he can fit. He'll probably stay for a week or two... If he gets uncomfortable, we can kick him out sooner...'
Lee Han! Jowurin will behave!
"Haha."
Lee Han laughed weakly as he glanced at the shattered debris behind Jowurin.
If things went wrong, he might become the first student in Blue Dragon Tower's history to collapse a dormitory.
"Then, Professor. I'll leave it to you."
Professor Voladi nodded and cast a veil of invisibility and perception interference over the massive dragon. In an instant, the dragon's form vanished.
Next, Professor Voladi repaired the ruined underground flight arena. Jowurin coughed awkwardly.
It wasn't on purpose.
"Your Highness. You must remain quiet inside."
Understood! Trust Jowurin, Professor Bagrak!
Jowurin nodded vigorously before playfully nipping at Eandurde with an "Ahn!" Of course, Eandurde reacted violently, as if it were the most detestable thing in the world.
Why, why?!
"Wouldn't it be better to just ride on my shoulder?"
"Grrrr! Grrrrrrr!"
Let's go play with Jowurin!
Snap
—Before Lee Han could even ask what that noise was, Eandurde stopped barking.
Eandurde had also wanted to visit the Blue Dragon Tower's second-year dormitory where Yoner and Lee Han lived.
"...Professor. Please take good care of Eandurde too."
Professor Voladi nodded with an expressionless face and swung his staff. Lee Han felt newly grateful to Professor Voladi.
No other professor would have been this accommodating of their circumstances. '...
Wait no. He's the one who brought her here in the first place!'
"???"
Professor Voladi looked puzzled at his student's gaze.
In the Blue Dragon Tower's second-year lounge, Gainando was reading the hard-to-obtain 'Puppy Beastman Detective Toberiz' series he'd managed to acquire.
Gainando grumbled about the ridiculous tricks in the story.
"Does this even make sense?"
"Why are you complaining again? Prince, you always grumble while reading that magazine, so why do you keep reading it?"
"That's just how you read these things! Look at this. Look at this part here!"
Excited, Gainando dragged his friends over, made them sit, and began explaining.
His friends regretted 'why did I even talk to him?' but it was too late.
"See this wizard hiding something in his sleeve to sneak into the magic tower dormitory?"
"What's he hiding?"
"A dragon! It's a dragon!"
"Well...couldn't it be a dragon...?"
"Hey! How do you hide a dragon in your sleeve?! And how do you hide it in a dorm room?!"
Gainando jumped up and down at his friends' reactions.
These guys don't even know basic magic!
"Maybe it transformed into something small."
"If it was going to transform small, turning into a human would make way more sense! Why stuff it in a sleeve?!"
'This punk, is this how he studies magic?'
'I'm definitely telling Wardanaz about this.'
This guy who usually half-asses spells and movements only gets this nitpicky like a professor at times like these.
Squeak—
Meanwhile, the door opened behind them, and Lee Han quietly entered. Trying not to disturb his noisy friends, he attempted to ghost his way up to his private room.
But he couldn't escape Gainando's notice. Gainando greeted him cheerfully.
"Lee Han! ...and Professor??"
At the trailing words, the Blue Dragon Tower students let out short screams and flung themselves sideways.
Their instincts reacted to the news that a professor had entered the dorm.
Lee Han hurriedly shouted to calm his friends down.
"It's not like the Headmaster's attacking, so don't worry. The professor just came to help me with something briefly."
"...Wh-what kind of help requires visiting the dormitory?"
"Uh...something about lectures and exams."
"......"
His friends were horrified.
They knew Professor Bagrak's lectures were brutal, but they never imagined he'd chase students into their dorms to pester them.
Einrogard professors always exceed expectations!
"Well then, I'll be going now. Have fun, everyone."
"???"
Gainando tilted his head in confusion.
He couldn't hear anything, yet the stairs leading upward were breaking one step at a time.
What kind of bizarre phenomenon was this?
Professor Voladi calmly swung his staff, repairing the stairs, then proceeded upward.
"No matter what, following someone to their dorm is just too much."
"Scary. I'm genuinely terrified of Einrogard. Will we turn out like that when we're third-years?"
"N-no way."
While his friends chattered in shock, Gainando cautiously climbed the stairs.
Then he knocked on Lee Han's private room door and pushed it open.
"Grrrrrowl!"
Sorry! Sorry! Jowurin apologizes! It wasn't on purpose—I didn't mean to flatten and crush...
"Better move those to the left so the books don't get damaged."
Gainando blinked at the chaotic scene inside. Lee Han, belatedly noticing his friend, panicked and yanked Gainando inside.
"Why did you follow me?!"
"Wh-what in the world is this...?"
"...No choice. Gainando, you'll have to help take care of this too."
Wow! A servant?!
Offended by the unfamiliar dragon's rudeness, Gainando bristled.