Episode 867
Episode 867
Dragons were fundamentally a species that left a strong impression of greediness.
It wasn't for nothing that old tales featured people who ventured into dragon lairs to steal treasure only to be severely punished.
But this was merely the impression of those who didn't know any better.
To be precise, dragons weren't so much greedy as they were a species with an extremely firm sense of ownership over their possessions.
'Calling dragons greedy just because people who entered their lairs got punished is a bit of a stretch.'
It's the thieves who broke into others' nests to steal who were greedy, not the dragons.
No matter how much collecting gold and jewels might be a dragon's hobby, thieves had no right to steal them.
Even if Lee Han had been a dragon, he would have clearly flown into a rage.
'They're just thoroughly protecting their property rights, yet they get labeled as greedy. Does it really all come down to numbers?'
With their small population and most living in seclusion, dragons had no way to stop the other races of the continent from spreading baseless rumors as they pleased.
Lee Han inwardly lamented the Empire's tendency to let majority opinion dictate public perception.
"Dragons are merely protecting their treasures, yet they're misunderstood as greedy. Truly a pity."
Hehe.
Jowurin giggled, scratching her cheek with a forepaw as Lee Han took her side.
Yukveltire responded as though she didn't particularly care about dragon rumors.
"Meaningless gossip from ignorant people holds no weight. What matters is that dragons never relinquish what's theirs."
Hmph.
Jowurin sulked again, then whispered to Lee Han.
Lee Han. You have to keep last time a secret...
"What needs to be kept secret?"
Yukveltire turned her head curiously upon hearing the whisper. Lee Han quickly covered.
"It's nothing. She just asked me to keep it secret that I insulted Professor Verdus."
"There's absolutely no need to keep that a secret."
Having perfectly deceived Yukveltire, Lee Han then consoled Jowurin.
"Your Highness, don't let the senior's words sway you too much. Everyone has different personalities to begin with. You don't need to worry about what dragons 'should' be like. Just be yourself."
Lee Han!
Touched, Jowurin's eyes widened.
Then can you give me presents next time too?
"Absolutely not. Stop talking nonsense."
......
Jowurin puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
That's not what you just said!
Lee Han, Diret, Yukveltire, Professor Voladi, and Jowurin stood in the middle of the hallway after leaving the classroom.
Lee Han thought to himself:
'This is truly a combination I'd rather not approach.'
If Lee Han had been any other student, he would have cast an invisibility spell and thrown himself out the window the moment he saw this group to put distance between them.
It was a horrifying combination where you couldn't even guess what kind of accident might occur around them.
"Is the next class <Staff Materials and Magic Amplification>?"
"Yes."
Since it was Professor Verdus's class, Yukveltire knew Lee Han's schedule.
"No need to attend, right?"
"Well..."
Lee Han answered cautiously.
Normally, having already completed a semester's worth of classes would be something to boast about, but standing before him was the victim whose staff-making opportunity had been usurped by the professor.
Jowurin had been about to scold him.
Jowurin waved her forepaws about as she spoke.
"Your Highness. If that's the case..."
You needn't worry, Lee Han. As a dignified member of the royal family, Jowurin wouldn't attack without reason!
"No. I was going to say you could hit me once if that's the case."
...?!
Yukveltire continued with an expressionless face.
"Then you have free time. I have a recommendation."
"?"
Lee Han and Diret tilted their heads simultaneously in confusion.
Yukveltire had something to recommend?
"What are you planning to recommend?"
"Hmm. Yukveltire isn't the type to give advice to juniors, is she...?"
Diret was equally baffled. This was completely unlike Yukveltire's usual demeanor.
"A Magic Drafting Tool. Since you're taking <Magic Algebra and Arcane Geometry>, you'll need a decent drafting tool."
'Ah.'
Drafting tools included everything from simple rulers and protractors to compasses and dividers—essentially, tools for drawing diagrams.
No matter how vividly mages could envision eternal magic circles and architectural wonders in their minds, they still had to present at least a basic sketch to secure gold coins from imperial investors.
While ordinary drafting tools forced mages to painstakingly draw and calculate everything manually, a good Magic Drafting Tool conveniently bypassed such tedious processes.
Truly exceptional Magic Drafting Tools could rival highly intelligent spirits in capability—or even have such spirits embedded within them.
Knowing that Yukveltire was one of the most renowned Enchantment Magic specialists in Einrogard, a school already brimming with geniuses, Lee Han's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Senior, are you... giving this as a gift?"
"No. I don't have one to spare."
"......"
Even pettier than Jowurin...
Jowurin herself muttered in disappointment. To say all that and not even offer a single treasure?
Even Professor Voladi chimed in.
"If you lack the materials, I can assist."
At the group's reaction, Yukveltire's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
Though she didn't realize it herself, the lingering effects of Professor Verdus's staff theft were still influencing her.
"...No need. Keep listening, junior of the Wardanaz family. While I don't have one, I know where to get one. I know its location."
"Aha."
Lee Han swallowed his disappointment and perked up again.
In Einrogard, knowing where something was located was practically the same as owning it.
'Knowledge is power, after all.'
From a certain perspective, being the thief was far more advantageous.
"Let's go."
Professor Voladi seemed to approve, voicing his agreement. Lee Han hesitated.
"...Ah, Professor. Is it really alright to bring His Highness Jowurin along for... this?"
"If he's going to steal rather than be stolen from, I see no issue."
'Damn it. Am I really letting greed sway me like this?'
Lee Han grew wary of how easily he was being convinced by Professor Voladi's logic.
It was almost as if his own desire for treasure was clouding his judgment.
Lee Han. Jowurin also wishes to accompany you...
"No... well... um... Very well. Let's go."
Unable to outright say 'We're going to steal something' in front of the young dragon, Lee Han eventually nodded.
Meanwhile, Diret whispered to his friend,
"If it's an artifact you'd consider useful, yet it's somewhere else in the school... That's odd. Where is it?"
"The Sacred Pavilion Hall."
"......"
The Sacred Pavilion Hall.
In other words—Professor Verdus's magic tower.
'You are angry, aren't you?!'
Diret screamed internally.
No matter how he looked at it, this sudden concern for a junior she'd never cared about before couldn't possibly stem from anything but lingering resentment toward Professor Verdus.
Yet the group advanced toward the Sacred Pavilion Hall without hesitation. Not a single one of them felt any guilt about plundering Professor Verdus's belongings.
'...'
Should Professor Garcia have been here...?'
Diret found himself alone in that thought.
Of course, if someone asked Diret, "If you could take whatever you wanted from Professor Verdus's tower, would you?" he'd probably hesitate for a second before saying yes.
But watching Professor Voladi actively dismantle the tower's defenses made him wonder if he was doing something wrong.
"Is this really okay?"
Crash!
Only the core part of the defensive golem collapsed precisely before scattering in all directions. A powerful restoration spell tried to rebuild the golem, but the disruption magic Professor Voladi had additionally cast interfered with the process.
The fallen defensive golem wasn't just any ordinary golem. Made with high-purity moonstone and magnetite, each one of these golems cost an enormous amount to produce.
They were operational golems precisely because Professor Verdus, who never spent a single penny on his students and devoted everything to his research, had made them.
And Professor Voladi was taking down these expensive golems in the most efficient way possible. The sight was reminiscent of a great warrior collapsing from a shepherd's slingstone.
"Wow!"
"Professor, your magic is the pinnacle of efficiency."
'...Is this really allowed?!'
As Jowurin and Lee Han chattered excitedly, Diret internally wrestled with himself again.
Looting was fine and all, but shouldn't the professor be stopping this...?
"Yukveltire. What do you think?"
"The defenses have been upgraded another level."
Having suffered many hardships recently, Professor Verdus had reinforced the Sacred Pavilion Hall's defenses even further.
He'd been grabbed by the collar by one professor and had his precious assets stolen by a certain student.
In a way, this reaction was only natural...
Of course, that wasn't what Diret had meant to ask.
"Never mind. I was stupid for asking."
"??"
Rumble—
While they were talking, Professor Voladi had completely wiped out all the first-floor basement defense golems. Jowurin and Lee Han clapped simultaneously in awe.
'So this is what a professor is like!'
If it had been Lee Han, he would've tried all sorts of methods to break through those defenses by force. But to swiftly close the distance, strike only the vital points, and then quickly disrupt the restoration spells—this was on another level.
No wonder he could raid other professors' workshops.
"Ah."
Professor Voladi suddenly stopped and began looking around as if searching for something. Lee Han asked curiously,
"What's wrong?"
"I meant to leave one intact. My mistake."
Given how combat-capable these golems were, even Professor Voladi couldn't afford to hold back. If the golems had fully unleashed their combat power, it would've been like getting caught between gears—utterly shredded.
"Why did you need one left?"
"Didn't you want to try fighting it?"
"Wow!"
"That's not a 'wow,' Your Highness."
Lee Han immediately stopped Jowurin.
Jowurin probably expected Lee Han to fight like Professor Voladi, but that was absurd.
"I'm nowhere near that level yet."
But Lee Han was still an exceptionally talented mage...
"Hmm."
Seeing Professor Voladi beside them briefly ponder Jowurin's words made Lee Han's heart sink.
'I should've left Professor Bagrak out of this too!'
Deeply regretting his choices, Lee Han tried to dissuade Jowurin again.
"Your Highness, I'm really not at that level. I'm still a lower-year student. Just keeping myself alive in Einrogard is hard enough."
"That's not true."
"I don't think so."
"......"
With even Yukveltire chiming in after Professor Voladi, Lee Han felt a headache coming on.
This really was a terrible combination.
"Senior. Could you just show us the way? I'd like to finish up and leave before Professor Verdus arrives."
"This way."
Yukveltire glided effortlessly through the devastated first basement floor, guiding them.
As Yukveltire kept pausing while walking, Lee Han asked cautiously,
"Is there a problem?"
"No. Let's keep moving."
"...If you're enjoying the sight, you can take a little longer to look."
Lee Han subtly suggested.
If he were in Yukveltire's place, he'd probably spend a good hour admiring the thoroughly wrecked first basement floor before moving on.
"There's no reason to."
"Should we preserve this in a painting?"
At Lee Han's whisper, Diret nodded. Even Diret thought this was worth recording.