Episode 873
Episode 873
Making a contract with a star was several times harder than finding one.
Under the Yaksha King's harsh tutelage, Lee Han barely managed to draw out a fragment of the star's power.
'Hmm. I think I can pull out a bit more.'
"I'll be going back now."
By the way, aren't you curious about this place?
"I'll be going back now."
That valley over there is where Os got beaten up...
"I'll be going back— Wait. What did you say?"
Lee Han froze for a moment and stared blankly at the Yaksha King.
'Is this guy doing this on purpose because he already knows?'
But the Yaksha King simply pointed toward the distant valley with an unreadable expression.
That's where the Kinnara and Gandharvas live. They respect me as their king but do not serve me. Likewise, I reign as their king but do not rule over them.
One of the Kinnara musicians, with a half-human, half-bird body, noticed Lee Han and played a welcoming melody.
The music, infused with unique magic, reminded him of a Siren's song—but its effect was the complete opposite. Lee Han felt the fatigue from focusing on the star melt away.
"They seem like cheerful people...But why did they beat him up?"
Hmm. He never asked, but Os likely thought he needed their power. To ascend higher, even gathering all the wisdom and visions of this dimension wouldn't be enough, so it wouldn't be strange for him to seek the strength of the ancient races.
"So when did they beat him up?"
The Yaksha King ignored Lee Han's question.
Os came here to recuperate and recover before seeking them out. And then he said this:
"O singers of melodies and burners of incense, a mage who has inherited the legacy of dragons speaks. Aid me in obtaining the truth above. If you do, I shall grant you greater freedom."
"Wait. They beat him up just for saying that?"
Without realizing it, Lee Han found himself taking the Skeleton Principal's side.
Sure, the current Skeleton Principal might be questionable, but the old one was someone who genuinely tried to do good. To treat him so harshly...
When Lee Han glared at the Kinnara musician, the latter shrugged as if to say he knew nothing about it.
No, they didn't beat him just for saying that.
"Then why?"
When they ignored him, Os tried to use magic to force them to acknowledge him. That's when he got beaten up.
Even the young Os was a great mage who had learned dragon magic, but the Kinnara and Gandharvas of that valley were warriors who had faced countless outsiders wandering into their dimension over the ages.
Using the advantage of fighting in their familiar terrain, they rushed him, and Os, unable to hold his ground, retreated to the Yaksha King's palace.
"......"
As his disciple, do you wish to seek revenge? If so, I can assist.
'Is this a trap?'
If you suspect I'm setting you up, I'd like to point out that you're mistaken. True, I am their king, but I never swore to protect them unconditionally. If Os's disciple desires it...
"...No. It's fine."
Hmm. Is this an emotional reaction toward your teacher?
If anything, Lee Han wanted to punch the Yaksha King once more than those races.
"If my teacher wanted revenge, he would've done it himself. Besides, wasn't he the one who tried to force them into submission first?"
Indeed. But there are still parts that are hard to accept. As a mage, shouldn't he have demonstrated his power in such a situation? Let me make this clear—those beings cannot be persuaded. They care for nothing but music and incense.
"If they can't be persuaded, why not just leave them alone and go somewhere else?"
Lee Han answered, wondering what nonsense the Yaksha King was spouting now.
What difference would it make to forcibly subjugate such powerful beings and make them obey?
If a knife came flying from behind, so be it—but it wasn't a choice worth making when faced with a difficult goal.
Wouldn't other places be the same? In this dimension, those willing to lend their wisdom to outsiders are few and far between. A king like me is a rare exception.
"Just because something seems hopeless doesn't mean foolish choices become good ones..."
Hmm.
Lee Han was startled.
Surprisingly, the Yaksha King burst into raucous laughter. 'Could it be he's laughing because I insulted the Skeleton Principal?' It seems the disciple has some superior qualities after all.
"Excuse me? What do you..."
Of course, it couldn't be about magic—perhaps it was about character—but Lee Han hesitated.
While he was confident he could defeat the current Skeleton Principal in a battle of character a hundred times out of a hundred, he wasn't so sure about the Skeleton Principal of the past. 'Honestly, it's hard to believe, but objectively speaking, there's a non-zero possibility that the Skeleton Principal was once... somewhat... quite... significantly... well, let's just say not insignificant in terms of being a good person.' If that were the case, Lee Han might actually lose in a battle of character. Frankly, he didn't have the confidence to live like the Skeleton Principal of old.
"Which aspect are you referring to?"
If he didn't hold any emotional grudges against his teacher, he might explain, but under the current circumstances, that wasn't possible. 'This little shit.' Instead, he decided to share another anecdote. There are demons in that sky over there, and Os was once deceived by them.
"Is that really true?!"
Yes. As for how he was deceived...
The Yaksha King paused mid-sentence.
Behind the Black Book, the Portal began to ripple.
Hmm. It seems it's already time to return. I'll look forward to your next visit.
"Wait, at least finish the story about being deceived by the demons...!"
But having already spent too much time with Celestial Magic, the Portal didn't wait and swallowed Lee Han whole.
The Black Book bowed respectfully to the Yaksha King before following Lee Han into the Portal.
Left alone, the Yaksha King paid his respects.
A mage and disciple who had reached the truth were worthy of a king's reverence.
"Ugh."
Waking to sunlight streaming through the window, Lee Han groaned as he felt the sensation of a massive dragon tightly embracing him. The Psychokinesis barrier was on the verge of shattering.
After quickly reinforcing the magic, Lee Han tried to wake Jowurin when he felt something in his pocket.
"!"
A familiar horn-shaped fragment.
It was the same kind of horn fragment he'd once received from a yaksha within Einrogard's territory. The only difference was that this one contained a far deeper and more intense energy.
If Lee Han's memory served him right, this was an item used to request help. '...Wait, but can he actually come?' Unlike the yaksha within the same territory, the Yaksha King resided in a distant dimension far away.
He hadn't made any contract with Lee Han, nor did he have any particular connection here—could he really appear just because of a horn fragment?
Tap.
While lost in thought, a tapping sound came from outside the window.
Looking up, he saw a Paper Bird. The Paper Bird slipped through a small gap and fluttered right up to Lee Han, then began to release the voice contained within...
-Hel...
Thud!...
But it couldn't finish. Jowurin, still half-asleep, crushed the Paper Bird in irritation. 'Was that Professor Verdus's voice just now?' As Lee Han stood bewildered, several more Paper Birds flew in. Jowurin skillfully intercepted them with her wings and tail.
Truly befitting a dragon. Lee Han couldn't help but marvel at Jowurin's abilities anew.
"Your Highness. Your Highness."
Hmm?
Still groggy, Jowurin half-opened one eye at Lee Han's voice and glanced around.
She could hear Lee Han's voice somewhere but couldn't see him.
"I'm right here."...
Aaaaaaaah no!
Jowurin let out a scream powerful enough to shake the Dormitory Tower.
She'd crushed Lee Han in her sleep!
Lee Han! You can't die! You can't die!
"I'm perfectly fi—"
"What's going on?"
Eandurde, who had gone out early to pick fruits for Jowurin, was startled by the scream.
Jowurin squashed Lee Han!!
"...Grrrr!"
Eandurde immediately showed hostility, glaring at Jowurin. Jowurin hastily tried to explain.
I-it wasn't on purpose...! I was half-asleep...!
"Grrrrrrrr!"
"I'm not dead."
Lee Han amplified his telekinesis to lift Jowurin's front paw and slipped out. Jowurin, who had been sniffling, blinked in surprise at Lee Han's unharmed state.
'Is Lee Han just naturally tough and doesn't get hurt?'
"Absolutely not. I blocked it with magic."
Worried that any misunderstanding might lead to Jowurin crushing him for real next time, Lee Han answered immediately.
Nevertheless, Eandurde kept glaring at Jowurin as if she were looking at a senior-killer. Jowurin sniffled and tried to explain.
'I-it was in my sleep...'
"Grrrr."
'I didn't do it on purpose!'
"Grrrrr!"
"Eandurde. Calm down. If it were dangerous, I would've stepped in. More importantly—"
"What's going on?!"
Before Lee Han could bring up Professor Verdus, Professor Bendozol came rushing in frantically.
He'd been sleeping rough in front of the Blue Dragon Tower when he heard Jowurin's scream.
"What in the world happened, Lord Dragon! What accursed fools dared to startle you?!"
He'd thought Jowurin had crushed Lee Han.
"You bastard! Making Lord Dragon misunderstand like that?!"
'Don't take it out on Lee Han!'
Jowurin growled a warning at Bendozol, who looked like he wanted to strangle himself.
"My deepest apologies! Please calm down!"
'Y-yes. Understood.'
"I've prepared a meal. If you wish, I can have it brought in."
'Uh, Jowurin wanted to try eating with friends and the Einrogard meal...'
"Haha. Absolutely not."
Lee Han firmly dissuaded him.
If Jowurin ate the meals distributed by Einrogard, they might evolve into a mad dragon or demon dragon.
After some persuasion, Jowurin nodded, and Bendozol began bringing in the meal course by course.
"Hey! Bring the dishes in!"
The demons working at Einrogard grumbled as they transported the food.
'What kind of pointless suffering is this because of that crazy professor?!'
The massive banquet table soon held almost every dish imaginable to Einrogard students.
Pottage made from pumpkins or potatoes, gratin and salads, Empire-style southern sauté, towering stacks of juicy boar and turkey meat, whole roasted veal stuffed with fillings, fish dishes adorned with sauce lakes made from broth, custards and tarts, soufflés and chocolates, puddings and creams...
Yoner, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she came downstairs, froze, wondering if she'd fallen victim to an illusion spell.
"Wh... what is all this?"
"The meal prepared by the professor."
"Does Your Highness usually eat like this?"
Jowurin shook their head awkwardly in response.
Frankly, Jowurin didn't even eat this much to begin with.
"Professor. Can we call other students to join the meal?"
"Are you insane??"
"Your Highness. May we invite other students to eat together?"
'Yes.'
Professor Bendozol shot Lee Han a glare before going to summon the students.
At first, students from other towers arrived one by two, confused about the commotion, but once they grasped the situation, they hurriedly called their friends.
"Praise be to His Highness!"
"Long live His Highness Jowurin! Truly, let us praise the imperial family's benevolence!"
"...Hey."
Aside from a few disgruntled imperial family members, it was a joyous time for all. Jowurin, in particular, seemed extremely pleased by the sudden praise.
'Can we do this again tomorrow exactly the same way?'
"Of course, Lord Dragon!"
Professor Bendozol replied with a blissful, beaming smile.
Any complaints about students freeloading had long since vanished into the distance.
Lee Han could see the demons transporting food below the tower, their faces twisted in fury. 'Won't the professor get ambushed later?' Jowurin, now in high spirits, chattered excitedly at Lee Han.
'Come to think of it, Lee Han. Jowurin caught a bug targeting you in their dream! You can rest easy. Jowurin will protect you outside dreams too.'
"That's reassuring. Your Highness... ah."
Only then did Lee Han remember the paper bird. 'Hmm. We can talk after the meal.' Lee Han nodded at Gainando, who was tugging at his sleeve, and cut him a slice of steak.