Episode 875
Episode 875
"Even the wisest mage can be taken down in an instant if they're fooled by an evil dragon... You should be careful..."
"J-Jowurin isn't evil!"
Jowurin flared up at the demons' false accusation.
It was such a despicable and petty thing to do—exactly what you'd expect from demons.
He had only given advice for Lee Han's sake, yet they had the audacity to frame him like this.
"Lee Han! By Jowurin's counsel, you must forgive Professor Verdus and respect him as your teacher!"
Jowurin snorted as if to say, "How about that?" and looked between Lee Han and the demons.
"Uh, no thanks. What on earth possessed you to say that?"
Of course, Lee Han responded as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He might have been willing to return the stolen artifacts (though even that was making him hesitate now), but there was absolutely no way he would go any further than that...!
Realizing he had been tricked by Lee Han's cold reaction, Jowurin glared sharply at the demons.
'You wicked creatures!!'
* * *
From inside, Professor Verdus' frail voice drifted out.
"Let's negotiate!"
"Understood, Professor. Let's negotiate. Come out."
Yukveltire stared at the attic where Verdus was hiding, her expression icy, as she spoke.
But her hands never stopped moving. The hand signals conveyed a simple message:
"The moment he comes out, open fire."
The students of the Enchantment Magic faction behind her nodded in understanding.
They couldn't afford to show any weakness against Professor Verdus. They had to take him down immediately.
"Fine! Then step back to the far end of the hallway!"
But Verdus didn't trust them either. The professor knew full well that his own students were perfectly capable of betraying their teacher.
"That won't be possible, Professor."
"I thought we were negotiating?"
"Yes. But you would just summon the other artifacts from within the Magic Tower, wouldn't you?"
The Sacred Pavilion Hall was Verdus' Magic Tower, and each floor was packed with artifacts that would answer his call with a single command.
They had only managed to corner him in the attic thanks to a surprise attack—had it been a direct confrontation, the students would have been swept away.
"No! Trust me!"
"Neither do we. Trust us instead."
"Yukveltire! I'll give you double the promised reward!"
At Verdus' desperate offer, the students stirred.
If they were getting double the bounty Professor Paselet had set, this was definitely worth considering.
But Yukveltire shook her head coldly.
"Unbelievable."
"I'll pay upfront! I'll tell you where the storage is—just take it!"
"Unbelievable."
"Why are you being so stupid about this!?"
Professor Verdus was baffled.
This royal-born student had her flaws—she was self-centered and rarely helped her teacher—but she wasn't a foolish or emotionally-driven mage.
Why was she refusing this offer?
"P-Professor, I am not acting irrationally in the slightest. Open the attic door."
"I refuse!"
"Bring the magic cannon."
At Yukveltire's command, the students moved swiftly. The sound of rolling wheels echoed as a massive bronze cannon, densely engraved with magic circles, was wheeled into view.
From inside, Verdus erupted in fury.
"That's MY artifact!!"
"You were supposed to deliver it two years ago, Professor."
"It still needs more improvements! Why!? Why have you become so stupid!?"
Verdus didn't realize that the more he spoke like this, the more he fueled his student's resentment.
Yukveltire looked up at the attic and made one last offer.
"P-Professor, open the door. Otherwise, we will begin the siege."
"The artifacts here are more than enough to defend! You'll never break through!"
"Time is on our side. Who would come to your aid?"
"O-Os...?"
"The Headmaster has gone to the capital."
"......"
After a moment of hesitation, Verdus changed tactics and began to plead.
"Double and a half! Yukveltire! I'll give you double and a half!"
"St... No need."
-'Staff'?
"I didn't say anything."
-No, you definitely said 'staff'.
"Commence the attack."
The Enchantment Magic students eagerly loaded their spells. Professor Verdus fidgeted nervously, glancing around.
Of all times to be caught in the attic, where he had few artifacts at hand.
The artifacts he possessed were either for self-defense or work purposes.
Most of the powerful artifacts capable of overwhelming mages were downstairs, and the few potent ones he did have were already neutralized by Yukveltire during the initial ambush since she knew about them.
Professor Verdus frantically dismantled his workpieces to create temporary artifacts. The attic entrance's defenses were reinforced, and interception spells were added.
KWA-RRRRUMBLE!
"!!!"
"P-professor, did you just acquire new artifacts?!"
The students cried out in shock as fierce spells flew at them the moment they approached. The sheer firepower made them suspect Verdus had somehow obtained additional artifacts.
"Stay composed. It's just a bluff. He's improvising with whatever materials are inside."
Yukveltire saw right through the resources stored within the magic tower.
Having blocked the summoning of other artifacts, Verdus could only use whatever materials were in the attic.
But makeshift solutions had their limits.
Despite the barrage of lightning and flames, the students slowly fortified their defenses and advanced, prompting Verdus to curse again.
"Those wicked, spiteful mages! How dare they steal my artifacts and use them as they please!"
"Professor. I'm here."
Professor Verdus let out a beaver beastman's distinctive shriek and toppled backward. Jowurin turned to Lee Han with disbelief.
That cute-looking thing is really Professor Verdus??
"Haha. Another lesson learned, Your Highness. Never judge by appearances."
After imparting wisdom to Jowurin, Lee Han assessed the situation below.
Having entered through the hidden path Verdus had shown them, he hadn't yet seen the chaos outside.
Lee Han was stunned.
'What, is this a war??'
Yukveltire and the senior Enchantment Magic students were heavily armed, deploying siege weapons with deadly intent.
"What exactly did you say to Senior Yukveltire? Did you mock her about a staff or something?"
For someone as composed as Yukveltire to go this far—Lee Han suspected Verdus must have provoked her further without his knowledge.
Of course, Professor Verdus was utterly indignant.
"I didn't! Why would I do something so pointless? And what's this about a staff?!"
"Think carefully, Professor. Even if you don't realize it, Senior might have taken it that way..."
"I'm telling you, I didn't! More importantly, we need to get out of here! Yukveltire is trying to kill me! She's completely lost it! She must be insane!"
Yukveltire isn't the type to do that...
As Jowurin subtly sided with Yukveltire, Verdus finally noticed the dragon's presence.
"A dragon!"
"Indeed. His Highness Jowurin."
"Then the claws, scales, tears, blood..."
Verdus was about to list all 365 magical ingredients obtainable from a dragon, starting from tendons to fangs.
But his exclamation was cut short. Professor Bendozol lunged forward and seized Verdus by the throat.
"I'll kill you right here, you bastard!"
"Ghk... Wardanaz!"
Caught off guard, Verdus desperately called out the name of the only student he could somewhat trust.
'I really shouldn't have come.'
Lee Han sighed deeply, wanting no part in this. Beside him, Eandurde gazed at her senior with pitying eyes.
To think their sky-like senior was suffering like this at the hands of the professors!
"Everyone, calm down! Professor Verdus, surely you're not coveting the dragon's flesh. You'd be cursed and hunted forever."
"Can't the Dragon just give it to us?"
"Don't spout such nonsense! I'll kill you before that!"
Professor Bendozol's eyes flashed white as he flipped out, issuing a warning. Even the thick-skinned Professor Verdus flinched at the murderous aura and took a step back.
"Would His Highness the Dragon ever deign to offer even a part of his body to mere insignificant mortals?!"
Lee Han could see Jowurin fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.
'It's alright, Your Highness. No one will know.'
'R-really?'
"More importantly, Professor, can't we just leave through the side passage we came in from?"
"Yukveltire marked my tail with a tracking sigil. If we use the side passage, she'll notice."
Professor Bendozol grumbled at the suggestion.
"Then we'll just cut it off."
"It's a cursed mark that regrows when severed."
"Then we'll cut it again!"
"Are you stupid? That's not how you solve—"
Would you all just stop fighting already?! Jowurin was about to die from frustration!
The enraged Jowurin slammed his front paws against the floor with a series of loud bangs. Eandurde, seemingly pleased for once, patted Jowurin's tail reassuringly.
"W-we apologize, Your Highness the Dragon! It's all because of that bastard who deserves to be torn apart!"
"Exactly! Because of that guy... Ugh."
Lee Han swiftly covered Professor Verdus's mouth.
"Is there no way to dispel the magic?"
"There is."
"What method?"
"Either retrieve the artifact that cast the spell or bring an artifact that can dispel it."
"Where are they located?"
"Yukveltire has both."
"......"
Lee Han had no choice but to acknowledge how thorough Professor Verdus's prized student truly was.
'Did she prepare a long-term assassination plan against Professor Verdus in advance?'
"What if we make one?"
"Well, if you bring the reagents and materials..."
"Does Senior Yukveltire have those too?"
"Yeah."
Should I just sell them out?
Lee Han barely suppressed the fleeting thought. After all, this mess was caused by the artifact he had taken.
"...I suppose persuasion is our only option. Professor, here—the <Star Guide>. If Professor Kraer receives this, he should lift the bounty."
"!"
Professor Verdus stared in shock at the artifact Lee Han had produced.
"You retrieved this?!"
"...Uh, yes."
"Isn't that suspicious?"
Professor Bendozol, sensing something off, questioned it.
An artifact had vanished from Professor Verdus's workshop, yet here it was, returned so quickly. At Einrogard, incidents like this usually meant the culprit was...
"The reason is simple."
Professor Verdus, now holding the artifact, puffed up with pride as he answered.
"What is it?"
"He respects me so much that he rushed to retrieve it!"
"......"
Lee Han nearly stomped on Professor Verdus's tail.
This happened because of the artifact I took. This happened because of the artifact I took.
"Are you seriously saying that?!"
Professor Bendozol shouted in disbelief.
A student respecting his professor so much that he rushed to retrieve something? That kind of thing wouldn't happen before Einrogard's downfall.
No! Jowurin would testify!
Seeing Lee Han under suspicion, Jowurin hastily defended him. Professor Bendozol looked like he wanted to hang himself.
"S-so it's really true?!"
"Yes... I respect him so much that I hurried to retrieve it..."
Lee Han had no choice but to play along. Professor Verdus's smug expression was oddly grating.
"Wardanaz has always respected me enough to help me even during vacations."
"...Ugh."
Lee Han let out a pained groan.
This was harder to endure than most curses.
If this goes on any longer, I might actually lose my mind.
"Professor, I'll go persuade Senior Yukveltire first. Since we've retrieved the artifact, the bounty should disappear soon, right?"
"Yeah. Be careful. She's completely insane."
"Senior isn't like that. Senior Yukveltire! It's me, Lee Han—"
"Using a fake voice for such a petty trick?"
A lethal attack followed the response. Lee Han dodged swiftly and cursed Professor Verdus under his breath.
"What the hell did you do to her?!"
"I swear I did nothing!"