Episode 905
Episode 905
When his attempt to corrupt his opponent backfired and he was instead mocked, Hamster flew into a rage.
Back when he was still a magic criminal, he'd had a bit more tolerance, but when a person turns into a hamster, their heart tends to shrink along with their body.
Even Antagondals was no exception to this.
"I came to ask you something."
-At least say something that makes sense. Did you come here to ask that tyrant about spelling rules or something?
"Yes."
-......
Realizing Lee Han was serious, Hamster fell silent before popping a grape into his mouth and chewing on it.
The grape was quite delicious.
"You've had your grape, so please interpret this for me."
-Ask the tyrant. Even if I teach you, he'll just throw a tantrum. And even if he does teach you, can you really trust it?
"I'll cross-verify it, so it's fine."
Hamster let out an irritated squeak mixed with anger. The blue-blooded rookie mage who wouldn't back down from a single word was incredibly annoying.
But there was only one thing Hamster could do right now.
"...No. You can't act like this after eating my grape!"
When Hamster retreated deep into his cage, Lee Han got angry.
Of course, as Hamster said, he could just ask the Crazy Doppelganger, but Lee Han always liked to prepare for contingencies.
And when he thought about it coldly, there was a real possibility the Crazy Doppelganger might not teach him the spelling rules.
'Given that he cut off contact, it's entirely possible.'
In that case, it was all the more reason to get the information from this hamster first.
Lee Han took out a grape and threw it at Hamster inside the cage. An angry squeak erupted.
-I'll kill you!
"You already tried that threat last time. You've had your grape, so please interpret this. I'm busy."
-Just how did the Wardanaz Family raise their children to turn out like this? Did they melt down the Demon King's soul and pour it in or something?
Hamster lamented.
He'd made many mistakes in his life, but the one he regretted most recently was entering Einrogard to obtain the secrets of magic. The second biggest regret was underestimating this brat.
If only he hadn't looked down on this kid when he was first captured, he wouldn't be in this mess.
He could accept that the kid was a genius when it came to magic, but what kind of insane nerves did he have to...?
-Fine. I'll interpret it for you. But in return, you brat have to promise me one thing.
"Huh? But you already had a grape."
-......
Hamster squeezed his eyes shut at the shamelessly petty behavior of the Wardanaz Family brat over a single grape.
"Please interpret it first. I'll hear your request afterward."
-...
Fine. Got it.
Surprisingly, Hamster gave in quite easily.
He was in a disadvantageous position, and interpreting a fairy tale at the level of 'Once upon a time, there was a kind student at a magic academy' wasn't actually that difficult.
Given who he was dealing with, Hamster knew the brat could probably interpret it himself even if he refused.
In that case, it was better to show some goodwill and call in a favor later.
-Once upon a time, there was a kind student at a magic academy... Damn it.
"Does 'Damn it' go in there?"
-Of course not.
"Then please do it properly."
-...
The kind student had his staff stolen...
As it was a fairy tale, the content wasn't particularly long or difficult. Lee Han quickly jotted it down with his quill.
"Thank you. Well then..."
As Lee Han tried to eat and run, a hate-filled series of squeaks erupted. Lee Han, who'd been trying to slip away unnoticed, reluctantly sat back down with a sigh.
"I just adjusted my sitting position."
-My request is simple. Help me escape.
"What kind of insane nonsense are you spouting???"
-......
Lee Han dropped his polite demeanor and immediately turned serious.
It was hard to imagine this was the same mage who had been courteous to Hamster just moments ago.
-At least hear me out first.
"No. I refuse. I respect you as a mage, but this is too much."
Surprisingly, Lee Han actually had a degree of respect for Antagondals.
It wasn't because Antagondals was a great mage, but because he might come back someday to ambush Lee Han.
He'd already accumulated enough resentment from his teacher—there was no need to pile on even more.
That said, Lee Han had absolutely no intention of risking his life to free him.
Because the Crazy Doppelganger was a hundred times scarier than Antagondals.
"Are you suggesting we die together? Trying to make me your fellow hamster?"
-You won't become a hamster.
Unlike Antagondals, who was being treated worse than a slave by the Crazy Doppelganger, Lee Han was being treated as an official disciple.
Even if he burned down the workshop and went down to the village to kill a few people, he probably wouldn't be turned into a hamster.
-And it's not even difficult. You don't have to do anything. Just open our door while that tyrant is temporarily annihilated.
"???"
Not just "stepped away," but annihilated?
The odd choice of words made Lee Han pause.
"Annihilated? What do you mean by that?"
-Literally. Did you really think I'd stay trapped here forever?
The hamster spoke with the demeanor of an Archmage.
He looked like a master chess player holding a hidden move.
That confidence made Lee Han tense up.
Had this hamster—no, this magic criminal—been scheming something behind Lee Han's back without him knowing?
"Explain."
-I have subordinates outside. If something happens and my connection is cut off, they're supposed to come in.
"......"
Recalling the nearly wiped-out intruders, Lee Han hesitated to mention that fact and decided to wait.
He wanted to hear more about what the hamster had to say.
"Even if those subordinates are skilled, they wouldn't be able to defeat the Headmaster, would they?"
-Of course not.
Surprisingly, the hamster readily admitted it.
That tyrant was in a league of his own even among Archmages. Few could grasp as many forgotten ancient secrets as he had—so many that they couldn't even be counted.
No matter how seasoned the adventurers were, they'd be annihilated the moment they locked eyes with him.
-But even tyrants have weaknesses.
The hamster explained calmly.
As unmatched as the tyrant was, his arrogance was his flaw—nothing in this world was without weakness.
This tyrant's greatest weakness was that he wasn't a being of this world but a Mana Thought-Form rejected by it.
The worlds—often referred to as dimensions—embraced those within themselves and rejected those from outside.
This was why demons from other dimensions needed complex contracts to set foot on the continent.
The Skeleton Principal's doppelgangers, not being his true self, were also Mana Thought-Forms that should have been expelled by the world.
But due to their immense power, they could periodically break through the world's rejection and descend upon the continent.
"Like a natural disaster, right? I've heard about that before."
Since he already knew, Lee Han wasn't particularly surprised.
Just as toxic substances lingered and continued to affect the environment, an Archmage's Great Awakening also left a lasting impact on the world.
The appearance of the Skeleton Principal's doppelgangers was likely a similar phenomenon.
-......
For a moment, the hamster was speechless at the mage's supreme state being compared to toxic waste, but he quickly regained his composure and continued.
-I've hidden magic within the souls of my subordinates. If their bodies are destroyed, the magic within their souls will be released.
"What kind of magic...?"
-A spell to banish Thought-Forms!
It amplified the connection to the world and expelled Mana Thought-Forms—essentially foreign entities—for a certain period.
The principle was simple, but its execution was an extremely advanced spell far from easy. Realizing both the principle and the difficulty, Lee Han shuddered.
To think he had hidden such magic within his subordinates' souls as a contingency...
From the sound of it, even the subordinates themselves didn't know. Hearing the meticulous planning of a true magic criminal sent chills down his spine.
If the Crazy Doppelganger were to thoughtlessly turn the intruders into hamsters, wouldn't it be like a poisoned dagger hidden away suddenly springing out to stab him in his moment of carelessness?
'We should contact him immediately.'
Lee Han betrayed his agreement with Antagondals in a single second and prepared to contact the Crazy Doppelganger.
From the perspective of a magic criminal, it might feel unfair, but Einrogard's academic culture had always been rather liberal when it came to breaking oaths or lying.
Even though most of the intruders had been captured, the remaining ones could still be dangerous, so he needed to relay the message to leave them to the Giant or other mages...
Beaver
Penguin
Fox: "Got him! Got him! I caught the last one, I tell you!"
Clzenberg: "Congratulations!"
Iactus: "Grr! I'm jealous. Congrats. Did you find the Headmaster's treasure?"
Beaver
Penguin
Fox: "Huh? They say they didn't take it? They claim they didn't steal anything like that."
Iactus: "What? You don't know how to interrogate properly?"
Beaver
Penguin
Fox: "Who do you take me for, a freshman? Of course I know how to interrogate. But they insist they didn't take it."
Iactus: "Aha."
Beaver
Penguin
Fox: "What? You have a guess or something?"
Iactus: "You're hiding the fact that you've already found the treasure, aren't you?"
Bakwantalana: "Indeed."
Beaver
Penguin
Fox: "Oh, now you're saying 'indeed' too. I was an idiot for relaying the news to you rotten pieces of wood. Just go die already."
'Huh?'
Before Lee Han could even relay the message, the members of the Watchers of Einrogard club had already delivered the news, leaving him flustered.
What would happen if all the intruders were captured before he even met the Crazy Doppelganger?
"Uh, I have a question."
Hamster:'Wise. I knew you'd come to your senses.'
The Hamster spoke with an air of leisure.
The reason he had told Lee Han this, despite knowing he could betray him at any moment, was simple.
The moment Lee Han informed the tyrant, the tyrant's pride would drive him to personally hunt down the intruders!
While the Empire's current mages were proud and strong-willed, the ancient mages of the old kingdom were on an entirely different level.
If a master had to be worried over by his disciple, it would feel like utter humiliation.
Hamster:'Once the tyrant is banished, the magic trapping me will soon unravel. I'll have more than enough time to escape before he returns. Though I'd rather not be stuck in this cramped cage when he does, so just open the door for me. You don't want to clean up exploded flesh and blood clots either, do you? If you do this, I swear I'll forget all grudges between us.'
The Hamster displayed rare magnanimity.
Under normal circumstances, this was a grudge he would never forget, but considering Lee Han's lineage from the Wardanaz Family and his connection to the Lord of Einrogard, the Hamster knew it was better not to push things.
If they could just get out of this mess, they could go their separate ways and never cross paths again.
"That wasn't what I was going to ask, though."
Lee Han felt slightly awkward.
Now that he thought about it, the Hamster was right. Considering the Crazy Doppelganger's pride, hastily contacting him might be even more dangerous.
'I should've phrased it differently. That was close.'
Hamster (mimicking a sobbing voice):'Sniff... Master... One of the Einrogard students insulted me, saying, "Your master doesn't even have lackeys, so he has to chase intruders himself?"'
Hamster (mimicking an enraged voice):'How dare they?! From now on, you'll handle all the menial tasks!'
That approach might have worked.
'No... Actually, that doesn't sound great either.'
Upon reflection, contacting the Crazy Doppelganger would only bring Lee Han losses.
Hamster:'Then what were you going to ask?'
"Well, uh... What happens if all the intruders are captured by other people? Like students, knights, or... the Giant?"
Hamster:'...'
Hamster:'That's highly unlikely. At least one would be caught by the tyrant. And why is the Giant lumped in there?'
"......"
Lee Han hesitated, unable to speak. The Hamster sensed an ominous sign from his demeanor.
Even though his body had been reduced to that of a hamster, the honed senses of his Divination Magic didn't fade so easily.
Hamster:'Don't tell me...?'
"Well... um... They've all been captured."
Hamster:'Don't spout nonsense, you brat! That's impossible! Did every single mage in Einrogard go out chasing them or something?'
"That's what I'm saying. I don't understand it either."