Episode 916
Episode 916
Professor Garcia pretended not to hear what was just said and ignored it, then transformed the patrol members into hamsters.
As their companions entered the cage, the hamster squeaked fiercely as if it were dying of happiness.
"I'll leave the translation to you."
-Shut up.
After confining all the patrol members inside the cage, Professor Garcia cast the Transformation Magic once again.
Instantly, the appearances of the three were perfectly swapped with those of the patrol members.
"Check the insignias... Good. Doesn't look awkward, does it, Lee Han?"
"Your skills are truly impeccable, Professor."
"Oh, stop it. Now, could you ask the patrol members if there's anything we should be careful about inside?"
Upon hearing the professor's words, Lee Han relayed the message to the hamster.
The hamster squeaked and conveyed it to the patrol members, who responded with squeaks of refusal. In response, the hamster began beating them up.
After a while, the answer came back.
-They say don't act weak or humble. If someone asks why you couldn't even catch a slave, reply with 'Shut up before I sell you as a slave.' If it's someone higher up, say 'We'll capture the slaves and present them to you soon.'
"......" 'Do the people here care about nothing but new slaves?' Lee Han thought to himself but nodded nonetheless.
Since they were entering a different era and region, they had to respect the local customs first and foremost.
"Excuse me..."
"Shut up before I sell you as a slave!"
"Eek! I'm sorry!"
"Shut up before I sell you as a slave!"
As they approached the city of Isran, people who recognized the patrol uniforms began approaching them to strike up conversations.
Each time, Lee Han diligently used the prepared lines to drive them away.
"Phew. This isn't easy. I didn't sound awkward, did I?"
"N-Not at all, Lee Han. You were excellent."
Professor Garcia praised her student while thinking to herself, 'Isn't he a little too good at this?' She was slightly taken aback by how naturally her student seemed to repel people, as if it were second nature to him.
Glancing to the side, she saw Professor Voladi nodding faintly in approval. He seemed quite satisfied with the student's performance. '...
Am I the weird one here?'
"Let's keep moving then. We'll look for the mages inside the city."
The reason the group had ventured into this dangerous city was simple.
Information was easiest to obtain in places like this.
In remote, small villages far from the city, it was difficult to get proper answers even when asking questions.
Their current goal was to find those most likely to have extensive knowledge of external information within the city—namely, the city's mages.
'I am a bit worried, though.'
As he drove away people who tried to strike up conversations or engage in shady dealings, Lee Han fell into thought.
This ancient era of the Three Kingdoms was truly a time of survival of the fittest, where the strong ruled.
It was an age where classes were strictly divided, and nobles oppressed those beneath them through fear and violence.
And here, mages were the nobles.
Though there were occasionally slaves who could use magic, they were exceptions. Those without the right bloodline couldn't even learn magic in the first place.
Nobles were mages, and mages were nobles.
'They're probably going to be insufferably arrogant...'
The patrol members had immediately snarled about selling outsiders as slaves the moment they realized they weren't locals. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much worse the mage nobles' attitudes would be.
They were clearly nothing like their friends from the Blue Dragon Tower.
'Maybe we should have dressed up and pretended to be nobles? No. It wouldn't have made much difference anyway.'
He briefly regretted that their shabby, tattered Einrogard uniforms had immediately made them suspects for being slaves, but even if they had disguised themselves as nobles, they would have been exposed quickly without knowledge of the city.
In the end, there was only one method left.
'Looks like I'll have to use Professor Bagrak's persuasion tactic even when dealing with mages...'
Somehow, despite coming to this past dimension to solve a problem, it kept coming down to violent means—but there was no other choice.
This era was downright barbaric!
"We'll capture some slaves to offer soon!"
While deep in thought, Lee Han bowed obsequiously to a passing knight. The knight seemed pleased, thinking, 'This patrolman knows his manners.'
Hamster squeaked in disdain.
-You're the perfect patrolman, aren't you?
"Oh. Thank you."
-If that sounds like praise to you, your ears must be rotting off.
'Why is he so grumpy even after I included him as a companion?'
Thinking this, Lee Han searched for the way.
According to information from the patrolmen and additional details gathered in the city, there were three groups of mages worth visiting in Isran.
First, the mages running the <Hall of Waves> located in the harbor.
These mages were descendants of the wicked captains who once led the kingdom's magical fleet, using destructive sea-based magic to ravage enemy coastlines.
Next were the mages researching magic at the <Den of Metamorphosis> near the city gates.
These mages were traitors who had fled from another kingdom decades ago, having once impressed the kingdom's nobility by presenting a chimera fused from no less than twelve species.
Lastly, there was the <Corridor of Statues> within the inner fortress.
Compared to the previous groups, they were relatively less destructive and cruel—though they had the peculiar habit of periodically capturing slaves and turning them into statues.
Professor Voladi recommended the last group.
"Let's go there."
"Is it because they're the most cunningly evil?"
"Their structure looks vulnerable to ambush."
"......"
Professor Garcia nodded, regretting her question.
Indeed, the <Corridor of Statues> seemed ideal for a surprise attack.
For one, there were few people passing by, and there was no notable security—except for the eerily human-like statues scattered around.
"Professor Garcia. I leave it to you."
"Yes."
Professor Garcia waved her staff without needing further explanation.
Though the rules, formulas, and structure differed from the Empire's current magic, a skilled mage could still decipher them.
And Professor Garcia was not just skilled—she was exceptionally so.
Magic of this level was easily within her ability to dismantle.
Lee Han marveled at her magic.
'So that's it. They enchanted the statues to deal with potential intruders.'
"Lee Han. Come here and look. I'll explain."
"Ah. Do I need to dispel it too?"
"Huh? No. I'll handle the dispelling."
"??"
Lee Han almost asked, 'Then why are you explaining it to me?' but held back.
It was hardly a disciple's place to question a professor's teachings.
"...This is the kind of magic it is. Understood? If you're curious later, ask me and practice it."
"...Professor, are you explaining this because you think I'll secretly practice it?"
"W-what nonsense! Lee Han, that's not it at all! I'm just teaching you purely as a professor!"
Professor Garcia stammered slightly, her words flustered. That alone told Lee Han the truth.
'What an absurd false accusation.'
Still, the ancient magic was quite alien and intriguing. Lee Han made sure to memorize what he'd learned.
"Let's go in."
"Yes."
After finishing their preparations, the three entered the corridor.
And immediately locked eyes with a strangely familiar mage.
"......"
"......"
The mage had the appearance of an ancient statue, and beneath that visage, blood dripped steadily from both hands.
The surroundings were littered with corpses. Judging by their attire, they were unmistakably the bodies of mages belonging to the corridor faction.
"I see there's no helping it. My apologies."
The young skeleton headmaster, having been caught at the scene, apologized as if genuinely remorseful and prepared to make his move. Sensing the destructive power implied by his gesture, Lee Han tensed and urgently shouted,
"Wait! We're not your enemies!"
Words alone wouldn't be enough to persuade him. Lee Han quickly dispelled his disguise magic as well.
As the familiar beggar's attire—not the patrol member's uniform—appeared, the young skeleton headmaster finally hesitated.
"You're not from this city?"
"No. Uh, we're... visitors from another dimension! Please hear us out!"
"Hmm."
After a moment of contemplation, the young skeleton headmaster lowered his hand. Then he addressed Professor Voladi.
"Stop hiding and come out."
Professor Voladi obediently released his concealment and stepped forward. The young skeleton headmaster tilted his head in puzzlement at the sight.
"That magic just now... it resembles the magic of my family..."
"Correct. Because I learned it from you."
"??"
"I'll explain. After we clean up these corpses first."
At Professor Voladi's words, the young skeleton headmaster's face flushed red.
"I didn't kill them out of greed..."
"I know. These bastards must have acted arrogantly, didn't they?"
Lee Han interjected as if he'd already guessed.
Though the young skeleton headmaster was royalty, he was only a prince of a minor kingdom. Naturally, mages from such a powerful kingdom would behave rudely toward such royalty.
It was clear that the young skeleton headmaster had quietly visited for magical matters, only to explode in response to the humiliation he received.
"No, that's not it."
"Huh? It's not?"
"I came here to rescue innocent people who were imprisoned."
The young skeleton headmaster replied as if to say, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Killing people just because they acted arrogantly—what kind of logic was that?
"...Who exactly are you—mmph!"
Garcia urgently covered Lee Han's mouth as he gasped in shock, about to shout.
"Haha. Please forget what just happened!"
"???"
* * *
After clearing the corpses from the corridor and settling inside, Lee Han's group began explaining to the young skeleton headmaster.
-So in our dimension, you become a great mage who leaves a lasting mark on history, and as that great mage, you run a magic academy, and we're students who graduated from there...
"As... astonishing!"
The young skeleton headmaster's cheeks flushed with joy as he trembled in excitement.
"To think that even a lacking mage like me could have such a future of possibilities!"
For a mage who deeply understood the concept of divination magic, the idea of another version of oneself from a different dimension or a future dimension wasn't particularly difficult to grasp.
The young skeleton headmaster was deeply moved by the fact that some version of himself, in some distant future, was nurturing students.
All he was doing now was trivial things like ambushing and killing evil mages.
To think that such an inadequate version of himself would later raise proper students!
"What kind of place is this magic academy? Is it warm and full of love?"
"......"
"Ah, well..."
As both professors remained silent, Lee Han, as a student, had no choice but to lie.
"It's incredibly warm and overflowing with love. There's even a song about it. 'Einrogard. Einrogard. So wonderful. A place with warm meals and cozy beds. Einrogard.'"
"That's truly a great comfort."
The young skeleton headmaster replied with immense happiness.
Though all he could do now was ambush evil mages, perhaps someday he might be able to nurture mages with unconditional love.
Just that thought alone reinvigorated the young skeleton headmaster. It seemed he could continue ambushing evil mages with renewed vigor.
"...Did we come to the wrong place by any chance?"
"Pull yourself together, Lee Han. We're in the right place."
Professor Garcia was also feeling dizzy, but she barely held on thanks to her sense of responsibility as a professor.
This was undoubtedly the young skeleton headmaster.
It was truly hard to accept, but...