Episode 922
Episode 922
'What the—?!' Batrek was startled as his friend shot up from his sleeping bag like lightning.
The movement was so sudden—like an arrow being loosed—without any preparatory motion.
It wasn't unusual for Wardanaz, despite being from a mage family, to overpower even knight-family students in close combat, but this movement was on a completely different level.
It was something even seasoned knights would struggle to replicate—a level of control where one could freely manipulate the mana throughout their entire body with seamless mastery...
"Everyone, wake up!"
Lee Han shouted toward his collapsed friends and seniors scattered around.
This was no time to be sprawled out on blankets or sleeping bags, no matter how exhausted they were.
But the healing magic students had already made up their minds—no matter what happened, they weren't getting up.
Even if Einrogard were to collapse right now, they wouldn't move until their designated rest time was over!
Only Angrago, who hadn't yet reached that level of stubbornness, struggled to rise from the opposite side and asked:
"What is it?! What's going on?!"
"You still don't see the guest standing right here, Angrago?!"
"?"
Angrago rubbed his bleary eyes, fighting off sleep, and squinted at the guest standing before Lee Han.
"Who is that?"
"!"
Only then did Lee Han realize his friends weren't familiar with the Skeleton Principal's human form.
Most students rarely got the chance to see the Skeleton Principal in human form—at most, once or twice.
And since the Crazy Doppelganger's attire and aura were completely different...
"This person is, well... uh... Master. How should I introduce you?"
"Don't waste time on trivialities with these fools."
'What the hell is that?!' Angrago cursed inwardly.
The only reason he didn't curse out loud was that he was far too exhausted to bother.
Being assigned to a different area from his friends (specifically, Lee Han) meant he hadn't received any help throughout the entire test.
He felt like he'd collapse the moment he closed his eyes.
'I'll... deal with it later...'
With that thought, Angrago fell into a deep slumber.
Lee Han stared at him, dumbfounded.
'Why did that guy just fall asleep mid-conversation?'
"Ahem. What brings you here?"
Lee Han focused on the more pressing matter rather than his collapsed friend.
It was highly unusual for the Crazy Doppelganger to visit in person—especially since he had explicitly promised not to come.
'You're not planning to break your promise just because you reversed once, are you?'
Claiming that his past self and current self were different entities to justify breaking a promise was the kind of nonsense even Gainando might pull.
Lee Han chose to trust the Crazy Doppelganger.
"I came to impart knowledge as a reward for your contributions."
"Like when you taught me the triple transmutation magic earlier?"
The Crazy Doppelganger let out a faint sigh at his disciple's choice of such an insignificant example.
"That was merely deception, not true teaching."
"It was plenty useful as a lesson..."
"Silence."
Lee Han shut his mouth.
Though the Crazy Doppelganger had regained his sanity, Lee Han wasn't entirely sure how much he had recovered.
If provoked too much, he might still attack his own student.
"You say you've properly grasped the Withering technique?"
"I wouldn't say 'properly,' but to some extent..."
"Do you see it?"
The Crazy Doppelganger pointed a single index finger toward the ceiling.
Most mages wouldn't have seen anything without casting a detection spell, but Lee Han could perceive the soul lingering above.
"Yes."
"Move it."
'I just want to rest...'
Lee Han grumbled internally but focused.
The soul under the Crazy Doppelganger's control slowly shifted.
Since he had already done this once before, it wasn't particularly difficult.
The Crazy Doppelganger stared silently at his disciple before finally speaking.
"I never told you not to use a staff."
"Ah. Should I move it with magic? What kind of spell—"
"Enough. Keep going."
Moving it through sheer willpower alone was a far more advanced feat than casting a spell to manipulate it.
The Crazy Doppelganger was moderately satisfied with his disciple's display.
It was a performance worthy of overlooking the audacity of cutting off his master's communication without permission.
"Fine."
"Not bad at all. Now you've earned just a sliver of qualification to learn soul-related arcane arts."
"Can't I learn them after my qualifications become more... abundant?"
The Crazy Doppelganger ignored his disciple's nonsense.
"Soul manipulation magic is—"
"Break's over! Break's over! Break's over!"
Students sprang up like undead from all corners and began rushing up the stairs.
Lee Han was no exception.
"My apologies, Master. I'll go finish my exams first."
"......"
The Crazy Doppelganger stood silently for a moment before ascending the stairs.
Despite the brief respite, the upper floor was already bustling with patients exhibiting various symptoms.
-Bark! Bring the potion!
-Yes, yes!
-Damn these lunatics! Anyone who rides a flying mount without a helmet should be thrown in the Punishment Room!
-Senior! We've run out of ectoplasmic bones! Can we use undead bones instead?
The Crazy Doppelganger raised one hand lightly.
The motion was so ordinary and sluggish that nothing extraordinary could be discerned.
Yet the moment it ended, all the ailments afflicting the nearby patients gathered in one place.
Pop!
It happened so abruptly and quietly that no one present even realized what had occurred.
"Wh-what was that, Mage?"
"My body suddenly feels better...?"
The quickest to react were, unsurprisingly, the students in charge of healing.
The diseases they had been observing mere moments ago had vanished in an instant—an unsettling sensation impossible to ignore.
"They're gone!"
"How in the—?!"
"They're disappearing!"
"I just said that!"
"No! Not the diseases—the junior! You idiot!"
Only after someone shouted did the students notice Lee Han being dragged away.
"Wardanaz! What are you doing?!"
"Cough, cough. To explain would take too long. It's the Headmaster's doppelganger..."
Lee Han desperately tried to clarify the misunderstanding while being hauled off, hoping for a proper exam evaluation.
After hearing his lengthy, convoluted explanation, the students skipped shock and jumped straight to their own interpretations.
"Junior! Can we call you often from now on?"
"Honestly, you seem way better than the actual Headmaster!"
"......"
Lee Han sighed at his seniors' reactions as he was dragged away.
What was the point of Einrogard teaching magic so well if it annihilated one's humanity?
'Einrogard's education system needs reform.'
"Professor! Please don't misunderstand!"
"I wasn't misunderstanding anything."
Professor Alkasis replied with his usual weary expression.
The dark elf professor was busy checking if any patients had been misdiagnosed, indifferent to his student's predicament.
"Oh, right."
"?"
"If you bring the Headmaster's doppelganger during finals, I'll give you full marks again."
"......"
Lee Han was rendered speechless before disappearing down the stairs.
"That was one exhausting week."
Back in the lounge, Lee Han tucked the Baby Basilisk into his sleeve and recounted the events.
Thrilled to return to its nest, the Baby Basilisk clung so tightly it nearly cut off circulation.
-That's right! It must've been so hard. Facing ancient evil demons!
"I wasn't talking about that—I meant the lectures I got afterward."
Truthfully, enduring the Crazy Doppelganger's mandatory speech about future magic lessons was more draining than confronting ancient evils.
-......
The Baby Basilisk privately doubted its master's judgment but stayed silent.
It didn't want to be kicked out of its hard-won nest.
-Will His Highness not visit anymore?
Hearing the wistful hiss, Lee Han smiled.
"You were always bickering with her, but it seems you're lonely now that Jowurin has left."
"You don't have to feel too lonely. I'll go see her eventually anyway."
-No. Her Highness promised to give me the pie that comes out today. In exchange, I gave her the last pie first...
"......"
Lee Han pretended not to hear and ignored it.
'Should let Eandurde know too.'
When he went down to the lounge, he spotted a junior looking around furtively. Lee Han happily called out to them.
"Eandurde!"
"!!!"
The startled junior leaped into the air. Then, with an extremely flustered and guilty expression, they stared at Lee Han.
'What's this?'
Lee Han was puzzled when he recognized the same expression his Blue Dragon Tower friends made when caught sneaking snacks from the cupboard.
"Eandurde. Were you looking for snacks? You could've just asked."
"...N-no!"
Eandurde jumped again.
Unlike the Baby Basilisk or Jowurin, Eandurde wasn't particularly gluttonous.
"Then what? Ah. I get it."
"!!!!"
"It's the exams, isn't it? You failed? Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret from Yoner..."
Eandurde shook their head violently.
They weren't an idiot—how could they fail?
"Her Highness...?"
"Ah. Jowurin went back."
"?!!!!"
Lee Han explained what had happened.
Perhaps because Jowurin had displayed a stratagem that surpassed even the Heaven beyond Heaven, Eandurde still looked utterly bewildered.
"I get it. Who could've seen that coming?"
"Uh... that... I... um..."
Eandurde wanted to ask, 'Am I not a suspect in the Dragon Stone incident?' but hesitated, sensing the mood.
After Jowurin and the Baby Basilisk were kicked out, Eandurde had realized they might be caught too and fled in a panic.
But judging by the senior's reaction now, it didn't seem like they were particularly suspicious of Eandurde...
Had they not been found out?
"Her Highness didn't say anything about me??"
"Huh? She left in a hurry."
"......"
Eandurde belatedly realized Jowurin had kept their secret for them.
To show such integrity in the cold halls of Einrogard...
No, this wasn't just integrity.
It was friendship.
Clench
Seeing Eandurde clench their fist, Lee Han nodded understandingly.
"I get it, Eandurde."
"That's..."
"You got tricked by Her Highness with food too, just like the Baby Basilisk, didn't you? I'll take better care of you, so don't be upset."
"...N-no!"
For the first time, Eandurde flared up in anger at their senior.
They had just started thinking of Jowurin as a real friend!
After hearing the junior's explanation, Lee Han felt extremely awkward.
"This is your fault!"
Lee Han whispered just loud enough for the Baby Basilisk to hear. Because of the Baby Basilisk, he had misunderstood and ruined the junior's touching moment.
-This is unfair...!
Having lost their pie and now getting scolded for something they didn't even do, the Baby Basilisk felt truly wronged.
Who knew things would turn out like this the moment Jowurin left?
"Anyway, it's good. Who would've thought you two would get along? Having friends is nice."
"Friends..."
"Yeah. Friends."
"But I don't want to prepare Her Highness's meals every single time."
"...Ah, no. You don't have to do that. Who even said that?"
Mid-sentence, Lee Han was horrified to realize the junior was staring straight at him.
Wait, was it me!?
"I get paid for it!"
"I heard it was just pocket change..."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Absolutely not."
Seeing the junior's strange misunderstanding, Lee Han firmly clarified.
Eandurde, lacking experience, was prone to odd misconceptions.
"If someone spreads nonsense, you have to refute it strongly. Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Alright. Now, take out your exam paper."
"...!"
At the senior's sudden demand, Eandurde's face stiffened in shock.
Lee Han had said he'd keep it a secret from Yoner if they failed—but he never said he wouldn't check their grades!