Episode 937
Episode 937
The friends were all struck with shock, horror, and confusion, completely at a loss for words. Lee Han calmly advised them.
"Manage your expressions. If you want to get out of here."
"Y-you...!"
Ashan, who had been about to ask a question with passionate eyes, was startled, but Angrago beside him was outright panting as he glared at Lee Han. His gaze was filled with betrayal.
"And why are you like this?"
"You're telling me Senior Stedal was fake...!!"
"......"
Among the second-year Theater Club members, Angrago had been the most deeply infatuated with the figure known as Stedal.
Coming from a knightly family himself, located in a coastal region, Stedal's life story had deeply resonated with him.
He'd been dying to ask how Stedal had stolen treasure maps from pirates to amass his fortune—only to find out it was all a lie.
"Is that really important right now? No. More importantly, it hasn't even been an hour since you heard about him—how were you already that obsessed?"
"Shut up! What do you know?!"
"Quiet, Alpha. That's not the important thing right now."
Salko silenced his friend. Lee Han asked curiously,
"Were you also part of the Theater Club?"
"Ah. Yeah. But I don't particularly like plays."
At Salko's words, the other students jeered. Nilia even gave him a thumbs-down.
But Salko didn't so much as blink.
"If there are people who like plays, there are also people who like the palaces, halls, theaters, and stages where those plays are performed. It's good to observe a lot if you plan to build something like this later."
"Indeed. That's so like you, Salko. Well then, it seems you're not very knowledgeable about plays. Let me teach you some basics. The lovers from the Alkarmahta Family and the Ilhon Family—"
"I know that. Wardanaz... I said I don't particularly like plays, not that I'm some clueless idiot who lacks basic common sense."
Salko stared at Lee Han as if he found him ridiculous. But what was even more ridiculous was Lee Han himself. 'This guy. He clearly loves plays—what does he mean he doesn't?' Vowing never to trust anyone who claimed not to like plays from now on, Lee Han spoke up.
"Alright, everyone, listen up. Like I said earlier, I came here to get you all out."
"Hah, but sneaking out without telling the seniors is a bit..."
"The seniors were the ones who commissioned this."
"......"
The second-year friends had a profound realization.
There really wasn't a single trustworthy person at Einrogard!
The same seniors who outwardly proclaimed, "We came here honorably to watch a play—what do you mean 'escape'?" had quietly put in a request behind the scenes. 'We need to learn from this.'
"Stedal! What are you doing? Come back at once!"
While they were talking, the nobles called out to Lee Han. Their welcome was as warm as if greeting a decade-old friend.
Yoner asked with a bewildered look,
"Why are they suddenly so friendly?"
"I was telling them about how I escaped from pirates when people suddenly showed up. I'll be right back. You guys share the info with the other club members who haven't heard yet. Don't make it obvious. If a commotion breaks out, we'll have to be ready to leave immediately."
Lee Han—no, Stedal—left those words behind and dashed back to the nobles.
The remaining friends stared at each other blankly.
"...What kind of commotion is he planning to cause?"
"Y-you don't think he'd cause an explosion or something, right? I mean, it's still Wardanaz we're talking about..."
"Bringing up the name of the most magically notorious family in the Empire right now doesn't seem like a great idea..."
"The pirates, you ask? It wasn't exactly pleasant. Hardtack and rice balls were all we had for meals, and sometimes we'd dig traps or raid hideouts."
"How dreadful!"
"There was a puni—no, a prison. If you rebelled or made a mistake, you'd be locked up there."
"Good heavens!"
"The pirate captain had underlings who roamed around keeping watch..."
The reason Stedal—a quiet, unrefined newcomer to the city—was so popular was simple.
The reason was that the story strongly resonated with the nobles' hearts.
At first, the nobles had been suspicious, thinking, 'What kind of absurd story is this? Is he some kind of con artist?' But upon hearing Stedal's tale firsthand, they were moved to tears.
To escape such dire circumstances and still manage to uncover treasure—truly, divine providence must exist.
"Stedal! Stedal!"
"Stedal, would you be able to visit my mansion next month? I'd love the chance to introduce you to my family!"
Once someone gains favor, even their minor flaws tend to be seen as charming.
The rough and taciturn Stedal had now firmly established himself as a wild yet noble figure with a tragic and captivating past.
'Hmm. Next time, I should go with a more ordinary backstory.'
Lee Han, regretting his choice, slipped away from the crowd that had latched onto him.
It was good that he had prepared diligently to avoid suspicion, but he never imagined he'd become this popular.
He had deliberately kept his answers short and acted curt—so why was he still so well-received?
'Ugh. The palace's back gate isn't ideal for an escape. It's too open—I'd be spotted immediately. I need somewhere with plenty of hiding spots. Maybe I should consider using a flying mount. Or perhaps dig a tunnel to slip out? Salko would probably be good at that...'
As Lee Han pretended to stroll while scouting the palace's surroundings, he suddenly paused.
Among the nobles gathered in small groups, chatting lightly in the distance, one person stood out—someone who gave off an unsettling aura.
'What's this?'
A distinctly unnatural trace lingered in the other's soul, like a stray branch.
Looking around, it seemed Lee Han was the only one who sensed the oddity.
Not that it was strange—detecting souls was far more difficult than sensing mana, and even among mages, few could do it.
Moreover, the trace the other carried was faint and blurred. Without deep probing, it would be easy to miss.
Just distinguishing the color of a soul was challenging enough, let alone delving deeper to scrutinize its interior...
But after mastering the Withering, Lee Han's ability to perceive souls had greatly advanced.
Thanks to that, he could see traces that most would overlook.
'Feels sinister.'
Lee Han hesitated briefly.
Honestly, he could have just ignored it.
There were plenty of reasons why such odd traces might linger in a soul—perhaps the person had dabbled in suspicious magical experiments, or maybe they were under the effects of some spell or potion.
Besides, Lee Han himself had things to hide. Causing a scene wouldn't do him any good.
'Why is that bastard staring at me?'
Madph felt uneasy under the gaze of the unfamiliar noble.
From what he'd heard, the man was a noble from the southern Empire.
Something about the Nago family...
If Madph had been an ordinary noble, he would've brushed it off. Unfortunately, he wasn't.
'I need to spread the name of Lord Prahgal. Hopefully, this won't interfere.'
Given that he had come with sinister schemes and plans, even a passing glance was hard to ignore.
"Lord Nago, is it? Greetings. I am Madph. This is my first time in Granden City."
"Greetings."
Stedal's voice was rough, his demeanor stiff.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been off-putting, but Madph actually felt relieved.
If the man was naturally rude, then his earlier stare might not have meant anything.
"Are you well-versed in theater?"
"To some extent."
"I see. I'm not. Do you have a favorite play?"
"..."
"You must be familiar with the tales of the Alkarmahta and Ilhon families."
"I'm not. Please enlighten me!"
Of course, he knew perfectly well, but Madph deliberately acted humble to deceive his opponent.
People loved explaining things that everyone knew. If he got them talking excitedly, even a nonexistent goodwill toward Madph might sprout.
"I'm not much of a talker, so that might be difficult."
"Oh. What a shame."
However, Stedal turned away as if he couldn't be bothered to speak any longer.
This, too, was a rude attitude, but Madph was now completely at ease.
'Must have been my imagination. He doesn't seem like the type to chatter noisily.'
"A highly suspicious and wicked individual. You must increase security."
—Hmm!
The Death Knights were greatly surprised.
Who would have thought that the nobleman, the center of attention at today's theater gathering, would come forward to accuse someone else?
—However, without evidence, we cannot arbitrarily inspect or investigate the guests. Were there any other suspicious signs?
"I sensed an evil trace in his soul."
'Quite an exceptional mage.'
The Death Knights realized that this nobleman named Stedal was a remarkably skilled mage.
In this crowded, chaotic place, he had managed to detect the unnatural presence embedded in another's soul.
—Understood. We'll call in the knights outside to heighten vigilance and inspect the guests.
"Summon the knights guarding Einrogard's mages as well."
—That's a bit... We need escorts to protect the students.
The Death Knights shamelessly made excuses. Lee Han cursed inwardly.
What kind of surveillance is this?!
"I'm not saying to deploy all of them. Leave an appropriate number behind and have the rest check the surroundings."
—...
Tch. Fine. If there's a suspicious person, that takes priority. But, Lord Nago, I have a question. Even if it's an evil trace in the soul, that alone isn't necessarily proof of suspicion. What exactly made you feel this person was suspicious?
"......"
Lee Han hesitated briefly.
If he answered that it was because the man didn't know about theater, the Death Knights might slap cuffs on him immediately and say, 'This guy's a fake, isn't he?'
"...I felt it the moment I saw him."
—As expected!
As Lee Han turned to leave after finishing his accusation, the Death Knights conversed among themselves.
—I'd heard the rumors, but he's truly impressive. And he's got an animal-like intuition. Did you see his gaze?
—He escaped from the southern pirates, didn't he? No ordinary man. Maybe he sensed the other's suspiciousness through that intuition. We should be even more cautious.
They'd only heard the rumors, but seeing him in person, his magical prowess and savage intuition were anything but ordinary.
Where did such a figure come from?
—But isn't it strange how unfamiliar his name feels?
—True. I feel like I've heard it somewhere...
"The Death Knights are thinning out!"
"Shh. Control your expressions!"
As the Death Knights approached, the students pretended not to notice, feigning ignorance.
Adenart struggled to whistle poorly, and Rowena, her escort, gave her a pitying look and quietly advised her to stop.
—Students of Einrogard. We trust you, so we're reducing surveillance slightly. Surely, you won't betray that trust?
"Of course not!"
The students answered with exaggerated sincerity.
And the moment the Death Knights watching them disappeared, they whispered among themselves.
"Did Wardanaz start a fire? An explosion? I didn't hear any explosion, though."
"Maybe he caused a flood in another area."
"A toxic cloud..."
"...Lee Han wouldn't do that."
Fortunately, Yoner defended Lee Han. Nilia was about to say, 'Maybe he summoned a giant monster!' but caught herself after seeing her friend's reaction.
"Did you relay everything?"
"Wa... Stedal!"
When Stedal—no, Lee Han—returned, his friends welcomed him eagerly.
"What happened? Why did the Death Knights—?"
"It's a long story. Glad to hear you've passed on the message. I've checked the escape routes. Now we need to divide roles. Angrago. Ashan. You two, brew potions until the play starts."
"Poison?"
"Monster-summoning potion?"
"...I meant calming potions."