Episode 978
Episode 978
"Ugh!"
As soon as he began and his wisdom hit a wall, Golem Senior groaned.
Just when he'd been told to rely on wisdom instead of magic, this had to happen.
He already felt the urge to depend on magic again.
'No. Trying to solve this with magic is a dead end.'
If it were a weak prophecy like last time, he might have been able to twist the direction of misfortune with a few prohibitions, but in a situation like this, that was impossible.
If he tried to bend that with magic, the junior might end up transforming into a dragon, walking only on his left foreleg, never being detected by any wizard, and never opening his mouth even once—such bizarre prohibitions might emerge.
"..."
"Wait. You made a contract with a star?"
Suddenly, Golem Senior, who had been deep in thought, jolted in surprise.
He'd been so preoccupied with his blocked wisdom that he'd overlooked it, but this wasn't something to just brush aside.
The junior sighed deeply, just as before, and spoke.
"Senior. Is that really important right n—"
"It absolutely is!"
This time, Golem Senior wouldn't let it slide.
No matter how threatening the future he'd seen was, there were things that needed to be addressed.
A mere second-year had made a contract with a star?!
"Which star did you contract with?"
"Guest Star Arna."
"Ah, of course!"
Golem Senior nodded calmly. Lee Han couldn't help but be slightly impressed.
'As expected of a fourth-year. He doesn't even flinch at something like this.'
When Lee Han had first learned what kind of star it was, he'd rolled around in frustration, but his senior was different—there was just something else about him.
"Ah, of course."
"?"
Lee Han felt a strange dissonance at his senior repeating his words like a broken record.
When he glanced down, he realized the distance between them had widened without him noticing. It was an astonishingly stealthy retreat.
"Ah, of course..."
"Senior. You're not thinking of running away, are you?"
"N-No, of course not."
But Golem Senior's gaze was already wandering far off, searching for Professor Paselet.
Originally, such a sinister fate should have been handled by a professor!
'I still have a long way to go. I should've run away when the professor sensed danger and collapsed.'
Only now did Golem Senior grasp true wisdom.
True wisdom lay in pretending to be crazy and lying flat on the ground.
Of course, Lee Han didn't let his senior escape. He dashed over and clung to him desperately.
"Senior. The dangers of Guest Star Arna are actually quite exaggerated. The records are old, so a lot has been lost, and much of it is overblown."
"If what's left is still that extreme, I doubt it's exaggerated at a—"
"If you don't help me, I'll come find you every day."
"Junior. I'll do my best to squeeze out some wisdom. Please, trust me!"
Horrified, Golem Senior turned back to the painting.
Having an Arna-contracted junior visit him daily was even more dangerous than interpreting the prophecies of an Arna-contracted junior.
"Alright. Let's see... You're wearing a crown. A crown usually symbolizes victory, glory, power, authority, and immortality. I think you might achieve victory in a confrontation and seize power. If it's the Headmaster's power, then it would be the authority over this territory..."
"..."
"Actually, that's Small World Magic."
Lee Han explained apologetically.
Anyone could see that the humble crown was, in fact, the Small World Basilios magic.
"......"
Golem Senior stared at Lee Han with a look that said, Why are you doing this to me?
"How intriguing."
"!"
At the voice from behind, Lee Han jumped in shock. True to his swordsman training, the height of his leap was extraordinary. Golem Senior stared in amazement at Lee Han, who had nearly reached the ceiling.
'Did he cast Enhancement Magic on himself?'
"You're here, Master!"
"Your voice is loud. Mind your manners."
"You're here, Master."
"......"
The Crazy Doppelganger narrowed his eyes.
As if judging whether his disciple was being defiant right now—or not.
Fortunately, it seemed the Crazy Doppelganger had judged that Lee Han was merely flustered, not acting arrogantly.
"Was this the disciple's prophecy?"
"Yes..."
"Hmm."
The Crazy Doppelganger carefully examined the drawing sketched in black powder.
The two students didn't even dare to breathe, only exchanging glances with their eyes.
'Senior. If you have any last-resort magic, now's the time to use it.'
'If I had something like that, I'd be a professor by now...!'
"The drawing has been noted. I shall be cautious."
"Eh?"
Lee Han simultaneously felt the urge to ask what exactly he should be cautious about and the urge to not ask at all.
Could it be that in the ancient kingdom era, there was a custom of preemptively pickling disciples who intended to pickle their master?
"It seems time is up. Shouldn't we head to the next lecture?"
The Crazy Doppelganger checked the time and asked. Lee Han nodded blankly.
"There is another lecture, but..."
"Then let us proceed."
A madman is most terrifying when they act perfectly normal.
As he walked down the corridor with the Crazy Doppelganger, Lee Han felt a deep dread.
The other hadn't said a word.
He wasn't spouting his usual nonsense like, 'Disciple, why did you only follow the royal family's order to observe the comet's movement for divination? You should have completed the Small World alongside it!' Nor was he angrily scolding, 'How dare you even think of confronting the royal family?'
He was simply walking in silent contemplation.
This unfamiliar demeanor was so unsettling that Lee Han nearly forgot they were heading to Professor Verdus's classroom.
Normally, he would have been excited and thrilled at the prospect of bringing the Crazy Doppelganger to meet Professor Verdus, but...
"Master?"
"Why are you calling me?"
"You seemed lost in thought."
"...Are you under the impression that as a disciple, you're obligated to interrupt your master's meditation?"
The Crazy Doppelganger stared at him with a mix of bewilderment and contempt.
Seeing the familiar glare return, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. I was worried, you know."
"...Have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you spouting...?"
As his disciple continued spouting absurdities, the Crazy Doppelganger looked thoroughly baffled.
"Ah, right. The lecture we're heading to now will surely satisfy you, Master."
"......"
Whether the Crazy Doppelganger was eyeing him suspiciously for his apparent madness or not, the reassured Lee Han began talking about the lecture.
Originally, Lee Han didn't need to attend the Staff Materials and Magic Amplification lecture at all.
Having already completed his staff, he had practically finished his final exam requirements, and Professor Verdus didn't particularly care whether Lee Han showed up or not. In fact, the professor himself might not even care about attending his own lectures.
Yet Lee Han moved toward the classroom with a pounding heart. He had never felt such joy before.
'Who knew going to see Professor Verdus could be this delightful?'
"...You say even royalty would be satisfied? Does that mean the lecture is of such high caliber?"
"Yes! If it fails to meet expectations, you may punish the professor as you see fit."
"Ha. Disciple, you must learn humility from the very beginning. Overconfidence is a bad habit. Since you've spoken so boldly, there will be no mercy in the royal judgment!"
The Crazy Doppelganger scolded his disciple for his audacious boasting.
After such words, not an ounce of leniency would be shown in the evaluation.
If the standards weren't met, the professor would face punishment as well.
"Excellent. Professor! I'm here!"
BANG!
Lee Han kicked the classroom door open and strode in.
The excitement in his voice left the seniors utterly bewildered.
Had they misheard?
"Wardanaz, are you sure you're in the right lecture?"
"Why... do you look so exhilarated?"
"I've always been exhilarated every time I enter a classroom."
'He's finally lost it!'
The seniors were horrified.
Students from other schools concluded that the Enchantment Magic faction had finally driven Wardanaz insane.
'Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.'
"Master, please come in."
"?"
The students turned to look at the person entering behind them.
Even Professor Verdus, who had been engrossed in his artifact regardless of whether students were present or Lee Han had entered, instinctively glanced forward due to some inexplicable animalistic intuition.
And then he screamed.
"Gyaaak!"
"?!"
The students were startled when Professor Verdus, who wouldn't notice even if the classroom collapsed while he was focused on his work, suddenly let out a shriek.
"What's wrong, Professor?"
"G-Gonadaltes...!"
"That's not the Headmaster, but his doppelganger."
"Ah!"
Professor Verdus exhaled sharply, his beaver beastman features making his cute face puff with exertion.
"I thought he came to scold me for slacking off in class!"
'So he does know.'
Lee Han and the students glared at Professor Verdus.
It wasn't just the students who were thrilled that the Skeleton Principal was absent from Einrogard. Even people like Professor Verdus had become much happier.
Normally, he would have half-heartedly lectured while worrying about being sent to the Punishment Room, but now he could slack off without a care.
"Wait. If it's a doppelganger, why is it here?"
Professor Verdus, who had been relieved, belatedly realized something was off.
If it was the Crazy Doppelganger, shouldn't it be kidnapping Wardanaz? Why was it wandering around Einrogard's classrooms?
"It wants to observe the class."
"Why?"
Professor Verdus asked Lee Han.
Lee Han looked at his teacher.
In response, the Crazy Doppelganger shot the professor an icy glare.
"Must royalty seek your permission?"
"N-No... P-Please... Feel free to observe."
The Crazy Doppelganger was identical to Gonadaltes, but strictly speaking, there was a difference.
Gonadaltes wouldn't kill Verdus even if angered, but the Crazy Doppelganger might.
"Then... I'll begin the lecture..."
Professor Verdus glanced around cautiously before returning to tinkering with his artifact.
The students also resumed their staff constructions without a word.
"...?"
The Crazy Doppelganger's eyes widened at this unprecedented teaching method—something even it had never seen in the ancient kingdom era.
What in the world was this?
"You said this was a lecture?"
"Yes."
"Where exactly is the teaching here?"
"You can learn by watching and copying the professor's work over there."
"......"
The Crazy Doppelganger fell silent for a moment.
Then it immediately swung its hand.
"Gyaaak!"
Professor Verdus, who had been on guard since spotting the doppelganger, swiftly dodged.
As an Einrogard professor, one had to be prepared for battle the moment they saw Gonadaltes's face.
Click!
The Small World within the glass cube necklace—Magnum Opus—attempted to activate.
But the Crazy Doppelganger had anticipated its opponent's reaction. If it had naively assumed a mage of Verdus's caliber would just take the hit, it wouldn't have survived the ancient era.
"Masterpieces are of lead."
With that incantation, Professor Verdus's Small World was outright nullified.
The beaver beastman's large, adorable eyes trembled in shock. Even if he hadn't prepared his Unique World, having his Small World canceled in a single strike was unthinkable.
The doppelganger had analyzed the structure of a Small World it had never even properly seen and cast Reverse Magic on it.
And it did so with an incantation!
"L-Liberum Veto!"
Clack!
Professor Verdus wheezed as he tried to activate the second Small World Magic hidden in the heel of his boot.
It was his second Small World—a last lifeline prepared for formidable foes like Lagesa.
"Causality shall reverse."
"!"
Professor Verdus was horrified to see the artifact inscribed with his second Small World Magic activate not in his own grasp, but in his opponent's.
It had moved as naturally as if it had always been the enemy's treasure.
"The guilty shall be imprisoned!"
And just like that, Professor Verdus was completely disarmed and left hanging upside down.
All his artifacts and spells were neutralized at once, stripped of their power.
"Pathetic worm."
The Crazy Doppelganger stared at Professor Verdus as if he were a mere hamster.
Despite having already forgiven several acts of disrespect regarding his disciple's escape and other matters, it hadn't expected such shamelessness.
"...Wooooooow!"
"Long live the Headmaster's doppelganger!!!"
The students overturned desks and chairs as they stood up, clapping. Even the Enchantment Magic students joined in with slow applause.
"...?!"