Episode 984
Episode 984
Lee Han was astonished.
'This actually worked?'
Even as he threw it out there, he hadn't been confident it would work, so when the other party reacted, he was more surprised than anyone.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah. Yes. I'll guide you right away."
Lee Han, who had reflexively answered the Crazy Doppelganger's words, belatedly realized the problem.
Upon reflection, while the Crazy Doppelganger might have wanted to see Senior Catten, there was no guarantee Senior Catten would feel the same way.
Considering only combat ability, if a senior who ranked among the top fifth-years held a grudge, his future life at Einrogard could become considerably more difficult.
'...'
I'll have to say I forced him to come along.'
"Hoo, junior!"
Catten, a fifth-year student of the White Tiger Tower, looked at Lee Han with teary eyes.
They weren't tears of betrayal or anger—they were tears of emotion.
"To think you'd bring such an esteemed person for a mediocre mage like me..."
"...Well, I've always liked you very much, senior. Haha."
Thud!
Overcome with emotion, Catten pulled Lee Han into a hug.
Cat beastmen were generally smaller in stature than humans, and Catten was no exception.
Yet his strength was beyond imagination. Though Lee Han had withstood attacks from formidable opponents with his body, he nearly screamed in pain.
"...Ghk! Senior. That hurts."
"Ah, my apologies, junior. I was just so happy."
Catten hurriedly apologized.
He had been so overjoyed to see the Skeleton Principal's doppelganger that he couldn't control his strength.
"To think I'd get a chance to learn from the Headmaster's doppelganger..."
"Why didn't you just ask the Headmaster directly?"
Lee Han was puzzled.
Of course, most Einrogard students weren't particularly fond of asking the Skeleton Principal questions.
Even if Einrogard students were known for their madness, there were limits.
They'd ask the professors, sure—but why would they ask a deranged archmage?
However, from Lee Han's perspective, someone with Senior Catten's level of madness wouldn't find it strange to ask the Skeleton Principal about magic.
More importantly, by fifth year, it was probably rarer to find someone who hadn't asked the Skeleton Principal at least once...
"I used to ask him a lot in the past."
Catten answered in a slightly dejected voice.
"But at some point, he started avoiding me."
"......"
Lee Han was honestly impressed.
To have such relentless persistence that even the Skeleton Principal got fed up and ran away—
'He's amazing!'
"He'd say he wasn't there even when he clearly was..."
"To lie like that is just cruel."
"I knew you'd think that way, junior. So I broke through the wall and barged in, but then I got sent to the Punishment Room..."
"......"
"But now that I have this chance to learn, I'm truly happy!"
Catten beamed brightly.
Yet Lee Han suddenly began to worry.
If even the Skeleton Principal couldn't handle teaching him and ran away, would his doppelganger really be any different?
'He won't take it out on me, right?'
"I humbly request your teachings!"
Unaware of Lee Han's inner thoughts, Catten bowed respectfully.
"At least you know basic manners. Unlike that mage."
'Maybe meeting Professor Verdus first was a stroke of luck.'
Lee Han let out a sigh of relief at the Crazy Doppelganger's reaction.
Perhaps because he had met Professor Verdus first, all the subsequent mages had benefited from the comparison.
"If you wish to learn, demonstrate your skills before royalty."
"Yes!"
Catten answered briskly and drew his sword.
Thus began the sword dance of Einrogard's most-failed fifth-year student—one Lee Han had seen a few times before.
It could truly be called the ultimate convergence of magic performed through a sword. Frankly, who else in the Empire could do something like this?
When even a primitive Small World manifested at the end, the Crazy Doppelganger's eyebrows twitched faintly.
As reality shifted around the sword, turning the blazing aura into water, the Crazy Doppelganger clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Even in ancient times, swordsmen born with such talent were exceedingly rare.
This wasn't some mundane talent like exceptional sensitivity to magic or keen bodily awareness.
It was the audacity to throw oneself against the world to break it!
Some might call it brutish or savage, but this was precisely the talent a true swordsman should possess.
If mages alter the world, swordsmen must tear it apart.
The problem was...
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
"What's magnificent is the waste. Why would someone with such talent engage in such inefficiency?"
...the fact that despite his gifts, he kept doing such bizarre things.
A true swordsman should delve inward—why was he stubbornly manifesting a primitive Small World instead?
"Senior seems quite interested in magic himself."
"Then those around him should have stopped him."
"But isn't that Senior's own choice? No matter how reckless it seems, if he's determined... All we can do is offer advice."
The Crazy Doppelganger paused briefly at Lee Han's words.
Noticing his teacher's reaction, Lee Han immediately braced himself for impact. 'What defensive spells can I—' "Hmm. A rather reasonable point."
"!"
Lee Han was startled when, instead of erupting with "What nonsense are you spouting!", the Crazy Doppelganger acknowledged his words. 'Is he in an unusually good mood today?' There was no other explanation.
"You... agree?"
"With what?"
"Ah... I mean, about Senior's reckless choices..."
"What does it matter? He's just some mage, not even a disciple of royalty. More importantly, he'd make a decent bodyguard."
The Crazy Doppelganger valued Catten far more than Lee Han had expected.
While mages who reach the pinnacle need no protection, until then, they remain vulnerable.
Having such a swordsman as a guard wouldn't hurt.
"Fine. I'll teach him magic."
"R-really?!"
Catten exclaimed, his voice brimming with gratitude. The Crazy Doppelganger nodded.
"What magic interests you? Ancient secrets? Black Magic? Small Worlds? Reverse Magic? Incantations? Soul—"
"I want to learn <Basic Flame Barrier>!"
"...?"
The Crazy Doppelganger stared in disbelief, then glanced at Lee Han, who averted his eyes.
"I wish to learn <Basic Flame Barrier>! I humbly request it!"
"......"
The Crazy Doppelganger was horrified. He'd known the swordsman's magic talent was lacking—but not to this extent.
Surely it couldn't be this abysmal...?!
* * *
The Crazy Doppelganger's teachings were profound and esoteric.
And utterly incomprehensible to Catten.
The more he taught, the more the Crazy Doppelganger realized just how exceptional his original disciple had been.
"Thank you for the lesson!"
"......"
Exhausted beyond words, the Crazy Doppelganger turned away without a word.
Lee Han cautiously asked Catten:
"Was it... helpful?"
"Not at all, junior!"
"...My apologies."
"Why apologize? I'm perfectly content."
Catten looked at his junior as if puzzled by the question.
Given the sheer length of his history of failures, one more setback wasn't worth lamenting over.
Lee Han found himself oddly moved by his senior's unshakable demeanor.
Even he might have wavered or broken under such circumstances—yet here was such steadfastness. 'Respectable.' No wonder Catten had endured the Punishment Room's training without faltering.
As Lee Han watched with admiration, Catten packed his belongings with practiced ease. From emergency rations to a few Artifacts—Lee Han couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Where are you heading after the lecture?"
"I was thinking of visiting the realm of the Frost Giants."
"Oh. I actually encountered Frost Giants in the dimension I visited recently. How curious."
To be precise, it was during Professor Milley's class.
Professor Milley had suggested that students visit unfamiliar dimensions this semester to map them out as part of their Summoning Magic fundamentals...
While Lee Han and his friends had easily completed the task with Arsil's help, they'd also been cursed with the additional burden of retrieving artifacts obtained by the Frost Giants.
Dealing with malevolent and powerful entities was always dangerous.
But for Catten to be planning a visit to the Frost Giants' realm...
What a strange coincidence.
"That's the very same dimension, Junior."
"...Excuse me?!"
Lee Han was utterly startled.
Why would Catten be heading to the same dimension Lee Han and his friends had visited?
"Professor Ingoldel requested it. Said he wanted to scout a suitable location for the Final Exam."
"W-what? How on earth is a dimension teeming with Frost Giants a suitable location for a Final Exam?!"
Betrayed by a professor he'd trusted, Lee Han's voice trembled with outrage.
Not even Professor Voladi, but Professor Ingoldel—how could he devise such a cruel exam?
Noticing his junior's distress, Catten looked slightly flustered.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure either... According to the professor, since second-years seem to frequently visit other dimensions anyway, he'd rather help prepare them than discourage it."
"What lunatic spread such ridiculous rumors?!"
As Lee Han fumed, a sudden memory surfaced.
Come to think of it, he himself had submitted assignments to Professor Ingoldel detailing his visits to dimensions housing the Pride Duke, the Broad-Eyed King, and Arsil.
It wouldn't be strange if Professor Ingoldel had sighed and thought, 'These second-years actively visit dangerous dimensions without a care.'
Could it be...?
"Hmm. If you're really curious, Junior, I could ask the professor and track down the culprit—"
"At this point, who cares who spread it? As an Einrogard student, I'll face it with composure."
Catten was impressed by Lee Han's attitude.
Though a junior, such composed and bold resolve was worth emulating. 'Wait. This might actually be a good chance to retrieve those artifacts too,' Lee Han mused.
This week was under the Crazy Doppelganger's surveillance, but there was no telling how long this excursion would last.
Just like the Skeleton Principal, his doppelganger was eccentric and unpredictable.
Wouldn't it be ideal to retrieve the Frost Giants' artifacts while accompanied by both the Crazy Doppelganger and Catten?
"Senior. I'll help you. My next class is free, after all."
"How can that be?!"
"I'm sure you're surprised that a mere second-year would tag along. But my mentor will be joining us too—"
"No. I'm shocked that your next class is free, Junior."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
"I had a feeling you'd want to come along when you first asked. You enjoy these things, don't you?"
"What kind of senior thinks their junior enjoys— Never mind. I'll take your permission as granted."
Not wanting to waste time and energy arguing, Lee Han neatly backed down.
He still had to convince the Crazy Doppelganger, after all.
"Mentor. Today's lecture is over, but Senior here—"
As Lee Han explained about the Frost Giants' dimension and its treasures, the Crazy Doppelganger listened silently.
Then, it spoke.
"To be honest, when you first came to this lecture, I suspected you were trying to slack off."
"!"
How did it know?
Lee Han shuddered at his mentor's sharp intuition.
Showing Catten to the Crazy Doppelganger had definitely been partly to ease the pressure on himself.
"But judging by what you just said, it seems my royal misgivings were misplaced. Was this your plan all along?"
"...Exactly. I've been planning it for a while now."