Chapter 1109
“Oh, right. Student Lee Han, please do not reveal that Her Majesty is a dragon.”
Professor Garcia whispered in a small voice.
Imperial family members rolled around the Empire like slightly expensive pebbles, but once the word “dragon” was attached in front of that, the story became a little different.
The Daylily Magic Tower mages already seemed a little insane, so Professor Garcia was somewhat afraid of how they would react if they learned that fact as well.
“Understood. Your Majesty. As you just heard, please do not reveal that you are a dragon.”
“Very well!”
Jowrin nodded vigorously.
Staying in human form was stifling, but thanks to practicing diligently during break, she had become fairly used to it. It was not very difficult either.
“Heh heh. Jowrin has even prepared an alias for times like this. Jowrin would like to be called ‘Gainando.’”
“...I think you can just go by Jowrin.”
Lee Han suddenly felt embarrassed.
There was really no need to resemble him even in things like this...
“Are you from Einroguard? Please come this way!”
A mage came running from far away and shouted in a frantic voice.
The sight looked quite urgent, so Lee Han asked in surprise.
“What happened?”
'Did we arrive late?'
If there was something important going on and they had arrived late, this was not the time to act leisurely.
Of course, the Magic Tower did bear some responsibility for preparing that strange little play!
“Hurry! Follow me!”
After shouting that, the mage turned around and ran ahead first. Lee Han’s group, puzzled, followed behind for the time being.
“This way!”
“So what exactly is going...”
Lee Han asked because he wanted to prepare some magic in advance, but the other mage only kept running instead of answering. Lee Han’s expression turned uneasy.
'Is this a trap?'
Lee Han himself had often used methods like this when tricking people at Einroguard.
If one acted as if something were terribly urgent and ran around in confusion, that confusion spread to the other person as well.
Bang!
The mage pushed open the large birch doors that led into the hall. Then a splendid meal that had just finished being prepared revealed itself appetizingly.
Starting with silver platters piled high with grapes, pears, peaches, cherries, and all kinds of other fruit, there were pigs and bulls seasoned whole and roasted, dozens of varieties of fresh fish and pickled fish, all sorts of syrups and sauces, oils, spices...
Steam was still rising from the hot tarts that seemed to have just come out of the oven. One mage, who had been slurping pasta full of shellfish and pepper, whispered to a colleague.
“Wait, our Magic Tower was capable of serving food like this?”
“Shh. I’m only telling you this, but they called in outside chefs.”
As Lee Han’s group blinked in confusion, the mage who had guided them wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief and shouted proudly.
“What a relief! You were not late for mealtime!”
“......”
“...I, I see. That is a relief.”
Lee Han was the first to grab hold of his sanity and answer.
Professor Garcia, however, could not hold back and asked,
“If it was because of the meal, could we not have come a little more slowly?”
“What are you saying, Professor! You must not disregard the pleasure of eating food right after it has been made! We of the Daylily Magic Tower are people who never forget the small happinesses of daily life.”
'They’re mages themselves, and yet this hypocrisy...'
Professor Garcia shouted inwardly.
Of course, since Professor Garcia was not a Daylily Magic Tower mage, the professor did not know exactly how they lived.
But one thing was certain. Excellent mages never ate this abundantly.
If anything, they tossed cheese, raw ham, and figs into a bowl and made do with that...
“Your Majesty. Please eat slowly.”
“Mmphmmphmmphmmph?”
“Have you perhaps been unable to eat recently?”
Seeing Jowrin eat even more earnestly than during break, Lee Han felt puzzled.
As a dragon, Jowrin had no reason to be obsessed with meals like Gainando.
“Recently, Jowrin has been eating meals prepared by Uman...”
“...Please eat a lot. Here. This tarte Tatin looks good.”
Lee Han looked at Jowrin with pity.
'Maybe... His Highness Uman should not stay at school for too long.'
It was convenient for Lee Han, but seeing Jowrin now made him feel a little sorry for her.
Gainando would have been one thing, but to think even Jowrin would be this starved.
Lee Han, who had brought plates of food for the professors as well—Professor Garcia slapped the back of the disciple’s hand and went to get food personally—took a bite of meat pie and looked around.
The mages of the Daylily Magic Tower had forgotten that they were supposed to be acting and were comfortably enjoying the banquet they had received after so long. In a way, this was one positive function of this visit.
“So, what comes after this meal?”
Lee Han asked the mage who had guided them earlier.
He understood that they were welcoming him, so he was starting to become curious about the request.
“After this meal, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Immediately after this is... music appreciation.”
“...Music Magic?”
“No. I mean music appreciation. We of the Daylily Magic Tower often invite some of the finest performers in the Imperial Capital and enjoy appreciation gatherings.”
'That is a truly shameless lie.'
Lee Han thought inwardly.
Even so, was this not too much?
Who in the Empire would believe such a lie as that...
“Lee Han! Jowrin thinks it would be better to go to the Daylily Magic Tower than Einroguard!”
Jowrin shouted, her eyes sparkling.
The Skull Principal might feel a little disappointed, but Jowrin thought that much could not be helped.
Gonadaltes was a wise archmage, so he would manage well enough on his own!
“No, who exactly is this wise and noble person?”
The surrounding mages cast gazes dripping with emotion and admiration toward the girl with golden hair.
How could she say exactly what they wanted to hear?
“She is... Her Majesty Jowrin.”
“Ah! So she is of the Imperial Family! I thought every word and every movement overflowed with nobility!!”
“I-it is not quite to that extent...”
Jowrin became shy.
She had often received praise while in dragon form, but she rarely had the experience of being praised in front of others after transforming into a human.
After receiving the praises of the Daylily Magic Tower mages, Jowrin completely changed sides.
“Jowrin does not think Lee Han needs to return to Einroguard at all!”
“Your Majesty. Did you perhaps forget everything we discussed just now?”
Lee Han felt slightly dumbfounded.
How could she think that after seeing this wicked play?
However, Jowrin was unexpectedly serious.
“Of course Jowrin heard that all of this is a prepared play. But even considering that, it means the Daylily Magic Tower wants Lee Han that much, so it is fully worth choosing over Einroguard!”
“...!”
Lee Han was startled.
To think Jowrin would make such a logically sound argument.
And he was even more flustered because he could not refute it.
“What were you talking about? Why is everyone... looking at Her Majesty Jowrin as if they want to enthrone her as the new Emperor?”
Professor Garcia, who had brought an entire roast pig on a plate, tilted the head at the strange atmosphere.
Why were the mages worshiping Her Majesty Jowrin like that?
“The truth is, Her Majesty was recommending the Magic Tower.”
“What?! Why?!”
Professor Garcia was even more shocked than the disciple.
When Lee Han briefly explained what had happened, Professor Garcia was left speechless and flustered.
“Th-that is wrong, Your Majesty.”
“In what way?”
“Well... that is...”
Since Professor Garcia had complacently assumed there was no way the Daylily Magic Tower mages would take the disciple, the shock was all the greater.
Surely...
Surely...?!
'N-no. No matter how much Student Lee Han is the dragon’s contractor, surely he won’t be persuaded immediately?'
For now, Professor Garcia looked at Professor Voladi and sent a rescue request.
'Professor! Help me!'
Of course, Professor Voladi did not notice. The professor quietly drank green tea and carefully read the grimoire containing the magic to be taught next.
'Ugh!'
Professor Garcia resolved to come with a different professor next time and opened the mouth.
“H-how can you trust what the Daylily Magic Tower mages say! Mages are all liars by nature!”
“Gasp...! J-Jowrin did not know that!”
“......”
The Daylily Magic Tower mages stared at Professor Garcia.
When the professor had rejected their offer before and remained at Einroguard, they had wondered just in case, but as expected...
'A loyal minion of Lord Gonadaltes after all!'
'Was the professor’s usual kind attitude a mask!'
***
While Professor Garcia’s reputation was falling, newly arrived knights were talking in another section of the Magic Tower.
They were knights of the White Poplar Knight Order.
Instead of establishing headquarters in a specific region and remaining there, they wandered in search of danger throughout the Empire with only a horse and a suit of armor.
No matter how poor the relationship between knights and mages was, a knight order like this could only be an exception. Even with their sudden visit, the Daylily Magic Tower welcomed the guests sincerely instead of issuing an order to drive them out.
...Of course, along with a request to wait just a little!
“It seems something is happening at the Magic Tower.”
“Indeed. I have visited several times before, but it has never been this noisy...”
The knights spoke in slightly worried voices.
A noisy Magic Tower was not a good sign. It meant something so major had happened that even seasoned mages were flustered.
If they had known that the Magic Tower had stopped all its work and was staging a large-scale play in order to recruit one student, even the righteous knights of the White Poplar Knight Order would not have been able to hide their contempt.
“Sir Bamandam. How is the relic?”
“Quiet. Perhaps its strength has drained away.”
The old knight, Bamandam, lightly ran a hand over the surface of the large chest held in his arms.
Even though it had been sealed by being wrapped in dozens upon dozens of chains, waves of powerful force could be felt from within. It was by no means an ordinary relic.
This relic, which had come out of the western mines, had brought ominous incidents around it even though it had not yet been opened.
Tunnel collapses, landslides, contamination of drinking water...
It was fortunate that the frightened miners had quickly contacted the knight order. If it had been left alone any longer, it might have led to a disaster.
“In any case, this is taking quite some time. The matter the Magic Tower is facing must not be easy.”
“Hm... How worrying. Ask whether there is anything we can help with.”
***
-Hey.
“?”
Lee Han, who was participating in a meditation-rest gathering by the lakeside—it was the event after the music appreciation gathering—looked around.
It felt like someone had spoken to him.
-...The staff! It is the staff, you fool!
“Ah.”
Only then did Lee Han turn his gaze toward the staff.
It seemed the wicked staff spirit that came out and groveled only when it needed something had spoken to him.
“Wait. Why did you throw courtesy away?”
-...This is not the time to quibble over that. There is a dangerous one nearby!
Saratan said triumphantly.
Saratan believed that once this information was given, this rude and arrogant mage would surely change his attitude.
“A dangerous one?”
When Lee Han heard that, he glanced sideways.
Did it mean Professor Voladi?
-...Not that mage! You lunatic! A spirit! A spirit!!
“You bastard. Are you going to keep being rude? Do you want to meet my master?”
-N-no. I apologize, Mage... It is just... urgent...
Saratan shrank back again. Then Saratan wondered inwardly.
Huh?
'Why am I groveling...? I’m the one with the information...?'