Chapter 1117
Saratan, who had watched the mage’s cold negotiation from beginning to end inside the staff, was impressed.
-Not bad.
“What do you mean?”
-I thought you would fall for it.
At Saratan’s words, Lee Han gave a faint laugh.
Certainly, it was natural for that spirit to think so.
A contract with a powerful spirit was a temptation a mage would find difficult to easily shake off.
“You could think that. But a spirit as hard to trust as that...”
-Because, normally, whenever you see a spirit, mage, you beg so desperately it is unpleasant, so I thought you would certainly do the same to that spirit too... Aaaaaaagh!
Lee Han immediately poured mana in. Saratan rolled around inside the staff from the sudden surprise attack.
-Why! Why!? We fought together, did we not!
“Do you not understand what you just said? Hm?”
-What did I say... Aaaagh! Wait! Wait! Give me just a little time to think! Please, Lord Mage!
Saratan regained the manners it often forgot.
But even so, it did not understand why the mage was angry.
Did he not usually cling pathetically whenever he saw a spirit?
“Enough. What is the point in getting angry at you?”
-Y-yes. I do not know the reason, but please stop being angry. Hehe. Is not that Heavenly Fire General bastard the bad one?
Although Saratan cursed inwardly, it did not show it and flattered him.
“By the way, that spirit boasted that it could find the enemies it wanted. Is that really true?”
-If it is on the level of the Heavenly Fire General... it should truly be possible.
Once fire caught, it spread in all directions without stopping. If there was even one ember, one piece of fuel, fire followed it to the end.
It was true that spirits tended to be strongly influenced by the element that formed their origin, but the Heavenly Fire General was especially severe among them.
A spirit that seemed to possess every destructive aspect of flame.
-I have heard several anecdotes about it persistently tracking in the past. Rumor says it tracks enemies by burning the threads of causality.
“What absurd nonsense... Why are spirits all so good at cheating?”
Lee Han was newly appalled.
The innate authorities possessed by races from other dimensions always surprised Lee Han.
Some races went into their own racial dimension, which no one could see, and quietly followed others around, while some races, once they fought you even once, could chase you until the end of the world...
'Is that something you should be saying?'
Saratan could not hold back and cursed inwardly.
From the spirits’ perspective, the magic of mages was also a sufficiently fraudulent weapon.
Especially in Lee Han’s case, he held within him a tremendous power of origin that seemed to have no end. This power, which mages called mana, was certainly something spirits could feel as well.
“Then I may unexpectedly be able to expect results.”
-Will you contract with it if it brings results?
“No.”
Lee Han answered firmly.
Seeing that, Saratan felt the slightest bit sorry for the Heavenly Fire General. Judging from that attitude, it seemed he would absolutely never contract with it.
***
“Professor. Professor.”
“What is it, Student Lee Han?”
Professor Garcia, who had been carefully checking inside Jowrin’s mouth, was puzzled by the student’s call.
The student was whispering as if watching the reactions around them.
What was going on?
“When and how are you going to escape?”
“......”
......
Even Jowrin, who had been sitting still with her mouth open in an “ah,” was dumbfounded.
Jowrin does not understand why, why we must escape...
“Your Majesty. That is because Your Majesty misunderstands mages.”
However, Lee Han instead spoke as if teaching Jowrin.
“Mages are extremely greedy and despicable.”
...But... but we fought together...
“You can fight together even if your true intentions are different. If you look at Einroguard, students from other towers fight together when their goal is the same.”
Before Jowrin could be shocked by the dirty world of adults, Professor Garcia hurriedly stepped in to extinguish the fire.
“I think I know what Student Lee Han is worried about. Of course, if it were Student Lee Han, you might be kidnapped and locked up in a Magic Tower.”
?!
Jowrin was startled.
This Magic Tower visit that had seemed so comfortable was such a dangerous occasion!?
Not as much as Jowrin, but Lee Han was startled too.
“Professor. I had not thought that far.”
“...Be quiet. At any rate, aside from those worries, this time is fine.”
Why? The Magic Tower Master may coax Lee Han and then put chains on him!
Because there was a prior offense, Jowrin was rather stabbed by guilt and shouted first. Lee Han shook his head.
Professor Garcia answered Jowrin’s extreme worry in a startled voice.
“Your Majesty. No matter how you look at it, Lord Eullangdam is also a notable figure of the Empire, so Eullangdam would not do something that extreme and rude...”
Even if there were a kidnapping, they would block the door and try to persuade him with excuses; this was not some ancient age where they would put chains on him.
...Is, is it that extreme and rude... an act?
“Pardon?”
“Let us talk about that later, and return to what we were discussing. Why is it fine this time?”
“Lord Eullangdam has given up.”
***
The mage who led the Daylily Magic Tower, Eullangdam, held a long pipe in his mouth and wore a gloomy expression.
Seeing that, several mages beside him watched his mood, then opened their mouths again.
“There are events remaining, but...”
“Enough. Enough. Just as one cannot forcibly confine a dragon, the same must be true for a dragon’s contractor.”
Smoke spread thickly instead of a sigh. Eullangdam stared into empty air as if trying to soothe his regret.
It was not that Eullangdam did not feel regret. How could he not regret giving up such talent?
But he had no choice but to give up.
Starting from blocking the Heavenly Fire General’s attack, and then even a dragon jumping out, Eullangdam had thought his heart would drop.
He had not expected him to be that extraordinary.
Only when someone was within reason did one get greedy and say they would invite him into the Magic Tower; once a contract with a dragon, whose existence he had not even remembered, popped out, he instinctively felt, “There is no way I can bring this one in.”
“Make sure everyone who was present keeps their mouths shut. If it becomes known publicly that a dragon Imperial Family member is active outside, there will be many people who will make things bothersome.”
It might have been a somewhat shameless thing to say, but Eullangdam was proud that the Daylily Magic Tower’s method was a fairly polite one.
Had they not refrained from forcibly holding him and merely prepared events to persuade him?
Compared to that, the Empire loyalists who sought to find a useful next Imperial Family member and recommend that person as the next emperor had no sense of decency. If it was a dragon Imperial Family member, they would certainly chase with their lives on the line.
“Yes. We will do so. Ah, from the White Poplar Knight Order...”
“Ugh.”
Eullangdam grimaced as if he did not want to hear it. The deep wrinkles carved into his forehead became even clearer.
No mage liked having mistakes pointed out, but among them, having knights point them out was especially painful.
After he had boasted that they should just leave it to him, he had let an Einroguard student be ambushed...
From the knights’ perspective, they must have thought, “Were the mages of this Magic Tower perhaps founded by Valdrogard graduates?”
“They carefully sent word that while they understand Student Wardanaz volunteered, it still seemed we had assigned him too dangerous a role.”
“...He did not volunteer, so what are they talking about?”
Eullangdam was flustered.
Even if someone volunteered, what insane mage would let a second-year student fight at the front?
Even Lord Gonadaltes, famous for madness, would not do such a thing... No, he might do it, but at any rate, Eullangdam had not.
“Perhaps Student Wardanaz smoothed it over instead?”
“...I cannot believe it. How is it that such kind-hearted mages keep coming out from under Your Excellency!”
The old archmage lamented in a voice full of jealousy.
The thing he found most impossible to understand when looking at the Skull Principal was not that the students who learned under him had outstanding skill.
It was that the students’ character was kind.
The former could be understood, but why on earth the latter?
“Send the White Poplar Knight Order our thanks and a reward. Report it to the Empire as well. If they had not stepped forward first, it would not have been strange no matter what happened. To think it was the Heavenly Fire General. This is fortunate amid misfortune.”
“There are also the Guardians of Shadow Valley.”
“Ah. Do the same for those young people too. You said the leader was a mage from Kalarogard?”
“Yes. Jute. Our Magic Tower has also sent an invitation before. It was refused, though.”
“Desirable talents never enter the Magic Towers.”
When the Empire’s magic schools approached graduation season, various Magic Towers would sharpen their senses.
Was it not the best time to bring in outstanding talent?
However, the mage leading those adventurers had left Kalarogard abruptly before the invitation had even arrived.
It could not have been from ignorance, so it must have been because the decision was already firm.
“Lord Eullangdam. But...”
“?”
“What should we do if, even though we no longer recommend it, Lord Wardanaz wants to enter the Magic Tower? Should we still refuse?”
“......”
The mages present glared at the colleague who had spoken without tact.
They were trying to somehow shake off lingering attachment, so what kind of tactless thing was that to say!
“You call that a question?”
“Please give up already!”
“Stop, stop. Do not quarrel. Why quarrel over something like this?”
Eullangdam stopped his colleagues.
Then he puffed on his pipe once and quietly said.
“If that happens, we must respect the other party’s intention, so complete the contract immediately.”
“......”
You said you had given up!
***
“Thank you. Please return safely.”
After coming outside, Lee Han’s group said farewell to those who had helped this time.
Bamandam, a knight belonging to the White Poplar Knight Order, hesitated slightly, then said.
“Student Wardanaz. If I may dare offer advice, I think it would be better to stop putting your body on the line and standing at the front in matters like this. Knights exist to take on things like this. Then, farewell.”
“...Pardon???”
Lee Han reacted belatedly, but the knights had already moved far away.
What kind of fresh nonsense was this??
“Professor. Did you perhaps say that I volunteered?!”
“Who would say such nonsense? Who would believe that?”
'Extremely logical.'
Even while dumbfounded, Lee Han could not help but accept Professor Garcia’s words.
Who would believe the claim that he had stepped forward because he wanted to fight a spirit directly?
“Perhaps they heard rumors about Student Lee Han and thought that on their own? The other knights of the White Poplar Knight Order have met Student Lee Han several times too...”
From the knights’ perspective, it would not be strange if they thought Lee Han had stepped forward rather than that the Magic Tower had made an unexpected mistake.
“How can such experienced and seasoned knights judge arbitrarily based only on rumors!”
“Y-yes, that is true.”
While Lee Han felt extremely wronged, the adventurers came outside. Jute looked at Lee Han and was impressed.
“I heard many things from Professor Mortum, but this was truly surprising. To think you were aiming to face it directly.”
At first, Jute had thought the spirit had escaped the encirclement with strength beyond expectations, but after hearing from the knights later, apparently Lee Han had induced that situation from the beginning.
From the perspective of a mage who did not like close combat, only admiration came out. As expected, he was a talent worthy of bringing glory to the Empire’s dark magic school.
While the student was unable to answer from excessive injustice, Professor Garcia quickly gave a greeting.
“Thank you all so much. Please return safely.”
“We are grateful as well. Thank you once again for yielding the merit.”
After even the adventurers left, Lee Han barely regained his breath.
'The Empire needs to make a law banning false rumors.'
At that moment, the vision of the spirit world suddenly opened. It was a sign that the angel Apazragon was appearing.
Apazragon opened its mouth in order to confirm whether the story just heard was true.
In order to learn by observing the actions of the pioneer, it was important to know the intent accurately as well.
-Was it truly something you aimed for? What was the reason?
“...You sit down here for a moment.”