Chapter 1335

'So ancient infamy really is never undeserved. I’m never trusting giants again!'

Lee Han reopened his list of people not to trust and wrote 'giants' beneath liches and pirate captains.

He truly felt as though he would never be able to trust any giant again.

-What is it?

“Frost Giants and Fire Giants at least don’t hide it. Isn’t this too much? Pretending not to know anything and then betraying me!”

-Betraying you? I didn’t know you disliked challenges, mage.

The Dark Giant hurriedly explained itself.

Lee Han paused at that attitude. For a moment, he wondered whether he was unfairly tormenting an innocent giant.

“...You didn’t know?”

-I only heard the rumors about the Frost Giant King and the challenger. They made me curious.

'Do these giants really live in gloomy, remote places?'

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

What kind of secluded giants with no contact with anyone were these? They seemed to hear every rumor worth hearing.

Still, the Dark Giant had its own argument. No matter how remote and isolated a place was, truly noisy rumors were bound to find their way in.

And the rumor about the Frost Giant King and the challenger had been loud enough to reach even the territory of the Dark Giants.

“......”

Lee Han made a complicated expression.

Just what were rumors between dimensions, that they tormented people this badly?

“Wait. If you didn’t know I disliked it, will you cancel the challenge now?”

-What? No. I want to know what exactly is so special about you, mage.

The Dark Giant was still a giant, after all.

It had not known Lee Han disliked challenges, but even after learning that, it still intended to challenge him.

It genuinely wanted to know why the Frost Giant King had evaluated him so highly.

'Once this is over, I really need to stop associating with giants.'

Aside from the simple and honest giants at Einroguard(relatively speaking), he intended to regard every wicked and treacherous giant lurking in other dimensions with suspicion.

“Then I refuse. I never promised to grant your request in the first place, so don’t resent me for refusing.”

Lee Han spoke firmly.

The Dark Giant was not surprised by the firm refusal and nodded repeatedly.

-I see. I understand. Very well.

“...You accept that?”

-Refusal is also the mage’s freedom. In that case, I’ll attack you after the work is finished.

The Dark Giant truly was wise.

It deserved its reputation for intelligence among giants.

It understood perfectly well that if the other party refused a challenge, it could simply attack them by force.

Then it was more or less the same thing as a challenge.

'Are giants born without consciences?'

Furious, Lee Han called out to Ragesa.

Come to think of it, the person most responsible for this entire situation was this pirate captain.

She had even said that the Dark Giant would be fine!

“Lady Ragesa!”

“There’s the microcosm magic! Brat! Microcosm magic!”

“......”

As expected of a great pirate, Ragesa knew very well how to escape an unfavorable situation.

She desperately changed the subject while pointing at the sanctuary where the microcosm was stored.

“That doesn’t make your responsibility for introducing me to the Dark Giant disappear.”

“All right, all right. As soon as this is over, I’ll help you beat the Dark Giant up. Happy?”

Ragesa apologized as though she felt bad about it.

To be fair, even this great pirate had not expected the Dark Giant to have heard the rumors.

Just how had that rumor spread among the giants?

'At this point, isn’t this the fault of the mage who left that kind of impression on the Frost Giant King?'

The thought occurred to her, but Ragesa did not show it.

If she teased him here, this newly appointed Valdrogard professor might genuinely turn around and leave.

“Look at the microcosm over there. What do you think? It would be hard to find any jewel on the sea as beautiful as that magic!”

“To me, it just looks like ordinary magic.”

“What are you saying? Here! Take a closer look!”

Lee Han grumbled, but in truth, he thought Ragesa was right.

The Frost Giant race’s microcosm magic stored in the sanctuary, Hyperborea, was truly beautiful.

Magic connected to another dimension had been compressed into an extremely small space, and the frost wind crossing over from that dimension wrapped around the surroundings as though pulsing. Afterward, walls of ice formed as though winter itself had arrived.

“Go forward, take that magic in your hand, train hard until you master it, and then when someone asks you what kind of microcosm you learned, tell them you obtained it at the end of a voyage with Ragesa, daughter of Torgerd. Brat. Got it?”

“Can I also tell them that Lady Ragesa deceived me several times?”

“You can, but for a pirate that’s practically a medal. It’ll only increase my reputation.”

Ragesa cackled and slapped Lee Han on the back. She was not joking. She genuinely meant it.

Deceiving the disciple of the Lord of Einroguard several times was a kind of honor in itself.

Beside them, the Dark Giant took out a piece of paper with interest.

-The challenger of the Frost Giant King seems to have a great deal of interest in the microcosm magic left behind by the ancient Frost Giant race. Perhaps there is some sort of connection at the level of the entire race.

“...Everyone! Stop searching for treasure and gather over here!”

When Lee Han called the pirates, those who had been looting elsewhere hurried over.

Apparently they had been plundering various parts of the ruins, because there was absolutely no consistency in what they were carrying.

An old silver crown, a jewel-studded goblet, a gilded stone tablet, a magical hammer made from Silver-Blood Stone, a fairy lantern, a glass bottle containing solar arts...

Seeing that the pirates had efficiently gathered nothing but expensive items in such a short time, Lee Han suddenly felt his stomach hurt.

I’m the one struggling with microcosm magic!

Of course, he knew that the most valuable treasure here was the microcosm left behind by the Frost Giant race, but people were naturally tempted when they saw shiny things.

-Wait... I’m uncomfortable when there are too many people.

“Oh dear. But if I’m going to obtain the microcosm magic, I need everyone else’s help.”

“?”

The pirates, each holding armfuls of treasure, made stupid expressions.

That genius mage, disciple of the Lord of Einroguard and someone even the Admiral acknowledged, needed their help?

“What can we possibly help with? We don’t know anything about magic.”

“I think becoming a Valdrogard professor might have weakened his magic. Like some kind of curse.”

After seeing the pirates’ reactions, the Dark Giant spoke again.

-It doesn’t look like you particularly need help.

“I do. It’s true that my magic became weaker after I became a Valdrogard professor.”

'He really is properly poisoned with spite now.'

Ragesa quietly kept her mouth shut.

She had made so many mistakes today that it was painfully obvious who that spiteful brat would bite if she said anything.

Still, even so, insisting that he had become weaker because he was now a Valdrogard professor...

The Dark Giant looked troubled and flustered, but eventually seemed to make up its mind and crouched down in a corner.

-In that case, it can’t be helped. Continue. I’ll stay here and write things down.

“......”

“......”

When the pirates stared at him, Lee Han suddenly felt as though he had become the evil one—that is, as though he had taken the Skull Principal’s position at Einroguard.

Even though the evil one was clearly that giant!

“...I’ll just obtain the microcosm. Is there anything I need to be careful of?”

“No. Nothing. Hurry up and grab it.”

“......”

-Lady Ragesa. Stop doing that and answer sincerely.

When even the Death Knight joined in, Ragesa let out a deep sigh of repentance.

She had teased them so much that now they would not believe her even when she told the truth.

“There really isn’t. There is something to be careful about, but the moment you grab it, vicious cold will invade your soul. It is the cold that exists in the land of the Frost Giants. Normally, you would have to use several spells or treasures to endure it, but you don’t need to. Because of your mana, it won’t have much effect on you. Anything else you want to ask?”

“Yes. Could you spend five minutes thinking about whether there is anything else I need to be careful about?”

“......”

Five minutes later.

Ragesa spoke again.

“There isn’t!”

“All right. Why are you getting angry...”

Lee Han stepped forward to take hold of the magic within the sanctuary.

Ragesa did make frequent mistakes, but surely she would not make a mistake with magic like this too.

Clench!

“!”

The moment he grasped the microcosm magic, the scenery before his eyes changed.

Lee Han immediately realized that the landscape he was seeing was the origin of the microcosm magic Hyperborea—a land filled with blade-like winds formed from the cold of the Frost Giants.

And the scenery did not immediately disappear.

Lee Han stood blankly within it for some time before coming to his senses.

'Is this a test?'

If it was a test, it was quite a difficult one.

The method was simple—extreme cold—but simple methods like this were often more difficult to prepare against.

No matter how outstanding a mage was, if their mana ran out, it would be difficult to withstand the cold.

Thinking that, Lee Han drove away the cold and bestowed heat.

'Maybe because this place is so cold, the fire element is easier to handle.'

Since he always had to control it so carefully, a land of extreme cold like this was actually somewhat relaxing.

After summoning flame and light, Lee Han moved forward.

If this was a test, there had to be some sort of marker.

-Run, before the giants catch up!

-Cruel and arrogant ones. How can those born of the same blood be so violent?

Beyond the snowstorm, illusions and auditory hallucinations drifted toward him.

They were Frost Giants fleeing from the pursuit of ancient giants.

They borrowed the power of cold to hinder their pursuers and escape, but the ancient giants were truly terrifying. They blasted away the freezing cold covering their entire bodies with a roar and resumed the chase with frightening speed.

-This magic shall become the sword wielded by our fleeing kin and the shield they raise.

-Let the one who becomes king in the future inherit this magic, remain wary of the past, and prepare for what lies ahead. For wicked beings like the giant race may appear at any time!

Lee Han, who had been listening blankly, paused.

'...Wait.'

Could this possibly be magic passed down among the Frost Giant Kings?

-Go forth and claim the magic!

“...I think there’s been a misunderstanding! I’m actually not of giant blood!”

-Go forth and claim the magic!

“Wouldn’t it be better to pass this on to the true Frost Giant King??”

-Go forth and claim the magic!

'This is bad.'

Lee Han realized there was no way to converse with the echoes here.

The only thing left was to climb the snow-covered slope, take hold of the magic above, and leave.

'...Can’t I go back?'

Still reluctant, he tried to leave through the place where he had entered, but no path appeared.

From the very moment someone grasped the magic in the sanctuary, the structure guaranteed that they would obtain the microcosm.

This illusion was a kind of explanation and lesson.

It was telling the Frost Giant King who inherited the microcosm not to forget the past and to prepare for the future...

'Then you should’ve written <Frost Giant Kings Only> in front of it!'

Lee Han became furious.

It was not Lady Ragesa’s fault, but for some reason he felt angry at Lady Ragesa too.

Instead of spending all that time analyzing and researching the performance of the microcosm magic, she should have told him what that magic actually meant among the Frost Giants!

'This really feels wrong. It wasn’t simply a microcosm left behind by the Frost Giants. It was a microcosm passed down among the Frost Giant Kings.'

No matter how much he stalled, nothing would change.

Lee Han let out a sigh and grasped the magic above.

At that moment, the microcosm magic left behind by the Frost Giants entered Lee Han.

* * *

“How was the test?”

“Come with me for a moment...”

When Lee Han moved into a private room with Ragesa, the pirates looked puzzled.

“What’s going on?”

“Are they going to talk about some treasure we’re not supposed to hear about?”

From inside the private room came the faint sound of the Valdrogard professor shouting furiously.

The pirates immediately changed their minds.

'Guess not.'