On the way out of the magic tower after finishing their conversation (the Skull Principal had set fire to the main gate to draw the mages’ attention elsewhere), the Skull Principal asked a question.
“What did you mean when you said you dealt with House Nago’s reagents?”
“I went outside during club week and took on a commission to earn some pocket money. That was when it happened.”
“What a diligent fellow. Sometimes I wonder whether you truly belong to the Blue Dragon Tower.”
To think he had taken on and completed commissions in such a short span of time.
There had even been battles with evil-deity worshippers in between, hadn’t there?
The Skull Principal was so impressed that his doubts about House Nago slipped from his mind.
With countless families throughout the Empire, even the Skull Principal could not pay attention to every single one of them.
Several knights who had been listening to the conversation were sweating inwardly.
It was fortunate that they did not have bodies of flesh and blood. Otherwise, they would have been found out long ago.
“Let us depart.”
“Will it be all right? At the next magic tower, if it turns out like this place…”
“You need not worry about that.”
The Skull Principal spoke with confidence.
“Of course, I did somewhat underestimate how your achievements would appear to outside mages.”
-Somewhat…?
“Somewhat?”
The Skull Principal ignored the noise and continued.
“However, I understand now. I will choose the information properly and tell them only enough to make the mages extend the debt.”
What had happened at the Daylily Magic Tower had gone beyond even the Skull Principal’s plans.
The Skull Principal had wanted to deceive the mages moderately, not drive them insane.
Reflecting deeply, the Skull Principal planned to control the information properly from now on and achieve the effect he had intended.
-But, Master. With such a commotion here, wouldn’t word spread to the other magic towers?
“That will not happen.”
The Skull Principal declared firmly.
“Mages only care about themselves, so they absolutely will not spread rumors about something like this.”
-Indeed!
“…”
Lee Han was dumbfounded, but he could not deny it.
Honestly, even from Lee Han’s perspective, the mages of the Daylily Magic Tower seemed likely to keep the matter secret.
Even if it meant having a blade pressed to their throats…
…Wait. But how did Meikin know I had learned Lesser World?
Now that he thought about it, it was strange.
The contract with the Spirit King was one thing, but learning Lesser World had been relatively recent.
Did Yonair write it in a letter? But it feels like there haven’t been any chances to smuggle letters out lately.
-Where is the next magic tower?
“The Peridot Magic Tower.”
-Ah, the fellows who handle telekinesis.
“Correct. The staff I commissioned Professor Verdus to make last time has finally been completed.”
Occasionally, commissions entrusted to Professor Verdus were completed successfully.
The lucky clients this time were the mages of the Peridot Magic Tower.
“I may be able to persuade them without necessarily bringing up Wardanaz.”
-That will not happen.
The knights spoke frankly, with resolve.
Mages were not easygoing enough to be delighted and overlook the fact that an artifact had been completed far later than the promised deadline.
***
“You want us to postpone the payment…”
“Please do.”
-!
The knights were shocked when the mages of the Peridot Magic Tower agreed so readily.
Lee Han was just as surprised.
No way. Even so, this easily?
Just how long had Professor Verdus delayed the commission for them to show such favor merely because it had been completed?
Lee Han felt something close to awe at that infamy.
It was truly masterful procrastination, refined to a certain level.
“So we’re just moving on like this?”
-It seems we can, young master.
The knights answered Lee Han’s question with delight.
The knights did not want another incident like 【The Daylily Magic Tower’s Frenzy】 to happen either.
While the group whispered among themselves, one of the Peridot Magic Tower mages pointed at Lee Han and asked.
“Is this person Professor Bagreg’s disciple?”
“…”
“…Oops.”
At the Skull Principal’s words, Lee Han instinctively realized that something had gone wrong.
“Principal?”
“I forgot these fellows are close to Professor Voladi.”
“…”
You should forget things that are actually worth forgetting!
Lee Han was exasperated, but what was done was done. He had no choice but to assess the situation as quickly as possible.
So right now…
He could not guess exactly how much Professor Voladi Bagreg had told them.
Professor Voladi had probably mentioned the water orb, and likely Wardanaz’s telekinesis as well…
“Our Peridot Magic Tower inevitably has quite a few battle mages. A young and talented mage like Lee Han of House Wardanaz would be all the more welcome.”
“…How much have you heard, by any chance?”
“What do you mean?”
The magic tower mage answered with a beaming smile. That smile looked as suspicious as if the mage were wearing a mask.
The Skull Principal gestured to a knight standing beside him. The knight cleared his throat and moved toward the door of the reception room.
Click!
-…
The Death Knight who tried to open the door and check outside was overwhelmed by the sight.
The magic tower mages had somehow gathered silently in front of the reception room.
-It seems we are doomed.
“Right. I understand.”
The Skull Principal answered briefly. The beaming mage continued speaking.
“Since the door is open, the gift we prepared…”
“The gift is fine! We will simply accept the sentiment!”
“Your Excellency! Haven’t you always asked for donations before? We prepared it, so why are you refusing?”
“You bastards should look at your own eyes in a mirror before saying that! What are you going to do when you look more deranged than you do when killing magical criminals?”
Having accomplished his purpose, the Skull Principal prepared to retreat once again.
This magic tower had many battle mages, making escape several times more troublesome.
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency!”
“Young master. Did Professor Bagreg not tell you about us?”
“Actually, I am quite close to Professor Bagreg! I have things to tell you about the professor, so please sit down and talk with us for just a moment before leaving!”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course not!”
The Skull Principal grabbed his disciple by the ear and opened the reception room window. A knight who had received word was already waiting with a carriage.
“Bagreg. This useless bastard!”
-But, Professor, your friendship with the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> was originally…
The Death Knights tried to defend Professor Voladi.
Professor Voladi’s friendship with the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> was a well-known fact, one even the knights knew. Since battle mages were mobilized whenever the Empire needed military force, it was impossible for them not to have connections with one another.
Hadn’t the Skull Principal also laughed heartily with joy when he heard that Professor Voladi was sending letters to the mages of the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> to increase the intensity of his successor’s magic education?
“Shut up.”
-Yes.
The master had always hated being confronted with hard-to-refute points even more. The knights quietly closed their mouths.
The Skull Principal sighed at the sight of the mages, who refused to give up even as the carriage tried to escape through the air, creating telekinetic stairs in midair to chase after them.
“You help as well… no. Just stay still.”
Removing the various telekinetic forces interfering with the carriage and safely subduing the pursuing mages before sending them back was an extremely bothersome task.
The Skull Principal had naturally been about to order his disciple to help, but changed his mind.
Because the more his disciple showed off, the more likely the mages of this magic tower seemed to go insane.
“To think even these fellows had heard about Lesser World…”
The Skull Principal, who had been muttering, paused.
Come to think of it, while Professor Voladi might have asked about telekinetic magic in his letters since it was lecture material, he probably would not have revealed anything about Lesser World.
“You fellows.”
“Yes!”
The magic tower mages, who had been pushed away by the Skull Principal and were now swimming through the air with telekinesis, answered.
“Do you happen to know about Lesser Worlds as well?”
“Huh? Lesser Worlds, you mean? Of course we know what they are, but why ask all of a sudden?”
“…It is nothing! Depart!”
For the first time in a long while, the Skull Principal felt goosebumps.
To think it was already this bad even when they did not know he had mastered Lesser World…!
***
-Master. How about we stop visiting magic towers for now?
-That’s right. Regardless of the results, I am a bit worried about whether the disciple will be all right later…
“…”
Lee Han made a very complicated expression at the knights’ words.
“…Specifically, what kind of dangers might there be?”
-It would be best for you to avoid visiting the magic towers we visited today as much as possible in the future.
-Even if you do visit, absolutely do not consume any food or drink they offer.
Lee Han deeply engraved the Death Knights’ advice in his mind.
It did not seem as though it would be very helpful, but still…
“No! The remaining magic towers will truly be fine now.”
“…”
-…
Lee Han and the knights sent him looks full of distrust. The Skull Principal comforted them as if he understood.
“I understand your feelings as well! Of course, there were unusually many unexpected incidents.”
“Honestly, shouldn’t you have anticipated the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower>…”
“How am I supposed to remember all of Professor Voladi’s connections? The <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> incident is Professor Voladi’s fault for bragging about his disciple in detail like a doting parent.”
Wow. His shamelessness is almost on Professor Verdus’s level.
“I will perfectly control the information for the remaining magic towers and create the intended effect.”
“It seems that whenever you deal with mages, Principal, things strangely backfire…”
Indeed, he is perceptive.
The knights were inwardly impressed.
To realize such a secret already. He truly had the qualifications to be a successor.
-Master. A letter.
The knight sitting in the coachman’s seat pointed to a paper bird flying from afar. The Skull Principal said indifferently.
“Did the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> send it?”
-No.
“The Onchuri Magic Tower?”
-No.
“No? Then don’t burn it. Bring it here.”
If it had been a letter from a magic tower, he had planned to burn it immediately, but if not, that was a different matter.
The Skull Principal received the paper bird and checked its contents.
“Erindarvel sent it.”
“!”
The other person was an archmage famous enough that even Lee Han had heard the name.
“What did Erindarvel send it for?”
“Well. The last one was an apology letter… Did Yukbeltire cause another accident, perhaps?”
“Huh? Why is my senior coming up…”
“What? Weren’t you two close? Erindarvel is Yukbeltire’s mother.”
Lee Han was greatly surprised.
And even while surprised, he accurately denied what needed to be denied.
“We are not close.”
“…I, I see. Understood.”
If his memory was correct, the contents of the last letter had definitely been an apology for an accident during vacation, when Yukbeltire had involved several mages, including a friend from the dark magic school.
At the time, the Skull Principal had replied generously.
Saying that as mages went through life, they could cause spatial distortions and overlaps, and that was how they grew, wasn’t it?
Of course, the mages who had been dragged into it had slightly different thoughts, but that was not the Skull Principal’s concern.
I send this letter to the dear Lord Gonadaltes.
I received word from Yukbeltire that your disciple mastered Lesser World magic in his second year.
If you would permit it, during your visit to the magic towers this time, I would like to personally observe the capabilities possessed by this pillar of the Empire’s future.
Thank you.
P.S. — Yukbeltire is trying to sue you in the Imperial Court over the matter of having her research agreement stolen. I await your explanation regarding this.
Erindarvel
“…”
The Skull Principal, who had been thinking over the letter’s contents, paused.
If Yukbeltire had told Erindarvel, and Erindarvel also knew that his disciple had mastered Lesser World…?!
“Turn the carriage around!”
-Master. The mages have already come out ahead to greet us…
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