‘Right. Even if you hate sin and hate people, you must not hate an Archmage.’
Among the Empire’s Archmages, Erindarvel was on the more responsible and devoted side.
Knowing that, the Skull Principal turned a blind eye. If it had been another irresponsible Archmage, he would have immediately written a letter of complaint to the Emperor himself.
If an Archmage fell into the water, the Archmage ought to crawl out alone instead of dragging others down by the ankles.
‘But…?’
The Skull Principal found a mage sweating coldly, his face even paler than Erindarvel’s.
It was Alshicle of House Pengerine.
‘…Why is that one acting like that?’
The Skull Principal and Erindarvel had sinned, but what had Alshicle done?
‘I’m finally going to Imperial prison.’
Alshicle thought with his eyes tightly shut.
Following the path countless senior mages had walked before him, Alshicle was finally going to enter Imperial prison.
Perhaps it would not be an ordinary Imperial prison, but Einroguard’s secret punishment cells. Alshicle hoped the Skull Principal would at least show him a little consideration.
‘No. I’d rather hope that Wardanaz looks after me… But I wonder if he’ll even be able to come to wherever I’m locked up.’
Why are you acting like that?
The Skull Principal asked as if he could not understand. Alshicle moved his beak with a gloomy, distressed expression.
“I vouched for Wardanaz’s abilities and took him to the exploration team…”
Ah!
The Skull Principal immediately understood the situation.
Come to think of it, the exploration team had eyes and heads on their shoulders as well. They would not have taken an Einroguard student along for no reason.
Clearly, Alshicle had misunderstood and taken him along.
The Skull Principal smiled warmly. As it turned out, there was a mage with an even greater responsibility than his own.
Oh my, oh my! To do such a thing. Come to think of it, the one who bears the greatest responsibility was right here!
“…Isn’t the person who sent the wrong letter more at fault…?”
What are you talking about? Letters can be misdelivered at any time. The one at fault is the fool who ignored that and simply took him along.
Alshicle felt as if he were sinking deep into a swamp, unable to escape.
And although the Skull Principal had not intended it, others were swept up as well.
They were the other members of the exploration team.
“…We gave permission too…”
“Who could have imagined the letters had been mixed up…”
The Skull Principal was even more delighted at the sight of the exploration team members sinking into gloom, convinced they would be going to Imperial prison together with Alshicle.
Erindarvel, sweating profusely, tried to console them. She felt unbearably sorry that promising talents of the Empire might be sent to prison because of her.
“No, no. I bear the greatest responsibility…”
Shh. Be quiet.
“But my mistake…”
If you get dragged away, it will annoy me… I mean, failing to check is a greater sin than letters getting mixed up.
“But the junior scholars…”
Do you know Imperial law better than I do? Then you become the Imperial Mage Marshal!
“…”
“You don’t need to do any of that.”
Lee Han, who had finished speaking with the successor of the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower> and returned, cut in.
“I didn’t participate in the exploration team.”
“…Huh? Does that work?”
“We have to make it work. Everyone needs to keep quiet.”
“Wardanaz…!”
Alshicle, who had been about to feel moved, flinched at Professor Voladi’s gaze as it turned in their direction.
It was the same emotionless gaze as always, but perhaps because of his guilty conscience, it felt sharper than usual.
As if Professor Voladi were trying to see through their lies.
“Go, Gonadaltes sir. Professor Voladi Bagreg is looking at me like he wants to kill me.”
You should add Professor, Pengerine.
“…Professor Bagreg is looking at me like he wants to kill me.”
Professor Voladi’s eyes are always like that, so don’t worry about…
The Skull Principal turned his gaze to check as he spoke.
Professor Voladi was still silently staring in their direction. Somehow, his gaze seemed even more intense.
Hmm. No, that is not it. He suspects something. Everyone needs to be careful.
“…”
“…”
***
Outstanding combat mages were also skilled at interrogating others and making them confess the truth.
When Professor Voladi waved his right hand, a cruel and merciless weapon, and called over the familiar adventurers from the exploration team, the adventurers’ faces turned pale blue.
On the opposite side was an even more brutal weapon: his left hand.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“Th-th-th-that is…”
Wait! Seeing you stutter makes me worry about aftereffects from dimensional erosion. Go get examined.
Fortunately, the Skull Principal intervened.
The Skull Principal had the Death Knights send the adventurers back and check whether there were any aftereffects.
“…”
Professor Voladi. Do not misunderstand. The monster that crossed dimensions this time was not an ordinary monster, but a monster from the void. We must examine the aftermath carefully.
“Yes.”
They are such dreadful creatures that even after the entire space has been burned away, their lingering effects remain.
“Yes.”
…You are honestly suspicious, aren’t you?
“Yes.”
Professor Voladi answered with complete honesty. The Skull Principal cried out as if he had been wronged.
Why do you not believe my words? Professor Voladi. Have I not usually inspired trust in you?
“Yes.”
‘This bastard.’
The Skull Principal looked at his current professor and former disciple in annoyance.
Professor Garcia would have pretended to give in out of a tender heart, and if it had been Wardanaz, he would have pretended to yield out of flattery. But this heartless vampire mage had none of that.
Then I will ask Wardanaz directly.
“I believe asking others would be more accurate.”
Professor Voladi was not fooled.
Given his disciple’s personality, it would not be surprising at all if Lee Han conspired with the Skull Principal and lied.
Since he enjoyed visiting dangerous places to test his own limits and strength, he would not answer properly even if questioned about such matters.
Instead, Professor Voladi stared intently at the penguin beastkin mage. He was the only mage here who could be interrogated mercilessly.
Pengerine also needs rest after fighting extradimensional monsters. Right, Wardanaz?
“…Yes! Look! He collapsed and is groaning right now.”
Lee Han pointed at Alshicle, who had collapsed on the floor. Professor Voladi answered bluntly.
“That looks like simple fatigue.”
“How powerful must the monsters have been to make him end up like that?”
“There is no need to lie even to me, your master. Speak honestly.”
When Professor Voladi suddenly brought up their master-disciple relationship, Lee Han was flustered.
It was an unexpected surprise attack.
How underhanded, appealing to emotions like this.
His conscience was shaken even more because he had received help during the recent insane duplicate incident.
‘Should I just tell him?’
-Absolutely do not tell him!
The Skull Principal urgently sent a separate telepathic message.
Given Professor Voladi’s personality, if Lee Han spoke now, at least a few members of the exploration team, including Alshicle, might really end up in Imperial prison.
-Do not be fooled! You must endure this crisis to become a true liar.
‘You really have no talent for comforting people!’
“…I don’t know.”
“I see. Understood.”
Professor Voladi nodded and withdrew cleanly.
Then, after exchanging a few words with the mage from the <Green Pyroxene Mage Tower>, he left together with that mage.
Lee Han felt some inexplicable guilt and ominousness from their retreating figures.
“…Will it be all right?”
You mean Pengerine and the others? They will be fine.
“That’s not what I meant. Professor Bagreg…”
You mean Professor Voladi? He will not be fine. His disciple deceived him outright.
“…”
And you will not be fine either. You will have to attend his lectures again in the second semester.
“Could I perhaps repay the gold coins I borrowed while going around the mage towers right away?”
Calm down. Haha.
The Skull Principal flinched and apologized.
Unlike his other disciples, if he teased this disciple too far, Lee Han could seriously inflict tremendous damage on Einroguard.
Professor Voladi is not a narrow-minded person, so he will understand. Look at the people you saved.
The Skull Principal pointed to the exploration team members behind them, including Alshicle.
As a mage, Lee Han ought to feel pride in saving these innocent people.
“If you had properly pointed out the contents of the letter from the beginning, Principal, none of this would have happened.”
‘He is not falling for it.’
The Skull Principal clicked his tongue inwardly.
This disciple was so clever that tricks like glossing things over with atmosphere, the kind that would work on Professor Garcia, never worked on him.
***
“Does it make any sense that he left for the capital without even taking final exams because of the Principal?”
Gainando trembled with rage as he shouted.
The wild Mage Card party, the mystery party (in which Gainando was scheduled to be both the first victim and the hidden culprit), the dessert party, and all the other events he had planned for vacation had been canceled.
Without Lee Han, the other friends only reacted coldly with remarks like, “Why should I?” or “Gainando, pay back the favor from when I took your duty shift last time before you talk about parties.” Lee Han’s absence had proved fatal.
“Even if Lee Han were here, he probably would have declined most of those parties anyway.”
“Hmph. I knew that would happen, so I prepared a lot of them. If even one works, I profit.”
“…!”
Yonair was shocked by the improvement in her cousin’s intelligence.
How had Gainando learned to use such clever methods?
“But all of it was ruined because of the Principal! No! The Principal is one thing, but the Principal! If the school has no money, he should sell treasures or work to earn it!”
“Oh, why is the Prince only saying correct things today?”
“But didn’t that bastard beg Wardanaz for money when he had none?”
The other friends in the carriage whispered among themselves.
The Einroguard students, who had just finished one semester, were currently traveling to the capital in several rented carriages.
Originally, most of them would have stayed in Granden City and enjoyed their vacation, but the news that their friend had left for the capital first to help the Skull Principal changed the students’ minds.
-If we leave him like this, Wardanaz might be dragged around for the entire vacation!
More students than expected had joined the gathering to rescue their friend from the Skull Principal.
And despite the large number of students, not a single one of them expected that the matter might already be finished.
“Lee Han might not be able to take first place this time because of the Principal.”
“No. Wardanaz is first place. I checked before coming.”
“All perfect scores. Prince, did you not check your grades at all?”
“…”
At his friends’ words, Gainando quickly changed the subject.
“Would it be easy to obtain gold coins?”
“Of course it wouldn’t be easy. Prince, couldn’t you ask for donations?”
“Well…”
Gainando hesitated.
“Unlike my allowance, she doesn’t give in to my whining when it comes to donations like this…”
Lady Kraha was generous with the small amounts Gainando spent as allowance, but became quite strict when the sum grew significantly larger.
Even in the past, when he had whined about acquiring the production rights for Mage Cards, she had not given in.
‘Wasn’t that just because it was impossible?’
Siana wondered inwardly and tilted her head.
“That is true. The lady is an excellent businesswoman, so she would not spend money so carelessly.”
“…Even I wouldn’t lend money to Einroguard.”
The atmosphere among the second-year students suddenly turned gloomy as they faced reality.
Now that they thought about it, it did not seem as though anyone would willingly give gold coins to Einroguard.
“Hey. Let’s just write anonymous letters and extract him. That seems like the only way.”
“Should we?”
“If we scatter hundreds of anonymous letters near the palace, the Principal will have to release him too.”
Fortunately, the students had matured considerably.
They faced a nearly impossible crisis without wavering and devised the best countermeasure.
The Einroguard spirit that had already taken firm root in the students’ hearts was growing magnificently.
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