The friends were all at a loss for words out of shock, shock, and confusion. Lee Han calmly gave advice.
“Manage your facial expressions. “If you want to get out.”
“you you… !”
Asan, who was trying to ask a question with passionate eyes, was surprised, but Angago, who was next to him, just wheezed and glared at Lee Han. It was a look full of betrayal.
“What’s wrong with you again?”
“Stedal was a fake… !!”
“… … ”
Among the second-year theater club students, Ango was the one who was most fascinated by the character Stedal.
As I myself come from a family of knights located in the coastal area, Stedahl’s biography touched my heart.
I really wanted to ask how he made his fortune by stealing the pirates’ treasure map, but it turned out to be a lie.
“Does it matter now? no. “It’s probably been less than an hour since I heard it, so why are you so obsessed?”
“Noisy! “What do you know!”
“Quiet. Alpha. “That’s not what’s important right now.”
Salchow silenced his friend. Lee Han asked, puzzled.
“Were you part of the theater club too?”
“ah. okay. “But I don’t like theater.”
Other students booed Salchow’s words. Neilia wiggled her thumb in a downward direction.
But Salchow didn’t even blink.
“If there are people who like plays, there are also people who like palaces, halls, theaters, and theaters where plays are shown. “If you want to build something like this later, it’s a good idea to look at it a lot.”
“indeed. It’s you, Salko. really. Then you don’t know much about theater. I’ll teach you some basics. The lovers of the Alkarmata family and the Ilhon family… ”
“I know that. Wardanaz… “I said I don’t really like theater, but I’m not saying I’m an idiot who doesn’t even have basic common sense.”
Salko looked at Lee Han as if he was dumbfounded. But what was even more absurd was Lee Han.
‘This bastard. ‘If you really like theater, what’s wrong with it?’
Lee Han opened his mouth, vowing that from now on he would never believe those who say he doesn’t like theater.
“ruler. Everyone listen. As I just said, I came to help you escape.”
“B-but it’s a bit… ”
“It was commissioned by my seniors.”
“… … ”
The second graders gained a deep understanding.
There really is no one to trust in Einrogard!
On the outside, I would have thought that the seniors who were saying, ‘We came to see the play with honor, what do you mean by escape?’ were quietly entrusting the request behind the scenes.
‘We must learn too.’
“Stedal! What are you doing! Come back quickly!”
While they were talking, the nobles called Lee Han. It was like welcoming a friend of ten years.
Yoner asked with a puzzled look in his eyes.
“Why did you become so close?”
“As I was talking about how I escaped from the pirates, people suddenly started coming. I’ll come back first. Please share information with club members who haven’t heard the news yet. Don’t show it. “If you make a fuss, you have to be ready to leave immediately.”
Lee Han, or rather Stedal, left only those words and ran back to the nobles.
The remaining friends looked at each other with blank faces.
“… “How can you cause such a commotion?”
“Maybe it won’t cause an explosion or something? “No matter what, it’s Wardanaz, right?”
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to repeat the name of a family infamous for magic in the current empire… ”
* * *
“You mean pirates? It wasn’t very pleasant. Hard bread or rice balls were all we ate, and sometimes we dug traps or raided lodgings.”
“Oh my!”
“Punishment, no, there was a prison, and if you rebelled or did something wrong, you were locked up here.”
“oh my god!”
“There were minions of the pirate captain, and these minions wandered around and kept watch… ”
The reason why Stedahl, a taciturn and inelegant newcomer to the city, was popular was simple.
This was because the story strongly touched the hearts of the nobles.
At first, I thought, ‘What kind of nonsense is this? Even the nobles who were suspicious, wondering if he was a fraud, shed tears and were moved when they heard Stedahl’s story in person.
To escape from such a harsh environment and even find the treasure.
I didn’t know that God’s providence really existed.
“Stedal! Stedal!”
“Stedal. Could you please come to my mansion next month? Give me a chance to treat you with my family!”
Once a person is liked, even minor flaws tend to be seen as attractive.
Rough and quiet, Stedahl is established as a wild nobleman with a fascinating and tragic past.
‘hmm. Next time, I’ll have to use a more ordinary past.’
Lee Han regretted and escaped from the crowd of people holding him.
It was good that I prepared hard to avoid raising suspicion, but I never imagined that it would be this popular.
I intentionally kept my answers short and blunt, but why?
‘Uhm. The back gate of the palace would not be a good place to escape. Since the area is open, you will be spotted right away. There should be plenty of places to hide around. I should also think about using a flying vehicle. Can we make a tunnel now and escape? Salchow would do well.’
Lee Han, who was pretending to take a walk and checking the roads near the palace, stopped.
Among the nobles who were gathered in small groups and chatting lightly in the distance, there was someone who felt a sense of discomfort.
‘what?’
A very foreign trace was growing like a twig in the other person’s soul.
Looking around, it seemed like Lee Han was the only one who felt uncomfortable.
Actually, that wasn’t strange. Originally, detecting souls was a much more difficult task than detecting magical power, and even among wizards, there were not many of them.
Moreover, the traces of the other person were very faint and blurry. This wasn’t easy to figure out without deep exploration.
Just distinguishing the color of the soul is difficult, but going deeper and detecting the inside in detail…
However, Lee Han’s ability to detect souls was greatly developed after Yeongrak.
Thanks to this, I was able to see through traces that I would have otherwise missed.
‘It feels evil.’
Lee Han thought for a moment.
Actually, I didn’t have to worry much if I just passed on.
It was possible for such strange traces to remain on the soul for more reasons than one might think.
It could be that he invested in suspicious magic experiments or research and experienced the aftermath, or the nobleman himself could be taking some kind of magic or potion.
Moreover, isn’t Lee Han himself hiding something right now? There was no benefit in making a fuss.
‘Why are you looking at me, that guy?’
Madf felt nervous as he met the nobleman’s gaze for the first time.
From what I heard, it seemed like he was a noble from the southern part of the empire.
I think the Nago family did something…
If Madf had been an ordinary noble, he would have passed over it, but unfortunately, Madf was not an ordinary noble.
‘I need to tell you Prahgal’s name. I’m sure it won’t be a hindrance.’
As he came in with an evil plan in mind, it was difficult to ignore even the slightest glance.
“Are you Nago? hello. My name is Madf. “This is my first time in Grandeur City.”
“hello.”
Stedal’s voice was harsh and his manner was rigid.
It should have been unpleasant, but Madf actually felt relieved.
If the other person is rude, there is a high possibility that the stare you made earlier had no intention.
“Do you know much about theater?”
“I know to some extent.”
“indeed. I don’t know. “Do you have a favorite play?”
“… “You probably know the stories related to the Alkarmata family and the Monohon family.”
“I don’t know. “Please let me know!”
Of course, Madf knew it well, but he deliberately acted humble in order to deceive the other person.
I liked explaining things that everyone knew. If you talk excitedly, you will develop a liking for Madf that you never had before.
“I’m not good at speaking, so that might be difficult.”
“Oh my. “It’s a shame.”
However, Stedal answered as if he was not bothered to talk at length and turned around.
This was also a rude attitude, but Madf completely relaxed with this.
‘I guess it was just my mood. ‘I’m not one to make a fuss.’
* * *
“He is a very suspicious and evil man. We need to raise our guards.”
-Hmm!
The Death Knights were greatly surprised.
I never thought that the nobleman who was the topic of discussion at today’s theater meeting would come and accuse someone else.
-However, we cannot arbitrarily identify or investigate guests without evidence. Was there anything more suspicious?
“I felt a trace of evil in his soul.”
‘He is quite an excellent wizard.’
The Death Knights realized that this nobleman named Stedal was a quite outstanding wizard.
In this crowded, cluttered place with so many people, I was able to recognize the sense of discomfort in someone else’s soul.
-All right. I’ll have to call the drivers outside to raise alert and check on the guests.
“Please also call the knights guarding the wizards of Einroguard.”
-That’s a bit… We need an escort to protect the students.
The Death Knights shamelessly made excuses. Lee Han cursed inwardly.
What are you doing while watching?
“Isn’t that what you’re saying is to invest everything? “We need to leave only the right number of people and the rest should check the surroundings.”
-… Eight. All right. If there is a suspicious person, that should be given priority. By the way, Nago. I have a question. Even if it were an evil trace of a soul, it wouldn’t necessarily be proof that he was suspicious. What made you feel suspicious about this person?
“… … ”
Lee Han thought for a moment.
If the other person answered that it was because they didn’t know the play, the Death Knights might immediately handcuff them and say, ‘Isn’t this guy a fake?’
“… “I felt it the moment I saw it.”
-indeed!
After Lee Han finished reporting, he turned around and left, and the Death Knights talked among themselves.
-I heard a rumor, but he is a great person. Plus, I have the intuition of an animal. Did you see the look in their eyes?
-You said you escaped from the southern pirates. He’s not an ordinary person. She may have sensed the suspicious nature of her partner in the same way. I need to be even more careful.
I only heard about the topic, but when I saw him in person, he was not an ordinary person, even with his magical abilities and wild intuition.
Where did this person appear?
-But isn’t the name strangely unfamiliar?
-Right. I feel like I’ve heard this before somewhere…
* * *
“Death knights are decreasing!”
“Shh. “Manage your facial expressions!”
As the Death Knights approached, the students pretended not to know anything and looked the other way.
Adenard tried to whistle, which he was not good at. He looked at Rowena, who had followed him as an escort, with a pitiful expression and quietly admonished her not to do it.
-Students of Einrogard. Because we trust you, we are going to reduce surveillance a little. Surely you won’t betray this trust?
“of course!”
The students responded in a pretentious manner.
And then, as soon as the Death Knights who were watching the surroundings disappeared, they whispered.
“Did Wardanaz start the fire? explosion? “I don’t think you heard the explosion?”
“It could have caused flooding in other areas.”
“Toxic cloud… ”
“… Lee Han wouldn’t have done that.”
Fortunately, Yoner defended Lee Han. Nilia was about to say, ‘She might have summoned a giant monster!’ when she noticed her friend’s comment.
“Have you told the whole story?”
“woah… Stedal!”
When Stedal, or rather Lee Han, returned, his friends welcomed him with joy.
“What happened? Why death knights?”
“If I were to explain it, it would be long. I’m glad I told you the whole story. I’ve checked the escape routes. Now we all have to share our roles. Angago. Asan. “You two, make a potion before the play.”
“poison?”
“A monster summoning potion?”
“… “I meant a calming potion.”