Episode 1162
Lee Han did not let his guard down, but at the same time, he tried not to do anything that might cause misunderstandings.
This was not a section near the entrance to the ruins, but rather a section where you had to find a secret passage and come down.
In other words, the party of adventurers you see there are not just any random people, but they came down here because they know something and believe in something.
In fact, when I looked around, I could feel the residual magical power of a fierce magical battle.
‘There’s no reason to approach people who are nervous and cause misunderstandings.’
Anyway, Lee Han had Saratan. There was no need to sneak up on other adventurers.
But surprisingly, it was they who called the other party first.
“Wait… Wait! Please wait a minute!”
“?”
“Are you a wizard too? If so, could you please tell me your identity? My name is Garko of the Arjo family.”
The Arjo family was a magician family whose name even Lee Han-do had heard several times.
Giselle nodded, as she had heard it before.
‘Elf race. If there’s a transformation wizard there, then it’s the Arjo family.’
An Ainrogard wizard with keen eyes could easily tell who was from the school of transmutation magic.
If you have multiple animal furs attached to your clothes, it is likely that you are a transmutation magician.
“Indeed. …Should I use the name Stedal Nago?”
“…Didn’t you just agree to being part of the Arjo family?”
“I think the Arjo family is right. But maybe they are evil spirits from the Arjo family.”
“……”
Giselle was shocked to realize that her friend from this noble family of the Empire was becoming more suspicious than usual.
It was really scary to see that guy, who was already suspicious, do that.
“Are you by any chance the wizards from Ainrogard?”
“!”
Lee Han was very surprised.
And he whispered to his friends with a serious expression.
“There may be a spy among us.”
“It’s not me! Wodanaz! Do you suspect me of something because I scolded you earlier about learning magic diligently…”
“Don’t worry. I suspect it’s Ibinta.”
Ibinta, who had been waiting alone outside, was suddenly suspected of being a spy.
It was fortunate that I was able to overlook this fact.
Giselle, who couldn’t stand to watch, asked instead.
“Why do you think you came from Einrogard?”
“Aren’t you the student of the Wardanaz family? I remember Alsicle of the Pengerin family praising you several times at the academy.”
“……”
“……”
“…Peng Erin was a spy.”
“Oh, no. It wasn’t intentional!”
The White Tiger Tower students quickly appeased their friend.
Although Alsicle bragged unnecessarily, it was not hard to understand why he was bragging.
When they returned to their family, whenever rumors about Wodanaz came up, they shamelessly said, “Actually, I’m also close with Wodanaz.”
Besides, the wizards’ academy is a place where they brag to each other (this was the prejudice of the White Tiger Tower students), so who else would be better to brag to than Wodanaz?
“Even so, I don’t understand why you recognized me right away when you only heard about it as a story.”
“Alsicle of the Pengerin family praised the appearance while drawing it.”
“……”
Although no other wizards suspected anything, Alsicle wanted to prove that they were close, so he magically drew a portrait that no one had asked him to do.
Lee Han cursed Alsicle inwardly.
What do you mean, there’s such an embarrassing senior wizard?
“…What do you want to talk about? We are also busy exploring the ruins.”
“Would you like to exchange information?”
-You can ignore that kind of talk.
Saratan snorted.
When it came to the ruins of Baquantalana, there was no expert who knew more than the spirit himself.
But why would you exchange information with a wizard like that?
You could have lost useful items from the ruins for no reason.
-Look at that wizard’s attire. He must have found the passage somehow, but he clearly doesn’t know how to avoid a fight. That must be why he fought so fiercely.
Saratan’s point was indeed valid. Lee Han nodded slightly.
It wasn’t obvious because Garko had such a straight and flawless posture, but when you look at the adventurers after that, it’s very obvious.
Fatigue, fear, frustration, and a grimace of ‘please help me’…
‘Isn’t the last one a bit harsh?’
Lee Han was slightly embarrassed.
An adventurer who would be hired by the wizards of the Arjo family would have to have some level of credibility and experience, yet he is so weak.
“I can also tell you about the relic guards our group just fought!”
-You’re persistent. It’s annoying, so tell me clearly instead.
Saratan said with a grin.
Now that the opportunity to be active has come after a long time, this spirit is nowhere to be seen.
I will press down on the worthless information that the opponent knows head-on!
-That watchman must have had six legs.
“Did the watchman have six legs?”
“!”
Garko’s face shook for the first time today. He didn’t show it with the dignity of a gentleman, but he was deeply hurt inside.
Trading between wizards was only possible when they were equals. If one side’s information was useless, the other side’s information could not be requested.
“…Yes.”
“Do you use your tail as a weapon?”
“That’s true too.”
“Do you continue to scream loudly until the intruder withdraws?”
“You mean ultrasound? Yes.”
“No. It’s not ultrasound, it’s just a scream.”
“…?”
Garco tilted his head. The adventurers also reacted as if they found it strange.
“They’re shooting ultrasound waves?”
-…That’s a lie! Where did you get the lie! That’s why we are such petty and greedy mortals!
Saratan shouted in anger.
But Lee Han was already casting a suspicious look.
“Aren’t you wrong?”
-…Oh, how could you say that! Have I ever been wrong all the way here!
Saratan was really wronged.
Who told me where the passage leading down was after passing through the entrance to the ruins?
It was Saratan.
After coming down, who was it that held back his shame and said, ‘That room is a place to confine spirits trying to escape, so there’s no need to force yourself in’?
It was Saratan.
Who told Baquantalana the password he had prepared in case the Watchman showed up?
It was Saratan.
But after hearing everything, I never thought I would be treated this coldly.
‘As expected, mortals are not to be trusted. How can I think of such a person as a friend!’
“No… I’m sorry. I trust you.”
It seems that Lee Han also felt Saratan’s sincerity as she sobbed inside the cane, and for some reason, Lee Han apologized.
And Lee Han muttered.
“I thought that even if the mechanical devices remain intact over time, the chimeras inside could become contaminated or mutated. Of course, you, Saratan, would have thought that too. I’m sorry for not believing you. I apologize formally.”
-……
“Sarattan? You seem too hurt to answer. I understand. Tell me when you feel like it.”
-That’s… that’s it.
Saratan opened his mouth hesitantly.
-Actually… I didn’t think about contamination or mutation… Now that I think about it, the watchman could have changed like that…
“……”
-Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Saratan screamed in pain at the powerful magic that filled his staff after a long time.
Why am I suffering like this again in the ruins of Baqwantalana!
It was a very unpleasant coincidence.
* * *
“Indeed. Thank you for the information.”
Lee Han looked at Garko with renewed eyes.
Despite his appearance as a stylish gentleman commonly seen in the Imperial Club, his magical skills were quite extraordinary.
Chimeras that had changed like that due to pollution were several times more difficult to deal with.
The sentinels created by the wizard were already quite difficult opponents, but with their unpredictable nature, they were hell itself for intruders.
However, this Garko somehow succeeded in dealing with it with only pure magical skills, without any other information.
Even if Lee Han had Saratan’s advice, the opposing magician was truly amazing.
‘That’s right. Just because you have a sociable personality doesn’t mean you can’t use magic. This is also a prejudice.’
Lee Han reflected.
Well… no, just because the students at a certain magic school are sociable doesn’t mean that all sociable magicians are bad.
“Uh, uh. Wizards from Ainrogard. If this ruin has been contaminated by the blasphemous rituals of the evil god worshippers… shouldn’t we seal it off first and then go through a purification process before approaching?”
The adventurers gave a truly orthodox opinion.
When it comes to exploring ruins, only a few slightly savvy wizards would try to finish everything at once.
The general process is to approach first, check, and if it is less dangerous than expected, continue in, and if it is more dangerous, retreat and then come up with a plan.
They couldn’t possibly pressure Garko, so they hoped the wizards of Ainrogard would lend their opinion.
But these adventurers were very unlucky.
Who would have thought that the one leading the Einrogard wizards would be Lee Han, who was burning with vengeance.
“If the spirit of the evil spirits has eroded, we should go in and check their condition even faster. If by any chance they planned this, shouldn’t we punish them?”
‘…All the wizards have gone mad!’
The adventurers screamed inwardly.
Are these sorcerers so fearless?
How dare you declare that you will boldly go in, not knowing what might be inside due to mutations or contamination.
Perhaps such boldness was the qualification for those who walk the path of magic.
“I would have thought that a strange student from the Wardanaz family would say something like that.”
Garko nodded slightly, as if he wasn’t surprised at all.
If what Alsicle said was true, then the level of danger that came today was not enough to stop this daring genius wizard.
Rather, it might be a pastime that piques the interest of a genius wizard.
“…?”
Lee Han felt that there was some misunderstanding in the other person’s reaction, but he didn’t ask because his head was full of thoughts about the evil god worshippers.
“In return for the information, I’ll share one thing I know with you. Please don’t blame me if I’m wrong.”
“Of course.”
“The way to get down here is to find the symbol of Vaquantalana. The condition is to recite the password ‘Great Devotion to Magic’ in front of the symbol of Vaquantalana.”
“!”
“!!”
“!!!”
Not only Garko, but also Giselle and Caton were greatly surprised.
I never expected it, but it was the ruins of Baquantalana!
The White Tiger Tower students stood there blankly, seemingly uninterested, until Yihan and Giselle glared at them fiercely, and only then did they shout loudly.
“Ba, Batalkwanrana! These are the ruins of Batalkwanrana!”
“We couldn’t have imagined it! We’re so lucky!”
“…At least remember the name properly.”
* * *
“Sob sob.”
The White Tiger Tower students, who had been persecuted from both sides, searched with miserable faces for the symbol of Batalkwanrana, or rather, Vakantalana.
Lee Han said in a pitiful voice.
“If I had spent my time on magic instead of imperial politics, I would have heard half as many insults from Moradi.”
“But it wouldn’t have been that fun… Ah. No. That’s good advice. Wodanaz.”
The White Tiger Tower students quickly changed their tune.
‘I don’t see the watchman anymore.’
-Of course. Baquantalana hates inefficiency, so he placed only a set number of them in each area. The contaminated sentinels would not follow the rules and would wander around the area at will, destroying the other sentinels.
‘That’s fortunate.’
To be honest, Lee Han didn’t want to fight the watchman Garko had mentioned.
Even with Caten, he was a tougher opponent than expected.
Once I found my way down, I wanted to check for contamination and just focus on my goal.
“Ah. Lord Arjo.”
“Please call me Garko. Lee Han.”
“Thank you, Garko.”
Lee Han had quite a crush on the wizard of this school of transformation magic.
He was excellent at magic, good at getting things done, and most of all, he had a sociable personality.
Such a wizard always did the work of several people.
“How much do you know about Baquantalana?”
“I’ve heard it a few times when I was learning the magic of granting.”
Lee Han answered with a humble attitude.
There seemed to be no need to go as far as to say that he helped Vaquantalana cast her magic.
Garco said with a serious expression.
“Actually, Vaquantalana was a transformation wizard.”
“yes?”
“Later generations of Buyeo magic school wizards manipulated the information to their advantage.”
‘Oh, man. This guy was friends with Alsicle.’
