Episode 095
“I really have no intention of leaving. “But if it would put your mind at ease, I would be happy to hear that information.”
Lee Han said with a serious expression.
When he said that with a sculpted face and without a trace of joking, Salko became confused without even realizing it.
‘Are you sure you’ve never gone out at night?’
Salko turned his attention to the other black turtle tower friend next to him. Then my friend shook his head.
I was told not to be fooled.
“… … ”
Salko’s expression became slightly grim. As expected, it was dangerous to trust those noblemen who had a superficial appearance.
“… Follow me. “I’ll explain.”
Salko then whispered something to his Black Turtle Tower friends.
Lee Han became curious and asked a friend who had eaten vegetable stew last time.
“What did Tutanta say?”
The other person responded with an apologetic expression.
“… Don’t talk to me alone when he’s not there… ”
“… … ”
* * *
In fact, Lee Han wasn’t the only one wandering outside at night. A significant number of students were now slowly leaving the tower.
I realized that I couldn’t survive at this school if I just slept quietly at night.
I had to wander around the school and look for anything, whether it was for food, homework, or just to escape.
Of course Salko was like that too.
“You sneak around the school at night and criticize me?”
“… “I never criticized.”
Salko said as if he was dumbfounded.
When I thought about it, there really wasn’t any.
“Right. “Go ahead.”
“… … ”
Salchow continued his story.
The third floor of the main building is where Salchow and his friends continue to challenge themselves these days.
The main building is the largest among the magic school buildings and contains the most mysteries.
According to rumors, the principal also said that he did not know what was in this main building.
As if to prove the rumor, the third floor of the main building kept changing every time I visited.
Sometimes there are five hallways, sometimes there are no stairs leading there at all, and sometimes you can’t even go a few steps and it’s blocked by a wall…
However, Salchow, with the tenacity of a mason guild graduate, had found a way to get in to some extent.
“How do I get in?”
“When the hours and minutes are odd, when the moon is cloudless, and when the staff is held in the left hand. “You have to keep this in order for the hallway on the third floor to open properly.”
“… … ”
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if Salco was making fun of him. But Salchow was very serious.
“that… Right.”
Well, that could have happened at a magic school.
Lee Han was thankful that the condition for the third floor hallway to be properly opened at night was not having to ride a unicycle and jump over a circle of fire while rotating and roasting peanuts with lightning.
“thanks. “That’s useful information.”
Lee Han already had to go to the stables located on the upper floor of the main building. The information on the third floor was quite useful.
“The information is not over yet. “There is someone on the third floor who can help you.”
“It’s not the spirit of lightning, is it?”
“?”
“no. Just kidding. “What kind of being is this?”
Lee Han became curious.
Even though they were magical beings, the magic school was already full of all kinds of strange beings.
Lich, troll hybrid, vampire, lightning spirit, etc…
And most people probably won’t be a good person to meet and talk to. Lee Han could have even bet a gold coin.
“I can’t say that.”
“… … ”
“Because I swore not to reveal the identity of that being.”
“Right. “Do you want me to go and check it myself?”
“no. Finding that presence is more complicated and difficult than entering the third floor hallway. I have to go with you. Whatever you decide, I will take you to the third floor hallway and guide you to the being.”
Salchow said that with a rock-hard attitude. But Lee Han had his suspicions first.
‘Isn’t this a trap?’
When I received unfair attacks from other students, I first became suspicious.
Doesn’t the other party already hate nobles and knights?
When I went to the 3rd floor hallway, I could see Black Turtle Tower students waiting wearing masks.
Or maybe the entity in the 3rd floor hallway wants to sacrifice a student and Salko chooses Lee Han…
“Why are you doing that?”
Salko asked back, not even dreaming that Lee Han had such rude suspicions.
“I swore an oath to that being, but wouldn’t you hate it if it guided me?”
“no. He said he doesn’t mind bringing in a new student as long as he doesn’t reveal his identity. “Just in case, I checked again in the >Basic Imperial Language and Logic> lecture.”
‘Tsk.’
The other person was a student as diligent as Lee Han. It couldn’t be played with as easily as Gainando.
“Do you really think it will help?”
“On the honor of my family, I think so. Of course, my judgment may not always be right.”
Salko spoke seriously, stroking his beard like a dwarf.
‘No matter what, there is a situation where information is needed.’
Lee Han, who was thinking, nodded his head.
There was no need to worry about hot or cold water as I was trying to find my way to the stables located on the upper floor of the main building.
“good. When do you plan to go?”
“Tonight.”
* * *
Saturday evening.
It was time for other students to wrap themselves in blankets in the lounge and bask in the warm bonfire.
Time to hold a steaming cup of tea or coffee in one hand and a quill, chess piece, or card in the other.
At that time, Lee Han was walking up the dark stairs of the main building with Salco.
‘I don’t think there are any others.’
Lee Han checked the surroundings, wary of any possible ambush. The Black Turtle Tower students didn’t seem to follow.
Salko had a staff in one hand and a hammer on his belt.
Honestly, that hammer felt more threatening than the wooden swords worn by White Tiger Tower students.
“I asked other students. Wardanaaz.”
Salko spoke in a low voice reminiscent of granite.
“What did you ask?”
“What kind of person are you?”
“… … ”
Lee Han checked his surroundings once again.
Salko said, ‘Die, Wardanaz. I was worried that the students who had ambushed me would run out and shout, ‘Your evil deeds will end here!’
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
“I heard that you provide food for other students. “Not only all of the Blue Dragon Tower students, but also students from other towers.”
“okay.”
“Good deeds are something to be respected, but I want to stop that. People who have not worked to provide food and clothing for themselves would not know the value of it even if someone provided it for them.”
Lee Han nodded without realizing it.
That was very true.
“… ?”
Salko was taken aback when Lee Han nodded.
They did not expect that Lee Han, who was from the Wardanaz family, would admit it like that without the slightest rebuttal.
“understanding… Are you doing it?”
“There is nothing wrong with that. “Those who didn’t do the work themselves don’t know the value.”
“yes. Do nobles understand how sacred labor is? Or knights? “Are these people who only know how to show off and show off while holding a knife?”
“I think we should basically send nobles and knights to farms to plow the fields. “You can learn swordsmanship through liberal arts, so there’s no reason why you can’t learn farming.”
The two young workers worked together passionately.
When the conversation ended, Lee Han and Salko looked at each other as if they were quite satisfied. Salchow’s rocky face softened slightly.
“I guess I misunderstood you. I apologize. Wardanaz. Some White Tiger Tower students say you are an evil archmage without blood or tears… ”
“… … ”
“… “That was just a rumor from arrogant knights.”
“yes. Such nonsense always blinds us, so we must always be careful. As a wizard.”
“That is correct.”
Salko shook his head with a reflective expression.
Lee Han thought to himself.
‘No matter what rumors spread from now on, I can insist that they are nonsense.’
Salko looked at Lee Han’s hand. The hands were hardened from tending the garden and various tasks. Nobles couldn’t have hands like that.
How people with the same hands recognize each other. Salchow fully acknowledged Lee Han with that.
Then Salchow became more curious.
Why does a student like Lee Han take care of other lazy scumbags?
“Wardanaz. “I’d like to ask you one thing.”
“what?”
“Why are you taking care of students in the same tower?”
“… … ”
Lee Han was embarrassed.
That’s right…
‘It’s because of money… ‘
You’re doing it because you get paid. You don’t get paid, so why would you cook breakfast for free and visit and feed them?
Of course it was because of money.
However, Lee Han didn’t think it would be a good idea to say that it was because of money when Salco was evaluating him quite highly.
Lee Han decided to answer ambiguously.
“Because we are friends.”
“… … ”
Salchow was very impressed by the answer.
I thought the reason there were students who followed Wodanaz was because of Wodanaz’s magical skills, but now that I see it, it seems that’s not the only reason.
“I could never do that, but…” So I think I know a little bit about what you nobles are talking about. “It wasn’t completely absent.”
“… … ”
Lee Han put the ledger in his arms a little deeper.
If caught, Salko will never be able to trust nobles.
Salko, who was walking ahead of him down the hallway of the main building on the third floor, suddenly stopped. He then pointed to a statue located in the hallway. It was a statue of an unknown wizard.
Although the statue was old, faded, and broken in places, it was nonetheless breathtakingly beautiful.
He’s so handsome that it almost feels like he doesn’t have a human appearance.
‘That’s strange. Why does it feel familiar?’
“Do you see this statue broken, Wardanaz?”
Salchow took out a hammer. Lee Han took a step back, put his hand on his waist and nodded.
“I repaired this statue last time. “I couldn’t just look at the broken statue like this.”
‘You’re a workaholic.’
But Lee Han also understood.
Just like Yoner wants to water plants when he sees them, Nilia wants to catch them when he sees game, and Ihan wants to bend down when he sees a professor…
Salchow also has such an occupational disease.
“But it broke again like this?”
“okay. Even if you fix this statue, it keeps breaking. And that is the secret to opening this hidden door.”
Salchow carefully repaired the broken statue.
Then, in the darkness, the statue rotated once with the sound of rolling stones. At the same time, a hidden passage opened.
“Go inside. Wardanaz. From here on, you have to go alone.”
“Tutanta. … “I trust you.”
“Know. So, you must have come this far.”
“I really trust you.”
“Why are you repeating it?”
Without even thinking that Lee Han was reading his reaction, Salko tilted his head.
* * *
Has a new student arrived?
“!”
There was a statue inside the passage. It was a statue that looked like a mixture of several animals.
nice to meet. I am the statue of a forgotten beast. I’ve been at this school for a long time. Student who came in after repairing the statue. First, will you swear that you will not tell anyone about my identity?
“… “I swear.”
When Lee Han answered, the tail of the dog on the statue turned happily.
“Excuse me, what are you doing here?”
It’s just killing time. The room I was guarding was closed 187 years ago. Since then, I’ve been wandering around the cool parts of this school.
“I wonder why I shouldn’t tell people around me… ”
That’s because the professors can make me work again.
“You are truly wise… !”
Thank you for your sympathy.
Lee Han was convinced that this statue was truly wise.
