Chapter 1249

'Should I try doing that too?'

Professor Paserlet considered the temptation that had flashed through their mind.

But they quickly came to their senses and shook their head.

'No. Absolutely not.'

The professor's other personalities protested as though clamoring all at once.

-Are you insane? Go die by yourself.

-Of all people to imitate, you're imitating that bastard!

-With getting beaten by Professor Garcia lately and everything else, you really don't seem to be doing well...

Even the personalities that had been hiding away in terror because of Professor Garcia had come out, which showed just how dangerous what Professor Verdus was doing right now really was.

It might look convenient at first glance, but the moment the Skull Principal found out, he would truly make them experience hell.

'...I said I wouldn't do it. I said I won't.'

Professor Paserlet defended themself to the personalities.

No matter how tempting it was, Professor Paserlet wasn't reckless enough to actually do that.

That was the kind of insane thing only Professor Verdus could pull off...

-Just report him anonymously.

-That bastard absolutely needs to get punished!

It was difficult to find much the professor's many personalities had in common, but one of the rare things they all shared was that they hated Professor Verdus.

Professor Paserlet nodded to placate the personalities.

In truth, even if it weren't to placate them, they would have reported him anyway.

'Understood. I'll make sure to report him anonymously.'

-But then why is Wardanaz taking his exams early?

At the ill-tempered personality's question, Professor Paserlet belatedly remembered what they had overlooked.

They had been so tense because of Professor Garcia that they had forgotten the important part.

'Well... maybe it's just a hobby...'

Even Professor Paserlet thought that was an extremely halfhearted answer, but surprisingly, the other personalities nodded along.

-Maybe.

-Geniuses like that are bound to start acting like lunatics eventually. It's about time he started showing his true colors.

-He has actually been rather well-behaved until now.

'I was joking. I think I'll have to approach the punishment area and check.'

-Are you insane!!

-Did you already forget what Professor Garcia said!!

-Have you lost your mind?! Drag that bastard down and appoint a new personality as the representative!

The personalities erupted into an uproar.

Professor Garcia had warned them that firmly not to approach, so what possible reason could there be to deliberately go there?

Did the current personality have some grudge against the others and want them all to die together?

'A-all right. I just won't approach it. I won't. I won't go.'

Even so, Professor Paserlet couldn't quite let it go and performed a simple divination.

'An escape...?'

-I said stop looking into it!!

'A-all right!'

***

"Everyone worked hard. I'm proud of you."

Lee Han looked around at his friends. Gainando was diligently rubbing reagent over the bruise around his eye to get rid of it.

"Then let's go after Professor Garcia!"

"Jowrin has a question."

The dragon princess had waited patiently without causing any disturbance while Lee Han taught his friends.

Uman looked at her with a gaze full of respect. That was no ordinary feat.

A feat only Jowrin could accomplish!

'I am truly proud of you, Sister.'

The baby basilisk muttered upon seeing that.

-Dragons seem to have extremely low standards for evaluation...

"What are you curious about, Your Highness?"

"How are we getting out?"

'Good question.'

At those words, his friends froze.

Now that they thought about it, that was the most important problem.

They had simply assumed Lee Han would handle it somehow, but now that the moment had actually arrived, they were curious.

How exactly did this friend, who had earned the title of Einroguard escape expert among the students in less than two years, plan to escape this time?

"Hoho. Actually, Jowrin has an idea."

"What is it, Sister?"

"The hint is Uman himself!"

"???"

Uman couldn't understand what Jowrin meant.

How could Uman himself be the hint?

"...I-I see! You mean use Uman's authority to hold back Lord Gonadaltes and get everyone out from inside...!"

"Hm? No. Jowrin meant Uman's tooth."

Jowrin pulled out the dragon tooth she had borrowed from Lee Han.

"With this, even the hardened magical walls of the punishment area can be pierced!"

"Ooooh...!"

All the students exclaimed in admiration. A dragon really was different somehow.

Of course, Uman looked deeply conflicted.

So that's where his tooth had gone...

"We're not using that."

"!?"

Not only Jowrin but even Lee Han's friends were startled by his answer.

"W-why?"

"Wardanaz. I understand you might feel awkward doing it in front of His Highness, but you can't just refuse to use a tool you already have, can you?"

"That's right, Lee Han! Just tell him to look away for a moment and let's dig a hole!"

"......"

Uman's broad shoulders drooped.

He began to wonder whether the Einroguard students perhaps hated him.

"No... there's no need for that. I prepared something separately. I already asked someone..."

"What?"

Thud!

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door at the top of the stairs burst open and a crowd of masked knights rushed in.

They somehow gave off an undead-like feeling, but it wasn't certain. The knights threw the tightly bound Prison Keeper into one of the empty solitary cells, then disappeared again like a storm.

"Done. Let's go."

"......"

"......"

His friends could only be overwhelmed.

At this point, if Lee Han ever started a rebellion against the Skull Principal, wouldn't there be knights willing to side with him?

***

No matter how much the knights were on their side, they couldn't relax until they passed through the main gate.

The moment the carriage crossed the main gate, the students let out sighs of relief and slumped back.

"What exactly did you ask them?"

"I said I needed to step out briefly to help a professor."

"...And they agreed to that?"

"They did tell me not to reveal their names if I got caught."

Professor Voladi, who was sitting nearby, kindly offered some advice.

"You can use Professor Ku's name."

Kirmin would understand even if his name was borrowed and used like this.

Lee Han looked puzzled at those words.

"Is that really all right? We haven't even told Professor Ku."

"It's fine. I've done it before."

Professor Voladi had once borrowed his friend's name without permission during a previous escape as well.

Lee Han looked confused for a moment, then nodded.

"I see. Then it should be fine this time too."

'Is that actually fine...?'

Yonair tilted her head.

Something about the logic felt strange.

But since she wasn't part of Einroguard's combat magic school, it felt awkward to interfere.

'Hm. Maybe there's something I don't know.'

When his friends seemed worried, Lee Han reassured them.

"None of you need to worry."

"I wasn't worri—"

Gainando was about to say he hadn't been worried at all.

In fact, the person who should have been most worried here was Lee Han himself.

He was already scheduled to remain in the professors' punishment area until the end of the break. What would happen if he got caught attempting yet another escape on top of that?

'Would it carry over into next semester?'

By comparison, even if the others got caught, they would be released once their final exams were over. Since they had already prepared for the exams as well, there wasn't much to worry about.

"If everything goes according to plan, it'll be perfect. We overtake Professor Garcia, meet His Majesty the Emperor first, clear the false accusation, and come back again."

"Maybe there'll be a little time to play outside..."

Jowrin looked at Lee Han with a trace of hope.

She was even more desperate because there was no telling when her contractor would be able to leave the punishment area again after this.

"No, Your Highness. Time is everything. If Professor Garcia happens to return first, Professor Garcia might check the punishment area."

The Death Knights could stop other professors from approaching or make excuses to them, but Professor Garcia would be difficult.

The moment the knights said something like, 'Actually, there's a plague, so you cannot approach,' there was a high chance a fist would come flying.

"Hmph."

Jowrin became dejected. But she didn't throw a tantrum.

She knew this was an important moment for her contractor.

'Sister!'

Uman rejoiced inwardly.

As expected, accompanying the contractor had been the right choice. To think Jowrin would show such a more mature side now.

"Hm. I suppose I could ask some officials I know to keep Professor Garcia occupied for a while."

"!!"

Jowrin's face brightened.

Uman was greatly startled inwardly.

'That was possible!?'

It was a method he hadn't even considered.

To think they could buy time that way...

"It's not guaranteed, so please don't get your hopes up too much."

"Jowrin believes in Lee Han. The officials will surely submit!"

"...Not submit. Ask! I'm going to ask them!"

Lee Han hurriedly corrected Jowrin.

What was she saying when there was an Oculoguard mage from outside Einroguard right here!

"Paridim, you're not uncomfortable with anything, are you?"

"I-I'm fine."

"That's a relief. I was worried because you weren't saying anything."

"It's just... difficult to keep up with everything that's happening..."

"......"

"......"

The Einroguard students reflected on themselves a little.

It certainly was far too Einroguard-like a sight to show an outsider.

Raiding the punishment area, kidnapping and imprisoning the guard, bribing the main-gate guards and passing through...

'And Lee Han is even showing him how to bribe officials now.'

"Is Einroguard always like this?"

"Absolutely not!"

"It's only like this this time! Just this once! It's an exceptional situation because a professor we respect is in danger!"

The students hurriedly explained themselves. But Paridim had already decided what they would write inwardly.

...The Einroguard students strongly denied it, but they were not particularly trustworthy. This harsh magic academy with its rigid hierarchy was a place where one proved oneself solely through strength...

"Wardanaz. Shouldn't we speed up? Professor Garcia left quite {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a while before us."

"It's fine. It's fine. I bribed the knights and had them take a detour."

"...Say that quietly!"

Nillia finally lost patience and shouted.

Say things like that quietly when only Einroguard students are around!

***

-We seem to have taken the wrong road.

"?"

-Oh dear! Those travelers over there appear to be in danger...

"??"

Professor Garcia sensed something strange.

The Death Knights driving the Einroguard carriage were making an unusual number of mistakes today.

They took a wrong turn on a road they must have traveled hundreds of times, then went out of their way to show unnecessary kindness to other travelers...

-Haha! Your carriage wheel got stuck in the mud. You nearly died.

"Excuse me???"

-No need to thank us. Let's go!

"It wasn't even stuck in the mud to begin with... What... what is this...??"

"Stay quiet! That's Einroguard's flag. What do you think will happen if you argue with them!"

One of the travelers was about to ask what kind of forced kindness this was, but a sharp-eyed companion stopped them.

Nothing good would come from picking a fight over whatever the mages of a magic academy were doing.

-It feels truly wonderful to do a good deed, Professor Kim.

"...You're not protesting because I locked Student Lee Han in the punishment area, are you?"

Professor Garcia asked cautiously.

Few people cared for Student Lee Han as much as these loyal knights serving under the Skull Principal.

Naturally, they would probably consider confinement in the professors' punishment area until the end of the break excessively harsh.

"I don't hate Student Lee Han. It's just... you know. You know how dangerous this incident was. If I don't teach him a lesson, he'll just do exactly the same thing again..."

-Of course, Professor Kim. We never doubted you for a moment. Who else could possibly care for the Successor as much as you do?

"...You're not being sarcastic in some roundabout way, are you?"

Suspicion suddenly rose in Professor Garcia, and the professor opened the front window of the carriage and tried to lean out toward the driver's seat.

It was difficult to tell whether the knights were being sincere.

-Not at all! Absolutely not, Professor Kim! How could Einroguard possibly continue functioning without someone like Professor Kim!

"???"

When the knights desperately blocked the window and prevented Professor Garcia from coming out, Professor Garcia became bewildered.

-Signal them to overtake us, quickly! Did they pass? Did they pass? They did! Whew!

"Is there something outside?"

-Nothing! There is absolutely nothing. If you're curious, why don't you come out and have a look? Get some fresh air while you're at it.

"......"

'They're really acting strange!'