Chapter 1250

Professor Garcia came outside and began searching.

The Death Knights were staring off into the distance with innocent looks, as though they knew absolutely nothing, which only made them seem even more suspicious.

'What in the world is going on?'

For now, Professor Garcia decided to start by using magic to search for traces in the surroundings.

"Time, flow backward and reveal the traces."

There were many kinds of magic in the Empire that could detect the past, but spells like this that directly traced backward through time were rare.

It was a method of investigation only Professor Garcia, who was well versed in space-time magic, could use.

'There's nothing much?'

Down on the road below, the group whose carriage wheel had gotten stuck in the mud (though it hadn't actually been stuck) had left, and another carriage had flown quickly past from above...

Other than that, there really was nothing. Professor Garcia fell into confusion.

"Why did you stop me from coming out?"

-We have no idea what you mean?

'Seriously.'

These knights were every bit as shameless as Professor Garcia's student.

Regretting having asked, Professor Garcia sank into thought.

...Could these actions themselves be groundwork for some enormous deception later?

Having learned from their master, the knights also enjoyed crafty schemes.

Even these meaningless actions right now might actually be tricks meant to scatter the professor's concentration.

"...For now, let's get moving again."

-Ah! Those travelers have gotten their carriage wheel stuck in the mud again! Let's go help them!

"......"

What is actually going on??

* * *

"Good news! We passed Professor Garcia!"

"Waaaaah!"

Gainando cheered, then looked at Paridim beside him.

The Oculoguard mage was simply staring blankly.

"Why aren't you happy?"

"Yes? Ah. Um... Wow! Waaaaah!"

Paridim cheered for the moment.

They had no idea why they were supposed to cheer, but they did it because they had been told to.

"Stop it. Don't bully someone from another magic academy."

"Bullying? I only said something because he should be happy, but he wasn't!"

Ignoring Gainando's words, Lee Han spread out the map and calculated the time.

They had overtaken the carriage Professor Garcia was riding in, and the knights would continue stalling for time from here on...

'Not bad. We should have enough time to arrive first, meet him, and leave.'

-Waaaaaaah!

"?"

Lee Han paused at the cheering.

"Gainando. I told you to stop."

"I didn't do it."

"???"

Listening more carefully, it wasn't the cheer Gainando had forced someone to make. It was coming from outside the window.

Puzzled, Lee Han stuck his head out.

It looked as though some kind of festival was taking place down below.

"Was it festival season?"

"What?! The Principal hid it from us?!"

Gainando erupted in righteous indignation.

It had been festival season, and he had hidden that fact from them without telling them. No evil deed could compare to that.

Paridim asked as though unable to understand.

"Why would a magic academy care about an outside festival...?"

"Quiet! What kind of nonsense are you talking about! Einroguard always keeps track of festivals!"

"But seriously, what festival is it?"

Ignoring the words of her distant relative, Yonair looked puzzled.

Was there a festival of this scale around now?

"Isn't it the Harvest Festival?"

"Lee Han. The Harvest Festival ended while you were fighting the evil god."

"...The Blessing Festival? The Breath Festival?"

"Those ended while you were unconscious."

"......"

Lee Han realized anew just how chaotic this semester had been.

All the festivals had come and gone!

Jowrin said sadly,

"Jowrin did nothing but work during the Breath Festival."

"S-Sister, you said you were happy too, didn't you?!"

Uman was flustered.

Back then, Jowrin had clearly said that tilling the land and creating a new forest for the students was truly joyful and rewarding!?

"Actually, Jowrin wasn't very happy. But Jowrin thought that once everything was finished, Jowrin would be able to play with Lee Han..."

"Me too! Me too!"

For once, Gainando sympathized with this distant relative.

He had never imagined that his friend would remain unconscious the whole time and then go straight into the punishment area.

Uman looked at Lee Han as though asking for help.

'I can't believe Sister didn't want to work!'

Lee Han pretended not to notice and looked away. He had no desire to get involved in that dispute.

More importantly, Lee Han was Jowrin's contractor, not Uman's.

"!!!"

Leaving the shocked Uman alone, Lee Han spoke again.

"Fine. I understand that I missed everything, but what festival is it, then?"

"......"

No answer came.

That made everyone puzzled.

Was there really a festival that none of the people here knew about??

"...That's strange. I'll go check for a moment."

Professor Voladi nodded and pulled on the reins. The carriage came to a halt in midair.

Lee Han jumped down. People carrying several large, brightly colored flags were walking along happily while playing music.

"Excuse me. Is there some festival scheduled?"

"You haven't heard yet! You must have come from far away." ℯℯ𝘭.

The Imperial citizen dressed in festival clothes smiled and cheerfully explained.

"An evil god has been vanquished, so a festival commemorating it will be held soon! It is truly a joyous occasion!"

"......"

Lee Han froze where he stood.

Ah!

'Right... that happened...!'

Festivals weren't necessarily things fixed in advance. If something good happened or there was something worth commemorating, a new one could be created.

If such a festival went well and became popular, its name would even be entered into Imperial law as an official festival.

And the annihilation of an evil god this time was certainly an event worthy of commemoration. Dozens of festivals had sprung up over far more trivial things than this.

There was a festival celebrating the birth of a golden calf (Lee Han wanted to celebrate that one too), a festival commemorating a giant living cookie (it was later revealed to have been caused by an Einroguard graduate)...

Seeing Lee Han's flustered expression go rigid, the other person seemed to grow suspicious.

"...What? You. Why aren't you happy? Are you perhaps an evil-god worship—"

"Hurrah! Hurrah! I was late answering because I was giving thanks to the Yaksha King who led this expedition!"

"Aha."

Only then did the festival-goer's expression relax. But a hint of suspicion still remained in their eyes.

"The Yaksha King wasn't the only one who participated in the expedition... wasn't there someone else?"

The citizen asked the question subtly, as though testing him. Lee Han endured his embarrassment and answered.

"H-Hurrah for the Einroguard mages!"

"You should be more specific."

"...H-Hurrah for Bagreg of House Voladi? Professor Garcia and Professor Kirmin too..."

"Hmm!"

"What's wrong?"

When a companion approached, the Imperial citizen whispered,

"He's a stranger, and there's something suspicious about him. He keeps trying to avoid mentioning House Wardanaz. Could he perhaps be a demon in disguise?"

This Imperial citizen, who was well informed about all sorts of stories and rumors, had heard that demons were afraid to speak the name of House Wardanaz.

Could the stranger in front of them perhaps be such a demon?

"Come on. You really do love stories like that. Do you seriously think he's a demon? How could a demon get into a festival with this many priests around?"

"Demons are extremely cunning! I swear, I heard it from a bard. House Wardanaz commands ten thousand demons and is called the 'Hall of Ten Thousand Demons'..."

"Good grief. Most things bards say are exaggerations."

"......"

Lee Han, who had enhanced his hearing with mana, listened to the two of them with a miserable expression.

Then he shouted something he did not want to say.

"Hurrah for House Wardanaz!"

"Oh!"

"See? I told you."

Even after his companion's words, the Imperial citizen was astonishingly persistent. As though making one final check, they asked,

"Do you even know exactly which mage of House Wardanaz it was?"

"What? It was Lee Han of House Wardanaz."

"Hmm."

The Imperial citizen nodded.

He had only gotten one of the two names right, but that seemed close enough to count as the correct answer.

"It seems I misjudged you. My apologies. Things have been unsettling in the Empire lately..."

"Haha. I understand. Then I'll be going."

Lee Han hurriedly climbed back up.

If there were even a few more Imperial citizens like that among the festival-goers, he didn't think he could endure it.

"At least have a drink commemorating the festival before you... Oh. He's already gone."

Feeling apologetic, the Imperial citizen smacked their lips. The companion beside them tilted their head.

"Hey. That person. I feel like I've seen him somewhere."

"Where?"

"Where was it? I think I saw him in an Imperial newspaper... I can't really remember..."

The companion could never have imagined it.

That one of the very people the festival was celebrating had suddenly approached them here, then hurriedly fled!

* * *

"...We're in trouble."

After returning to the carriage, Lee Han spoke with a pale face.

Professor Voladi immediately started to draw a weapon. Lee Han stopped the professor and explained.

"Not that kind of trouble. Apparently they're holding a festival for the subjugation of the evil god."

"...That's really not trouble at all, is it?"

Gainando asked in bewilderment.

Had Lee Han perhaps forgotten what counted as trouble?

"...You're right. I guess it isn't actually trouble."

Lee Han came back to his senses at his friend's comment.

"Sorry. The person I met earlier was just too... sharp..."

"What? Was he a mage?"

"No. Nothing like that."

"???"

His friends were baffled.

Lee Han had been startled that badly by someone who wasn't even a mage?

"Then it is trouble."

When Professor Voladi said that, everyone looked at the professor as though they didn't understand.

"Why is this trouble?"

"Hm. As Uman understands it, this outing is supposed to remain quiet."

Unable to keep watching, Uman joined in.

The goal of this outing was to quietly get there first, meet the Emperor, quietly report the Skull Principal, and quietly return to Einroguard, not to join a festival procession.

Moreover, people interested in this mage of House Wardanaz could be found throughout every level of Imperial society.

Members of the Imperial Family, nobles, mages, priests, merchants...

Especially because of this expedition, that interest had reached its peak. It was only because the Skull Principal had confined him inside Einroguard that things were manageable. Otherwise, he might have had to meet dozens of people every day.

"...Everyone, get rid of anything that looks too Einroguard-like. We could be recognized. Paridim, your clothes look far too Einroguard-like, so please change."

"What?"

Paridim was dumbfounded.

It was just a shabby outer garment, so why did it look Einroguard-like?

"It really does look like Einroguard clothing. You should change."

"I don't look too exhausted, do I?"

"???"

The students did their absolute best not to look like Einroguard mages.

If someone looked healthy and warm, they might be suspected of being from Valdrogard, but if they looked shabby and somehow filled with anger, they would be suspected of being from Einroguard.

"Good. We'll avoid unnecessary contact and request an audience with His Majesty immediately."

"Uman will use Uman's authority."

Uman took out a purple torch. Looking closely, another light could be seen flickering within it.

It was a symbol permitted only to nine special members of the Imperial Family.

The capital began to come into view in the distance.

The flying knights patrolling the open sky spotted the torch and flew over with surprised expressions.

"Your Highness. Have you already returned from Einroguard?"

"Hm. Uman has something Uman wishes to tell His Majesty."

"Ah. Did you bring the Einroguard mages with you so they could participate in the award ceremony?"

"N-no. The mages here are not Einroguard mages."

"???"

The knights looked bewildered.

Then who were they?