Chapter 1266

Be quiet.

The Devil Hag silenced the dark mage, who not only had a poor memory but was rude as well.

When his upper and lower lips stuck tightly together and even his tongue refused to move as though it had become a lump of lead, Gainando turned pale.

“Mmmph! Mmph?!”

“I told you not to act carelessly in front of beings from other dimensions.”

“Mmmmmph...!”

“It’s been a while. Thank you for helping me last time.”

Lee Han offered his sincere thanks.

This ‘Wisest and Most Eccentric Devil Hag’ was notorious among the Empire’s dark mages, but to Lee Han, she was someone he was grateful to.

Above all, if this powerful being had not helped him, he would not have been able to defeat the evil god together with Professor Voladi.

That alone made Lee Han rate her very highly. Her personality did not matter.

‘It’s not like there are only one or two beings with terrible personalities across the dimensions. As long as she helped me, that’s enough.’

Even the Yaksha King was being praised by the people of the Empire despite having such a vicious personality, so there was no reason the Devil Hag could not receive the same treatment.

Perhaps Lee Han’s sincere gratitude reached the Devil Hag as well, because the powerful being chuckled.

Plenty of brats have taken magic from this old woman, but few greet me this politely afterward. How admirable!

“Heh heh heh. It’s only basic courtesy.”

Stop that detestable laugh this instant! Where did you learn such a nasty habit?

“......”

Lee Han became slightly dejected.

He had already been thinking he should stop using it because of the Skull Principal, but he had not expected such a harsh assessment.

‘Is it really that bad?’

“What do you mean when you say I’ve been handling things carelessly? I don’t think I have.”

“Mmph mmph mmph mmph.”

Gainando mumbled from beside him as though agreeing.

No matter how he looked at it, Lee Han absolutely had not been handling things carelessly. The separatist remnants they had dealt with just moments ago were proof enough.

Watching them get beaten down while they were still trying to draw their weapons had almost made Gainando pity them instead.

Those small fry would have destroyed themselves even if you hadn’t stepped in, little one. You can feel that too, can’t you?

The Devil Hag mocked the various people who had been captured today.

The separatists were idiots dreaming impossible dreams without any real ability, while the anti-magic extremists were nothing more than opportunists trying to make a quick profit amid the chaos.

The others were the same. Even if Lee Han had failed to catch them and they had caused a disturbance, the knight orders or priests nearby would have subdued them quickly enough.

The real enemy was watching from the shadows beyond the dimensions, its sinister gaze gleaming.

That is the enemy you should be wary of, little one.

“...Uh, do you mean Apazragon?”

Who is that?

“The angel that keeps following me...”

......

For a moment, the Devil Hag was confused over whether she should be surprised by a celestial being that kept following a mere mage around, or by the mage who treated that celestial being as an enemy.

I mean the immortal, you brat! You stupid, stupid little fool!

When she mentioned the bishop of the Frahgal Order, the monster who had now shed the shell of mortality and become half a dimensional being, Lee Han was greatly surprised.

“Why would that person be targeting m... Hmm. Now that I think about it, I understand.”

Lee Han, who had been about to object, immediately accepted it.

Come to think of it, he had made rather extensive use of the immortal while fighting the evil god.

He had used him as a shield for arrows, used him as bait...

You did that? To think you’d do such a thing without this old woman even telling you to. I’m so moved I could cry.

The Devil Hag was impressed all over again.

To treat a major figure of an evil-god order, someone feared by everyone, in such a way.

Whatever else might be said, no one could deny that this little brat had extraordinary nerve.

“I didn’t do it deliberately. The evil god was so powerful that I had no choice...”

Yes, yes. This old woman also tells the troublesome debt collectors locked in her underground room that it wasn’t deliberate. Anyway, that isn’t why.

“That isn’t why?”

Lee Han had no idea.

Then what was it?

...Stedal Nago! Have you forgotten what you did under the identity of Stedal Nago? Even this old woman prides herself on shamelessness, but little one, you really are something else!

To think he had completely wrecked the Frahgal Order’s conspiracy while acting as Stedal Nago and then forgotten about it.

The Devil Hag slapped her knee without realizing it at Lee Han’s shamelessness. The immortal really ought to see this personally.

“Ah.”

Only then did Lee Han remember that he had even stolen the other party’s Authority.

He had definitely stopped the conspiracy and stolen the Authority as well...

“No. How long ago was that? He still remembers it?”

......

“......”

This time, even Gainando stared at him in disbelief.

‘Lee Han... It hasn’t even been a year...!’

This old woman is generous and forgiving, but madmen never forget. Of course he remembers the name Stedal Nago!

Out of respect for Lee Han’s shamelessness, the Devil Hag chose not to point it out further and simply told him what he needed to know.

Lee Han’s expression turned serious as he asked again.

“If you’ve gone out of your way to tell me this, then surely you also have a countermeasure. Don’t you?”

You’re quick on the uptake. There is one secret art. A very powerful and convenient spell.

It was extraordinarily rare for the Devil Hag to grant a mortal gifts twice without demanding any price.

That showed just how highly she regarded the ability and nerve this mortal had demonstrated during the evil-god expedition.

And how shameless he was!

This secret art of dark magic was a great spell that melted and twisted the links between spaces and dimensions, distorting the approach of hostile beings.

The moment he heard the explanation, Lee Han could guess how difficult the spell would be.

‘...This is at least fifth-circle... No, isn’t it sixth-circle?’

<Baquantalana’s Dimensional Rod>, which interfered with dimensions, was sixth-circle magic. Likewise, this dark magic that interfered with surrounding dimensions could not possibly be implemented with only three or four spells.

Lee Han had accumulated enough experience as a mage by now to understand what the original purpose of this spell must have been.

This was clearly a spell originally intended to forcibly summon beings from other dimensions according to the caster’s will.

The most difficult part of dimensional summoning magic was locating the other party and approaching them.

Finding and discovering a single being among countless vast dimensions was anything but easy.

But what if, instead of searching for them, you twisted your own dimension and dragged the other party in?

The other party might find it somewhat irritating, but from the mage’s perspective, nothing could be more convenient.

‘The coerciveness really does feel like dark magic...’

As a member of the dark magic school, Lee Han could not help thinking that.

The summoning magic school did not often use such coercive methods. There was little good to be gained from forcing a contract through sheer power.

Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you moved?

“If I understood correctly, wasn’t this secret spell originally meant to forcibly summon beings from other dimensions?”

...That’s right! You really are quick on the uptake!

The Devil Hag was inwardly impressed.

As expected of Gonadaltes’s disciple, his intelligence was anything but ordinary.

To think he had figured out the spell’s original purpose from the explanation alone.

“It doesn’t sound remotely easy.”

Of course not. If you only cast it to block someone, it will be much easier.

Distorting dimensions to prevent someone from being summoned was far easier than distorting dimensions in order to summon them.

The latter only required corroding and twisting the connections without any complicated calculations or rituals.

“Even so, it still sounds rather difficult.”

Naturally. ...This old woman is starting to sense the stench of a suspicious scheme...?

As the conversation continued, the Devil Hag gradually began to feel something was strange.

It seemed like this little brat wanted something and was circling around it instead of saying it directly.

What was it?

“Couldn’t you just cast it for me instead?”

......

“......”

Both the Devil Hag and Gainando were left speechless. Though, in Gainando’s case, his mouth had already been sealed for quite some time.

You actually have the nerve to ask— ℴℴ𝘮

“Wait!”

“?!”

The sudden appearance of a dragon startled not only Lee Han, but even the Devil Hag.

Why was there a dragon here?

What is that? Who is that tactless dragon?

‘She’s surprisingly perceptive.’

“That is His Highness Uman.”

One of the dragon’s nine unfilial children?

“!”

Lee Han was greatly surprised by how knowledgeable the Devil Hag was about Imperial politics.

There were plenty of people within the Empire who did not know about them, yet a being wandering through other dimensions knew this much?

“You’re wrong about one thing. An unfilial child? His Highness is extremely diligent.”

Diligent or not, if he has no intention of inheriting the throne, then he’s still an unfilial child... Not that there’s anything shameful about that. All children are unfilial by nature. Even the little brats contracted with this old woman refuse to listen and act however they please, so why should a dragon’s children be expected to listen?

“...U-Uman is doing his best.”

Uman spoke with a flushed face, apparently embarrassed.

“The reason Uman will not inherit the throne is because Uman lacks the ability...”

Enough. Tell me why you interrupted this old woman.

“If a powerful enemy is targeting him from beyond the dimensions, then Uman will use draconic words to prevent its approach. To begin with, Uman is responsible for this area, while the mage of House Wardanaz only came here to help. There is no need for him to bear more responsibility than necessary.”

“!”

Wouldn’t it be better if the little one simply learned it?

Having lost interest, the Devil Hag spoke in a sullen voice.

Of course, with a dragon’s innate abilities, Uman would indeed be able to prevent the enemy from approaching.

But then there would be no fun at all. The Devil Hag’s secret art would not be passed down either.

Ignoring the Devil Hag’s interference, Uman looked at Lee Han. Then he spoke in a serious voice.

“In exchange, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

For this dragon to take over the work himself and then ask for a favor in return.

It clearly could not be an ordinary request. Lee Han unconsciously tensed. Gainando also swallowed nervously beside him.

“...Go and stop my elder sister...”

“Ah.”

Only then did Lee Han realize that while catching villains, he had completely forgotten about Jowrin.

* * *

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“Mm. It is fine. Jowrin had fun as well.”

“I apologize, Professor.”

“It’s fine.”

After rejoining Jowrin and Professor Voladi(who had been refining the statue at Jowrin’s request), Lee Han immersed himself in the work once more.

He had to properly complete this dragon statue commission they had accepted under Princess Yukbeltire’s name.

It was not merely because of the commission. Now that Jowrin had taken an interest in it as well, he could not afford to complete it carelessly.

“So Jowrin would like it to breathe fire from here!”

“I see. Understood.”

“And if destructive beams came out of its eyes...”

Lee Han calculated the magic according to Jowrin’s wishes and drew it into the statue piece by piece. Since the magic Jowrin wanted was not particularly difficult, enchanting it on the spot did not take long.

But Jowrin tilted her head.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

“Lee Han seems to have something troubling him.”

“Ah. About that.”

Lee Han let out a quiet sigh and told her what had happened earlier.

Uman had stepped in and taken over for him, but strictly speaking, the grudges Stedal Nago had accumulated were the result of Lee Han’s own actions.

He felt guilty that he might have pushed too much onto a dragon who was already busy and tired.

‘Should I have just learned it myself? But from the explanation, it wasn’t a spell I could learn immediately.’

Even while speaking, Lee Han’s hands never stopped moving.

Thanks to the brutal training they received under Professor Verdus, the students of Einroguard’s enchantment magic school were capable of moving their hands and their minds separately.

And among them, Lee Han was the most skilled and most brutally overworked laborer of all. He could not help but excel at things like this.

“...Lee Han?”

“Ha. I still feel like I should have stayed and at least lent him some mana. And maybe I was too reckless while using the identity of Stedal Nago in the first place... But that spell was...”

“Lee Han! Lee Han!”

Jowrin shook Lee Han by the shoulder. Only then did Lee Han realize that Jowrin had been calling him.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“Are magic statues normally alive and moving?”

Jowrin tilted her head as something completely different from what they had discussed took shape beneath the contractor’s fingertips.

Were magic statues normally supposed to move this vividly?