Chapter 1270

It looked like an ignorant method with no thought for what came afterward, but rather, it was an effective method at a time like this.

If he tried to somehow resolve things here by doing something like, “Everyone! You really must keep this a secret!” then Professor Garcia would appear from behind and say, “Student Lee Han? What are you doing here?”

Even if he was going to insist on his innocence, he first had to quickly run away from the scene and then insist on it afterward. This was a lesson he had learned at Einroguard.

‘If I don’t get caught, I can somehow insist it was because of mass hallucinations or the evil magic of evil-god worshipers...’

Perhaps sensing their friend’s desperation, Einroguard students popped out from all over the place.

Seeing them without even a single second of hesitation, Lee Han felt his chest grow warm for no reason.

As expected, when things became dangerous, the only ones he could rely on were his friends!

“What the hell did you do!”

“It would have been better if you had waved a flag saying ‘Wardanaz is here’!!”

“E-Everyone. Please calm down.”

Paridim, a student from another magic academy, spoke in bewilderment.

The anger of the Einroguard students was more intense than expected.

“From what I can see, it was an unavoidable situation. Things were clearly not normal...”

Paridim could roughly guess what had happened.

Even if he had not known at first, once things had progressed to a certain point, how could he not notice when a monster from outside the dimension was slowly crawling out through the cracks in the sky?

When dealing with monsters like this, speed was more important than anything else. If one accidentally dragged things out, the scale of the incident could increase dozens of times over.

“We know that too, you know!?”

“You’re not even an Einroguard student!”

“...S-Sorry.”

At Yonair and Gainando’s scolding, Paridim shrank back.

‘Einroguard really is terrifying...!’

He suddenly missed quiet and peaceful Oculoguard.

“Paridim is right. It really was an unavoidable situation.”

“Like how you ‘had no choice’ but to take all the exams first?”

“Was it really unavoidable? It wasn’t like ‘having no choice’ but to chase after Professor Bagreg, was it?”

His friends were suspicious.

Their friend from House Wardanaz had often done whatever he wanted first and then said, ‘I had no choice.’

The incident with Professor Voladi had been like that, and so had the midterms.

Now that they thought about it, hadn’t those things perhaps not been unavoidable at all?

At the sharp criticism, Professor Voladi, who was driving the carriage outside, flinched.

“I’m telling you, this time it really was unavoidable.”

Lee Han explained sincerely.

Of course, Lee Han had sometimes justified certain actions with the excuse that ‘there was no choice.’

For example, firing a bead of cold water at the back of a friend who had not done their homework and was nodding off, then making the excuse, ‘There was no choice’...

But this time, it truly had been unavoidable.

“Do you think I wanted to show everyone that I can transform into a black dragon?”

“......”

“......”

All his friends had no choice but to accept that.

That was certainly true!

“Uman does not quite understand... Isn’t the rumor that you contracted with a dragon more important than the fact that you transformed into one?”

To recover his exhausted body, Uman took a thermos filled with hot tea out of thin air.

The tea, brewed from tea leaves containing powerful mana, was a recovery item prepared in anticipation of battle.

A dragon like Uman was several times more difficult to deal with because, in addition to the racial advantages of dragons, he also possessed the advantage of enormous wealth.

Gulp gulp-

After swallowing the tea and restoring to some extent his overworked throat and mana, Uman looked around at the students.

He could not understand why the students were so fixated on the fact that Lee Han had transformed into a dragon.

Of course, transforming into a dragon was impressive enough. Only an extremely small number of transformation mages in the Empire could transform into dragons.

But contrary to rumor, it was not necessary to be acknowledged by the dragon race in order to transform into a dragon. The transformation was simply extraordinarily difficult, but a method did exist.

Compared to that, contracting with a dragon...

“Contracting with one dragon is practically the same as being acknowledged by the entire dragon race. It is a far more significant matter.”

“I know that very well.”

Lee Han answered in an indifferent voice.

Having already had several nightmares about being dragged before the court of dragons, he could not help sounding indifferent when Uman explained it again as though it were something new.

“If that rumor spreads, Lee Han of House Wardanaz, you will be in more than ordinary trouble, won’t you?”

Uman looked at Lee Han worriedly.

Back when he had first become Inspector, he might have said something like, ‘Contracting with a dragon is an honorable thing! Congratulations!’ but the position of Inspector had made Uman grow as well.

Now Uman had also learned.

Sometimes, additional glory could be far too much for a certain person!

Lee Han was already receiving offers from various mage towers and noble houses. If rumors spread that he had recreated a tale found only in ancient stories, one in which a person contracted with a dragon...

Shudder!

Uman suddenly recalled the Emperor’s stern voice. He did not know why, but for some reason the Emperor came to mind first.

“I know that too, Your Highness.”

Lee Han spoke in a tired and exhausted voice. Part of it was because transforming into a dragon had accumulated fatigue in his body, but the mental exhaustion was even greater.

...Jowrin had been sitting silently beside him without saying a word this whole time.

Frankly, it was terrifying!

If Jowrin had gotten angry, burst into tears, or rolled around on the floor wailing(that much Lee Han had expected), he might actually have felt somewhat relieved, but seeing her sit there silently without saying anything was truly frightening.

What in the world was she planning?

“I can somehow explain away the rumor that I contracted with a dragon. First of all, I have never contracted with Your Highness, so I can insist on that as much as I want. I can borrow the principal’s authority or swear on the name of my house...”

Because it was not true, he could make a bold denial.

He could freely invoke either the principal’s name or the name of House Wardanaz and announce, ‘Lee Han has never contracted with that black dragon.’

Of course, some false rumors would probably remain even then, but cultured and sensible people would surely believe him.

“Ah! There was such a method.”

“Yes. But the matter of transforming into a dragon... Hmm.”

“???”

“Her Highness Jowrin...”

“Ah.”

Only then did Uman understand what the students here were worried about.

Lee Han had mentioned it once before as well.

“I understand what you mean. But Lee Han! Since the opportunity has come, I dare say this again. I did not have the chance back then. My elder sister is not a dragon who would become jealous over something like that!”

“Is His Highness going to die?”

Gainando whispered to Paridim.

How could he fail to understand the situation that badly?

If an enraged Jowrin returned to her original form and charged, Gainando intended to run outside the carriage together with Lee Han.

If the two clashed, even a sturdy magic carriage would never be able to withstand it.

Paridim rapidly shook his head, not daring to cast foresight magic.

Predicting a battle between dragons was still far too difficult a level of magic for Paridim.

Tap!

When Jowrin stood up from her seat, everyone flinched. Even Uman, who had just declared that he trusted his elder sister, flinched.

Uman was horrified inwardly.

‘N-No way! Uman... doubted Elder Sister?’

Uman reflected deeply upon discovering that such a wicked suspicion existed in his own heart.

He failed to realize that it had not been suspicion, but rather the instinct of the dragon race.

“Jowrin has thought about it.”

“...A-About what?”

Gainando asked without thinking.

Had she been thinking about where to hit Uman to make him scream the loudest?

“About why Lee Han hid from Jowrin the fact that he could transform into a dragon.”

“......”

“......”

A heavy silence settled over the seats. Lee Han sighed and opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, the truth is...”

“Jowrin thinks she understands even without being told. Lee Han could not tell Jowrin because Jowrin was not trustworthy.”

“!”

Everyone was startled. It was far too different from what they had expected.

“Lee Han must have been unable to tell Jowrin because he thought Jowrin would become angry or hurt. Mm. This is truly... truly... shameful.”

Jowrin spoke with deep self-reflection.

When Lee Han had first transformed into a black dragon and soared upward, Jowrin had almost transformed immediately and attacked Uman.

Even though there had been a monster slowly emerging from the sky!

Realizing that belatedly, Jowrin felt ashamed.

Her younger brother was not only doing all kinds of work for the people of the Empire but was even fighting so fiercely like that, while she had been about to get angry merely because her contractor had transformed into a dragon similar to her younger brother.

No wonder her contractor got along well with Uman. Since both of them were mature and devoted, it was only natural that they suited one another well.

“So Jowrin has decided. Jowrin will not be a dragon who only makes one-sided demands of her contractor, but will become a more mature dragon worthy of her contractor.”

“Your Highness...!”

Lee Han was deeply moved.

He had never imagined that Jowrin would show such growth instead of breaking the carriage or rolling around on the carriage floor.

He had been worried all year that she seemed to be picking up more and more of Einroguard’s bad habits, yet he had never expected her to show this kind of growth...

“Mm! Jowrin forgives Uman!”

“Excellent!”

In truth, Uman had not really done anything wrong, but Lee Han simply let it pass.

The other friends seemed moved as well and applauded beside them. The baby basilisk spoke tearfully.

-That is so moving...!

“Do not cry! From now on, you will often see Jowrin acting like this!”

Thud!

The floor of the carriage shook. It was the sound of Uman dropping to his knees on the floor.

“Elder Sister! Uman... never imagined it. That Elder Sister had been angry.”

Uman reflected deeply.

He had never imagined that Jowrin, whose heart was broader than the great sea itself, would become angry simply because he had gotten a little close to her contractor.

“It is truly unbearably shameful. Uman made many mistakes at Einroguard as well, but to think the greatest mistake of all had been hidden beneath them...”

“Mm. Jowrin has forgiven Uman. You do not need to worry about it so much.”

“Please do not concern yourself with the fact that House Wardanaz’s contractor transformed into a black dragon. It is probably because Uman visited as Inspector and asked him for advice.”

Uman sharply analyzed the phenomenon.

The reason Lee Han had transformed into a black dragon out of all the many dragons was probably because he had spent time together with Uman himself.

“...If you put it that way, I think he has spent more time with Jowrin...”

“Perhaps Uman left a stronger impression.”

Uman’s attitude of devoting himself to the Empire and Einroguard as Inspector could have left a strong impression even on House Wardanaz’s contractor.

Wasn’t this contractor also a diligent and devoted person?

Uman was so busy analyzing the phenomenon that he failed to notice Jowrin’s face gradually twisting into a more and more ferocious expression.

“Understood. You may stop talking now...”

“Uman will somehow persuade the contractor. Elder Sister is the greater dragon, so I will tell him to transform into a gold dragon. I will definitely persuade him repeatedly until it works!”

“......”

That evening.

A single paper bird flew out of the carriage.

Its destination was the Imperial Palace.

* * *

The dragon commands. Abolish Uman’s position as Inspector and order him to return. To think he has caused this much trouble for the mages of Einroguard...