Chapter 1301

With his question answered, the golden-eyed Skull Principal smiled gently and patted the mage on the shoulder.

Of course, some questions still remained.

Why was this magic school trying so hard to hire his disciple as a professor, even offering such an expensive price?

There might not be many outstanding mages in the Empire, but there were certainly some if they looked hard enough, so why had they not hired one of them instead?

And the magical ability of the students wandering around nearby looked much lower than expected, and they did not seem particularly interested in magic either. What exactly was going on here?

‘Surely this isn’t some kind of social club disguised as a magic school? Hoho. Of course not. There goes that bad habit of mine again.’

A great wealthy man needed to know how to restrain curiosity and imagination.

Someone who questioned absolutely everything might become an outstanding mage, but they could never become rich.

“Y-Your Excellency, this is the first time you’ve ever treated me so kindly!”

The mage stared at the Skull Principal with a mixture of astonishment and emotion.

The Skull Principal met the other person’s eyes and tried to read his thoughts by examining the emotions contained within them and the flow of his soul.

The other person was...

“...the principal!!”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, no. It’s good to see you again. Forget the insult I committed last time. You know I’ve always been eccentric.”

“What an undeserved thing to say... No, not at all. Considering everything Your Excellency has contributed to the Empire, that much is only your natural right!”

The principal of Valdrogard appeared to sincerely respect the Skull Principal.

Of course, the Skull Principal grumbled, sneered, and became irritated every time they met, but flaws of that level were hardly flaws at all in a truly great person.

“The one truly dedicating himself to the Empire is someone like you. Kraha... House, Amaset...”

“You remembered my name!?”

Unlike Einroguard, where the principal wielded absolute power—his title was even “Lord”—Valdrogard’s principal was an elected position with a short term.

Since it was practically an honorary service position, the competition was not particularly fierce either. Noble families that made large donations simply took turns holding it periodically.

Because of that, instead of remembering the name, the Skull Principal had always simply called whoever held the position “the Valdrogard principal.”

This quintessential middle-aged Imperial social noble, with a kind, diligent, and dignified air, looked ready to leap for joy at receiving the Skull Principal’s recognition.

“Of course I remembered. Like I just said, I’m eccentric by nature. Do understand.”

“No! Not at all!”

“By the way, I can sense the aura of gold from your family, but the aura coming from you personally is slightly weaker.”

“You know perfectly well and still tease me! I’m not the head of the family. My older female cousin is. She inherited the family seal, so naturally the difference in the amount of property we possess is like heaven and earth!”

“Hoho. You looked so diligent and solemn that I couldn’t resist teasing you.”

At the Skull Principal’s words, Amaset nearly collapsed from happiness.

Before he could, however, the Skull Principal asked another question.

“So, how much did you say you would pay if I lent you my disciple as a professor for one semester?”

“I wouldn’t regret giving you every gold coin currently in our vault. The patrons would be greatly pleased as well.”

Even as Amaset said it, he did not expect much.

He knew the Skull Principal’s personality well enough to know that he would never let a favored disciple stay outside Einroguard even for a single semester.

If that had been possible, Professor Garcia would have come to Valdrogard and taught for a semester long ago.

“Good! Out of respect for the dedication and diligence you’ve shown, I’ll lend you my disciple as a professor for one semester.”

“Th-that... that... that... is that really true!? You’re joking, aren’t you? You aren’t teasing me?!”

Amaset respected the Skull Principal, but even he did not immediately believe him this time.

The statement was simply too unexpected.

“Amaset, Amaset... To think there was this much distance between us. How sad. Of course, I understand that it might be hard to believe. But look into my eyes. Do these look like the eyes of a liar?”

‘But why have his eyes turned golden?’

The Valdrogard principal found it strange, but nodded anyway.

The Skull Principal’s manner was far too charming to start nitpicking his words here, and the offer itself was even more charming.

“If you truly lend him to us, then not only the gold coins in the vault, but also the documents for the estates and lands our current patrons have donated!”

“What? You have things like that too? What kind of place is this... No, no. Never mind those.”

“Why? Please accept our sincere gratitude!”

“They’re difficult to liquidate. Can you convert them into gold instead? Jewels would be acceptable too.”

“That is possible, but it would take quite some time. Two or three months, perhaps...”

“I thought so. Then forget it. I’ll consider the gold coins alone sufficient proof of your sincerity.”

“But...! How could we possibly repay this favor!”

“It’s fine. It’s fine. I understand how you feel.”

“But has your disciple agreed to this?”

Even in the middle of all his excitement and joy, Amaset asked a rather sharp question.

As far as the Valdrogard principal knew, the mage of House Wardanaz had only just completed his second year.

The third year was a time when mages threw themselves fully into magic and polished the path they intended to follow.

Giving up an entire semester of such a precious period to serve as a professor at another magic school was not an easy decision.

Or perhaps being a genius made something like that irrelevant?

“That is a problem...”

“Pardon?”

“No. Nothing. Of course he agreed. But does the contract absolutely require my disciple’s signature? Wouldn’t my signature alone be enough? Considering our relationship...”

“What kind of joke is that! When we met last time, weren’t you the one who advised me to always follow proper procedure?”

Amaset burst into hearty laughter as he spoke.

Strictly speaking, what the Skull Principal had said was closer to, ‘You look like the kind of bastard who only knows procedure, so make sure you follow procedure even when you die,’ but Amaset had taken it as good advice.

“His signature is necessary. Valdrogard’s magic needs to accept your disciple and recognize him as a professor.”

“Hmm. Right. I suppose I’ll have no choice but to persuade him...”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. May I ask just one more thing?”

“You may ask ten.”

“Hoho, really now... It’s nothing much. Once the contract is completed, can I receive the gold coins immediately?”

***

‘What are they talking about for so long?’

Lee Han was surprised to see the Skull Principal talking for much longer than expected.

Normally, after about ten seconds of conversation with someone from another magic school, one of them would get irritated or run away and that would be the end of it. But this time, for some reason, the conversation had gone on unusually long.

‘Is this his obsession with donations... Principal. Just for today, I respect you.’

“You waited a while, didn’t you? It’s all finished.”

“What were you talking about for so long?”

“What matters isn’t what we discussed, but what meaning was contained within it. Disciple.”

“??”

The Skull Principal threw out an intentionally vague remark in order to lower Lee Han’s guard and confuse him.

‘Did he drink?’

Naturally, it had little effect on Lee Han. He merely wondered why this man was suddenly acting like this.

Why was someone who could not even get drunk acting this way?

“So what were you talk—”

“The magical ability of the students at this magic school is lower than I expected. Why is that? I’m truly curious.”

“...If you’re deliberately taking the long way around because you want to insult us...”

Lee Han suspected the Skull Principal was laying the groundwork to criticize the students of Einroguard.

If that was not the case, why would he suddenly care about Valdrogard’s standards?

“Disciple! At a time this important, in a place this important, do you really think I would insult you indirectly like th—”

The Skull Principal tried to ride along Lee Han’s soul and read his inner thoughts.

But Lee Han possessed so much mana that entering was not easy. The Skull Principal stared at him with an expression of disgust.

“...Did you just try to curse me? I felt my soul shake a little.”

“You imagined it.”

“I suppose so. There’s no way you’d cast a curse on me, Principal. There’s no chance you’d make such an unprofitable trade.”

Lee Han believed the Skull Principal’s explanation.

If the Skull Principal wanted to curse him, it would be far better to use some other method instead. The cost-effectiveness would be far too poor.

“Anyway, then why are you bringing up Valdrogard’s level again? We already talked about this on the way up here.”

“That was what you meant? No, even taking that into account, this is still far too... These are mages using a domain like this?”

“???”

‘Damn.’

When his disciple stared at him in confusion, the Skull Principal realized he had made a mistake.

Valdrogard was so far outside common sense that he had reacted suspiciously.

His disciple had clearly explained earlier that Valdrogard mages tended to be somewhat lacking, yet he had reacted like this anyway.

‘But this doesn’t seem like “somewhat”...’

“Principal. Could it be...”

The Skull Principal tensed.

“Are you doing this to make me feel better? You don’t have to. Even without flattering me like this, I’ll diligently handle whatever task I’ve been given.”

The idea that insulting Valdrogard would make an Einroguard student feel good was far too simplistic.

Of course, even as Lee Han said that, a faint smile had appeared at the corners of his mouth.

“...I-I didn’t know that. It seems I underestimated you too much, disciple.”

The Skull Principal became slightly worried that his disciple might be too innocent.

Of course, considering what he was about to do, innocence was a good thing, but still, having a mage who was technically his disciple be this foolishly pure and naive was a little...

“Disciple. Valdrogard says there are a few things you need to sign. Looking at them, I think you absolutely should—”

“Let’s go.”

“...You’re not even going to ask what they are?”

“What? Why do you keep acting like this?”

Lee Han protested instead, looking genuinely bewildered.

Had they not had precisely this conversation down below?

-Once we go inside, keep your mouth shut, put on a melancholic expression, and just do whatever you’re told.

-Ah. Don’t worry. I’ll keep quiet and follow your instructions, Principal.

After saying all that, why was he suddenly acting like this?

Was this a test?

“...Right! Right. That’s correct.”

“If you keep acting like this, I'll tell everyone at the banquet about life at Einroguard in detail.”

***

A short while later.

Lee Han entered a side chamber of the palace with the Skull Principal and paused when he saw the contract placed before him.

'Huh?'

He had certainly said before coming inside that he would do whatever he was told, but this contract was rather...

...bewildering.

A contract stating that he would work as a professor at Valdrogard for one semester?

He could not even imagine what could possibly have happened for a contract like this to appear. Lee Han wanted to ask, but the Skull Principal was simply staring straight ahead without the slightest change in expression.

“Principal. What exactly is this...”

“Shh. What did you say earlier?”

“I did say I'd keep my mouth shut and follow your instructions... but are you sure this is really all right?”

Lee Han was genuinely puzzled.

No matter how grand the plan, surely there had to be a limit.

If they failed to clean up this contract afterward, the person who would actually be in trouble was not Lee Han, but the Skull Principal.

Lee Han could simply spend a semester relaxing at Valdrogard, with its clean water and fresh air, but the Skull Principal...

'The professors won't just sit back and accept it, will they? His Majesty probably won't like it much either.'

“It's fine, disciple. Trust me.”

The Skull Principal placed a hand on Lee Han's shoulder and spoke with blazing golden eyes.

For some reason, out of every version of the Skull Principal Lee Han had ever seen, this one seemed the most trustworthy and likable.

'Well, the Principal must have something in mind. Maybe he enchanted the contract paper. Even if I sign it, it'll become invalid somehow... But I can't sense any magic? Is it some high-level magic I don't know? Or perhaps he has some way to steal it afterward.'

“Understood.”

Lee Han lifted the quill from the ink bottle and signed the contract.