Chapter 1318

'If it's Wardanaz, then surely...'

A mage from outside the school would have thought of the evil-god subjugation incident, but Ahalmir, being a Dekarogard mage, thought of something else first.

The shocking prodigy who had dealt their own junior a crushing defeat, and who had even frightened Professor Ukablock!

Ahalmir simply could not believe that Wardanaz was a Valdrogard professor.

'Impossible! There's no way! There isn't a single reason for an Einroguard mage held in such high regard to enter Valdrogard... ...Could it be? Could it be because of gold coins?! This... this insane mage!'

Ahalmir's eyes widened as they arrived at the shocking truth.

Could it be...

Had he taken the position of Valdrogard professor because of gold coins?

That was something even a Dekarogard mage could not easily do.

It was truly unbelievable.

'Monster! That is a monster! How could an Einroguard mage who isn't even from Dekarogard make a choice like that!'

Even while trembling with awe, Ahalmir felt frustrated.

If they had known the opponent was Wardanaz, they would have been much more careful.

They would have used stronger, more extraordinary magic and handled everything without being noticed.

'...No. That's nothing but a loser's excuse. I should have done my best!'

"Professor. Where are you going?"

While Ahalmir was deeply reflecting, Jandanni asked in confusion.

Lee Han was dragging the bound pegasus somewhere.

"What? I'm going to Dekarogard."

"...With the pegasus like that? Shouldn't you release the magic?"

In Jandanni's mind, since the fair and honorable contest was over(although they were not entirely certain it had actually been fair and honorable), they ought to release the opponent fairly and honorably and make peace.

But Lee Han shook his head with a regretful expression.

It was the expression of a professor who still had much to teach the students.

"First, we have to collect a ransom. Student Jandanni. You should never carelessly release a mage before receiving a ransom."

"......"

"...Senior. Magic seems... seems far too difficult."

Alnoev looked at Jandanni with a confused expression.

It felt as though they had learned more magical common sense today than during two years of studying at Valdrogard.

"M-magic has always been like this. Your horizons will broaden a little now too."

"Is that so?"

At the words of the great upper-year student, Alnoev gave Jandanni a respectful look.

This senior must have experienced countless confusing situations like this before.

Otherwise, there was no way they could remain so calm.

"Senior?"

"Uh... huh?"

"Professor is walking away with the pegasus."

"...Professor Wardanaz! Please wait!"

Jandanni hurriedly ran after Lee Han.

***

Even as the doom of Dekarogard approached with a transformed student in tow, Professor Ukablock sat calmly at a table, fiddling with an old souvenir.

Unfortunately, Professor Ukablock was a master of transformation magic, not a master of foresight magic.

"Hmm. Hmm. This should be good enough. I could probably sell it to merchants from the north, couldn't I? I can say these are knights from the Three Kingdoms era. Those northern merchants go crazy for things like that."

"Professor. Valdrogard mages are coming over here."

"What?! According to school rules, if Valdrogard mages approach on their own, professors are allowed to take the profits! This is wonderful!"

"There is no such school rule."

"I know."

Ukablock tossed the souvenir aside and stood up grumbling.

To entertain guests from outside without receiving a single coin in return.

Few things could possibly be more boring and unrewarding...

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Ukablock fell straight backward.

The crashing and banging was so loud that the nearby students jumped in surprise.

"What's wrong, Professor?!"

"Could he be injuring himself on purpose so he can charge us for treatment?"

It was hard to believe, but this goblin professor was exactly the kind of person who might come up with such an ingenious scheme.

Rather than helping him up, the disciples stared at him suspiciously.

"Y-you idiotic paupers! Who said those were Valdrogard mages?! Who said they were Valdrogard mages?! Who invited that thing?! What kind of school-destroying beggar brought that...!"

"Professor Ukablock?"

"A pleasure to see you, Wardanaz. I am truly delighted to meet such a young genius again."

The moment Lee Han approached, Ukablock immediately straightened his posture and politely extended a hand.

But the hand was trembling violently.

Anyone watching might have thought he suffered from tremors.

"He's a professor."

Jandanni whispered proudly from beside Lee Han.

"?"

"A professor. Professor Ukablock."

'Has the standard of Valdrogard students finally fallen this far?'

Ukablock knew Valdrogard was a magic school that praised students no matter what they did, but now they were proud merely because they had correctly guessed that Ukablock held the position of professor.

At this rate, next year they might feel proud after correctly guessing °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° the direction from which the sun rose.

Ukablock shook his head sadly.

"Very impressive. To correctly identify my position as Professor Ukablock! Not just anyone could accomplish such a..."

"...What are you talking about? This is Professor Wardanaz. He is a professor at Valdrogard this semester."

"Professor of where?!"

"Professor Wardanaz, right here..."

"Why?!"

Ukablock seemed to grow one and a half times taller. 𝐟𝒓ℯⅇ

That was how high he jumped in shock.

Jandanni smiled with even greater pride.

"I dare say it is because of Valdrogard's merits."

"V-Valdrogard... You're planning to Dekarogard Valdrogard? Is that even allowed?"

Ukablock asked Lee Han in a trembling voice.

The two Valdrogard students did not understand what 'to Dekarogard' meant, but Lee Han did.

'What does he take me for...'

Lee Han becoming a Valdrogard professor had been purely an accident.

It was not some wicked scheme to infiltrate the school and extort Valdrogard's wealth.

"No. What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?"

"Then why?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, even if you were planning to Dekarogard Valdrogard, you couldn't exactly admit it..."

"I'm not."

'Whoops.'

Ukablock reflected slightly.

He was normally a professor capable of maintaining composure even in front of Valdrogard students, but this was so shocking that he had simply blurted out whatever he was thinking.

To say something so outrageous in front of the doom of Dekarogard!

"It was my mistake! Hoho, hohoho. Of course, an honorable and kind Professor Wardanaz would never recklessly Dekarogard someone."

"Professor. What does 'Dekarogard' mean?"

Ukablock pretended not to hear the Valdrogard student's question.

"But Professor Wardanaz, what brings you here?"

"He followed us because he was worried about us wandering around by ourselves."

"......"

Ukablock sighed.

'There truly is no such thing as fortune without a price!'

Until now, he had enjoyed thinking of Valdrogard students as fortune without a price, but that had been typical mage arrogance.

Beneath that fortune, an enormous amount of misfortune had apparently been piling up as well.

After taking so much from Valdrogard students, a monster like this had appeared...

"That isn't the only reason. I also came to confirm a few things and ask for your help concerning the upcoming grand festival. The Principal came as well."

"His Excellency Gonadaltes too? Where is he?"

"Well... he should be here soon."

"I see. Could it be... Professor Wardanaz Valdrogarded and then Einroguarded?"

"That's right! How did you know?"

"That much is basic."

'Conversations between professors truly are difficult!'

Not only Alnoev, but even Jandanni could not understand the profound meaning hidden within this advanced conversation.

They had heard that exceptional mages used all kinds of codes and metaphors to protect their secret arts from wicked and violent people.

Surely the conversation taking place now was also such a code or metaphor.

Ukablock spoke with a worried expression.

"Actually, I was thinking perhaps being a Dekarogard professor might also be possible, and I was considering suggesting it..."

"If you do that, you'll be Einroguarded several times harder. Something similar already happened at the previous magic school."

"My goodness! Where?"

"Petroguard."

"Tsk, tsk. I knew it. Those wanderers have neither fear nor sense."

As was common among mages of magic schools, Ukablock looked down on every other magic school besides his own for different reasons.

Petroguard was a typical gathering of dreamers.

To ask for Professor Wardanaz to be Valdrogarded right in front of the Einroguarded Skull Principal.

If not for Imperial law, they would have died several times over.

"I, Ukablock, and naturally all of our Dekarogard mages, would never do such a thing, so do not worry, Professor Wardanaz."

"Thank you!"

Lee Han greeted him happily.

As expected of Dekarogard mages, who knew what truly mattered in life, they had proper manners.

"We should secretly Valdrogard him when His Excellency isn't around. Doing it right in front of him... tsk, tsk."

"......"

Lee Han immediately withdrew what he had just thought.

As expected of mages crazed for gold, they had completely lost sight of everything else.

"But Professor Wardanaz. May I ask you one thing?"

"Of course, when we met last time, I did promise that I would not visit. But that was said rather casually, and I'm certain you also told me I was welcome to visit at any time."

"That wasn't what I was going to ask... Although I did want to ask about that too. I am curious about something else."

"What are you curious about?"

"Why is Ahalmir, transformed into a pegasus, standing beside you?"

"Ah."

***

After explaining the situation, Lee Han received the ransom and released Ahalmir.

Once Ahalmir's transformation was undone, Ukablock spoke in a consoling tone.

"It wasn't your fault, Ahalmir. You simply had a terrible opponent."

"I did not ask to be comforted, and that did not comfort me at all. I will not pay a consolation fee."

"Tsk. Not bad."

Ukablock clicked his tongue.

Ahalmir had looked so shocked that he had tried it once, but they were more clear-headed than expected.

"I will... I will definitely get my revenge! Even if I have to stake Dekarogard's honor on it!"

"Dekarogard's honor isn't something you can stake for free."

"...Then I will stake only my own honor."

"Good. But how exactly are you planning to get revenge? Remember that if you visit Einroguard and pull something like this there, you might be found as a corpse."

Ukablock waved a blunt finger in warning.

Dekarogard mages had many enemies thanks to their persistent methods of extortion.

Naturally, the school had many warnings about that as well.

One of them was: 'Do not visit Einroguard and Dekarogard people.'

Einroguard was poor enough already, but if someone tried something like this there, they might genuinely get attacked with complete seriousness.

"I will get my revenge at the grand festival. Through a contest of gold!"

"Do you really think the grand festival will happen?"

"...Is it really that difficult?"

"Things look bleak. Do you know how little the magic schools listen? And His Excellency says he just Einroguarded a Petroguard professor."

Ahalmir's expression darkened at Professor Ukablock's words.

The professor spoke as though coaxing a student.

"Why don't you give up on revenge and just bet some gold instead? Apparently the merchants around here have been wagering quite a lot of gold lately on whether the grand festival will happen. Bet on 'it won't happen.'"

"...Professor, what did you bet on?"

"I told you things look bleak. The magic schools don't listen, and His Excellency..."

"Professor, what did you bet on?"

When the disciple refused to take the bait, Professor Ukablock quietly rose from his seat.

This was why overly clever disciples were no fun.

'Hoho. Professor Wardanaz. You may think you won today, but I will use you to gain even greater gold...'

"Ah, Professor Ukablock. I heard people are betting on whether the grand festival will happen. Where can I place a bet?"

When Lee Han ran over looking thoroughly excited, Professor Ukablock could only stare in disbelief.

Why did this mage ever go to Einroguard in the first place?