Chapter 1359

“Student Lee Han?”

When the student did not answer, Professor Garcia grew even more worried.

Is Valdrogard really doing this to him?

When the professor took one step closer, Lee Han flipped backward through the air to open up some distance. The knights could not help but admire the sight.

-Just how much must Professor Bagreg have put him through for him to react like that...!

-That much rotation without even a preparatory motion?

“S-Student Lee Han. What on earth is wrong?”

Unlike the carefree knights, Professor Garcia’s worry had now reached its absolute maximum.

If this kept up, they might have to consider Plan B.

Not Plan A, finding and capturing the Skull Principal’s duplicate, but Plan B—sneaking into Valdrogard and burning the contract!

“Professor. There is something I would like to discuss with you alone.”

“!”

-!!!

When Lee Han spoke seriously, everyone present was startled. The knights thought inwardly.

‘So it’s finally come!’

‘A rebellion!’

When the Skull Principal’s disciples were left together for long enough, there was a high chance they would undergo some kind of chemical reaction, and it usually ended with them joining forces to attack the Skull Principal.

This heir possessed absurd patience and strength, but everyone had a limit.

“S-Student Lee Han. You aren’t really planning to attack the Principal, are you? I’ve tried it too, but you shouldn’t decide something like that rashly. With just the two of us, our chances are...”

“What? What are you talking about?”

***

After following the student into an empty classroom where no one else was present, Professor Garcia was puzzled.

If Lee Han was not planning to attack the Principal, the professor could not understand why this diligent student was being so cautious.

‘Maybe he only pretended otherwise because the knights were listening, and he really is planning an attack.’

No matter how kindhearted the student was, it was only natural to be angry after being sold to another magic school, even if a duplicate had technically been the one to do it.

Professor Garcia decided to help the student as much as possible.

Of course, ambushing the Skull Principal had very slim odds of success, but some things were worth attempting even if they ended in failure.

“Professor.”

“Yes, Student Lee Han.”

“Are you perhaps a member of <Einroguard’s Watchers>?”

“Khehkpehksek?!”

Professor Garcia burst into a coughing fit with a sound they had never made before in their life.

Lee Han was startled.

“Are you all right?!”

“I’m fi... cough, I’m fine. Fine... no... perhaps I’m not fine...”

As they coughed, Professor Garcia briefly considered using feigned illness as an excuse to end the conversation.

However, the dignity they had built up as a professor would not allow such a choice.

Professor Thunderwalk had once pretended to suffer a heart attack in order to escape from a situation, and Professor Garcia suddenly understood exactly how that had felt.

‘Sob. I’m sorry I criticized you for being disgraceful...! Professor...!’

Having given up, Professor Garcia decided to preserve whatever dignity they had left.

Though they were not entirely sure any remained...

“...How did you know, Student Lee Han?”

“I’m a member too.”

“!!!”

Professor Garcia shot to their feet and straightened their posture.

The student was a member of that suspicious anonymous club!?

“Are you perhaps ‘Hugin-Munin,’ Student Lee Han?!”

“What? No.”

“Then are you ‘Beaver-Penguin-Fox’ or ‘Iactus’?!”

“...I’m ‘Gonadaltes.’”

“......”

“......”

An extremely awkward silence hung between student and teacher. Professor Garcia was experiencing nearly the same realization Lee Han had just had.

‘Come to think of it, there really isn’t anyone else who would use Gonadaltes as an alias!’

Other than the Skull Principal himself or Student Lee Han, no one came to mind at all.

Once one knew the answer, there could hardly have been an easier question. Professor Garcia harshly blamed themself for never having suspected it until now.

‘No... I never imagined Student Lee Han would be there...’

Normally, one would expect an upper-year student, an outside mage, or, with low probability, a professor who had infiltrated the club. There was no way to anticipate a first- or second-year student.

The other members had probably never imagined it either.

“Wait! Then was Student Lee Han also the one who hatched the baby Bulgassari?!”

“Yes. That’s right.”

That was the whole reason he had called Professor Garcia aside in the first place.

No matter how he thought about it, Lee Han did not feel confident he could take care of the baby Bulgassari alone.

Especially since the baby basilisk kept hissing and glaring at it. Lee Han was worried that the two might start fighting when he was not looking.

“How on earth did you end up hatching a baby Bulgassari?! No. You don’t need to tell me. I can guess.”

Professor Garcia waved a hand as though there was no need to hear the explanation.

The student had probably hatched the baby Bulgassari for a reason similar to Professor Garcia’s own.

Curiosity for knowledge.

The eternal weakness of mages.

How many mages had lost their lives while testing whether or not they could do something?

“You read somewhere about how to hatch a baby Bulgassari and tested it, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“...No?”

Professor Garcia looked awkward.

Was that just me?

“I found it in the underground workshop here.”

Lee Han explained what he had found beneath the palace.

It was a workshop once used by a Valdrogard graduate, filled with various journals and equipment, and there had even been a doll capable of hatching a Bulgassari...

“Khehkpehksek?!”

“?!”

When Professor Garcia lowered their head and made the exact same coughing sound as before, Lee Han was startled.

‘Is the air inside the palace too dry?’

“Are you really all right? If this is because of the club, you don’t need to worry about it.”

At first, Lee Han had wondered whether Professor Garcia was some sinister mastermind who had been manipulating the club members from within, but on second thought, that seemed unlikely.

Professor Garcia had hardly any influence in the club to begin with.

‘Professor Garcia was always saying the right thing, so no one liked them.’

If the members were discussing how to attack outside guests and someone beside them kept saying things like ‘You shouldn’t do that,’ being ostracized was inevitable.

Professor Garcia had probably infiltrated the club purely to spy on what the students were doing.

...Though that alone was still somewhat embarrassing...

“I-It isn’t because of that. Maybe the air really is a little dry...”

“It might be because I fired too many water spheres.”

Lee Han reflected on his actions.

He had gathered too much of the palace’s moisture while demonstrating basic combat magic lectures to the Valdrogard students.

Part of him had wanted to divide them up by magic school and summon them separately, but Lee Han had not made that mistake. The result would have been far too obvious.

“Cough. Mm. I’m feeling better. Thank you, Student Lee Han.”

Professor Garcia controlled their expression and composed themself.

It was already embarrassing enough that they had secretly joined a club where students played around. The incidents they had caused during their stormy school days could absolutely never be discovered.

“I-I don’t know who it was, but what an... irresponsible, immature, pathetic mage! If they graduated, they should have completely cleared out the workshop before leaving. Why would they leave journals and belongings behind like that!”

“But isn’t it impressive that someone from Valdrogard trained their magic to this degree? Apparently they were even friends with an Einroguard mage.”

“Student Lee Han. Just because someone trained hard in magic doesn’t mean you should think highly of them! Now. Let’s go see the baby Bulgassari.”

Professor Garcia worked hard to change the subject in order to avoid talking any further about the Valdrogard graduate Ipheldrem.

They were deeply worried that if this conversation continued, the subject of Ipheldrem’s Einroguard friend might come up as well.

“It’s down here. For now, I’ve been feeding it myself...”

“Can you keep up with its appetite? Ah. Since this is Valdrogard, perhaps it’s fine. Valdrogard has abundant supplies.”

“Uh, I’m just feeding it with my mana.”

“......”

Professor Garcia was speechless.

Then they were impressed.

‘So that’s actually possible...’

They even felt a little jealous.

If Professor Garcia had been capable of that during their school days, there would have been no need for all those raids, plundering runs, thefts, and so on.

To keep a hungry Bulgassari fed, Professor Garcia had been forced to raid countless warehouses at Einroguard, and sometimes Valdrogard’s warehouses too.

“Professor.”

“What is it, Student Lee Han?”

“May I ask why you joined <Einroguard’s Watchers>?”

“......”

Professor Garcia cursed the staircase leading down to the basement.

Why had they made it so long that it gave the student time to ask awkward questions like this?

‘Ipheldrem! Just you wait!’

“...Well... I was... a little curious about... what the students were thinking... And strictly speaking, I didn’t secretly join. I joined when I was a student and simply forgot to withdraw... something like that.”

Even as Professor Garcia said it, they could tell how unconvincing it sounded.

But astonishingly, Lee Han did not criticize them.

“I see. If that’s the case, I understand.”

“...You’re not going to criticize me? For being in a student club...”

“What? Why would I criticize you?”

Lee Han replied as though he genuinely could not understand the question.

At that pure reaction, Professor Garcia was so moved they burst into tears inwardly.

‘I... really have such a good student!’

At this moment, Professor Garcia did not regret accepting a position as an Einroguard professor in the slightest.

So what if a friend occasionally sent letters teasing them about it?

That friend had surely never experienced emotion like this.

“You really don’t need to worry, Professor. I’ll keep it a secret.”

“No, Student Lee Han. I think I should leave the club today.”

Professor Garcia made up their mind.

If they truly believed in and trusted the students, they should not be spying on them like this.

“What? Why would you... Having you there is useful when we need to manipulate opinion inside the club. If you really want to leave, could you give me the artifact instead?”

“......”

Professor Garcia’s emotional high faded slightly at the unexpectedly practical reason, bringing them back to reality.

As expected of the Principal’s disciple, and of someone using the Principal’s name as an alias, Lee Han was capable of making a cold, rational judgment even in a situation like this.

“If that’s the case... I won’t leave.”

“You made the right choice, Professor!”

Lee Han was delighted, but Professor Garcia felt conflicted.

...Was it really all right for a professor to join hands with a student and manipulate public opinion inside a secret club?

■■■!

The baby Bulgassari, which had already grown large enough to occupy an entire corner of the underground workshop, made a gurgling noise the moment the two entered.

Professor Garcia nodded as though they understood. Lee Han stared in surprise.

“You understood that?”

“It’s saying it’s hungry, Student Lee Han.”

“How do you learn the Bulgassari language?”

“There isn’t one. Until a Bulgassari learns to speak, all it ever says is that it’s hungry.”

Later, once the Bulgassari had grown enough to hold a conversation, Professor Garcia had asked it.

What had all those cries meant?

Astonishingly, every single one of them had meant that it was hungry.

“......”

“Its condition is... very good. Well, with Student Lee Han’s mana, it must have been excellent baby food...”

Professor Garcia checked the baby Bulgassari all over, carefully assessing its condition. Their movements were remarkably assured.

Watching, Lee Han glanced at Professor Garcia’s hand.

Then he glanced at the large fist mark left on the wall of the underground workshop.

“!”

Crash!

Just like before, the teacup fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.

Professor Garcia belatedly noticed the fist mark at the end of the student’s shocked gaze and inwardly cursed.

‘That damned teacup...!’

In truth, the teacup had done nothing wrong.