“Because of your pride, the precious learning opportunity for the students is missed…”
The students of the Blue Dragon, interrupting the nonsensical ramblings of the skull principal, exclaimed in surprise.
"Wardanaz!"
"You were alive! We thought you had been kidnapped!"
"Kidnapped?"
Anglago, following behind, asked in confusion, unable to comprehend.
Who would dare to kidnap Wardanaz, and how?
"Hands up! Don't move. If you do, I'll cast a curse!"
The Blue Dragon students, upon spotting Anglago and Dukma, aimed their staffs at them first.
"Why, why are you doing this!"
"These cunning ones... They must have brought him to the lake to avoid leaving any evidence after kidnapping near the academy!"
Gainando, a fan of the popular imperial detective novel 'Dog Mixed-Blood Detective Toveris', displayed sharp deductive skills that even Asan found plausible.
"It wasn't a kidnapping. We were just exploring the lake and got drifted away."
"Oh. Is that so?"
"Well then."
"Be more careful next time."
Upon hearing Yi-Han's words, the Blue Dragon students quickly lowered their staffs.
The White Tiger students were so dumbfounded that they could only gape in disbelief.
'How shameless can these nobles be?'
They had been quite different when they first enrolled; it was a mystery how they had changed so much.
"Aren't you going to apologize? You accused us of being kidnappers and just left it at that?"
"No. In this happy moment of finding our lost friends, do we really need to argue over who was wrong? Aren't you being too harsh?"
"You're worse than scoundrels...!"
While a few of the White Tiger students argued heatedly, most were more concerned with something else.
"Anglago, are you okay? Any breaks or injuries? Did Wardanaz cast any strange magic on you?"
"Dukma, how many fingers am I holding up? Remember the name of my family? Tell me."
The White Tiger students were deeply concerned about the well-being of Anglago and Dukma, who had spent the night with Yi-Han.
They feared the worst, that they might have been victims of some vile dark magic...
"Don't worry, everyone. It was chaotic, but... nothing much happened with Wardanaz. In fact, we owe our lives to him."
"Wardanaz defeated a summoned creature hiding in the sands of the beach. Without him, we all would have been dragged down."
Anglago and Dukma shared their experiences with the gathering students.
The story of the skull principal's evil scheme and how Wardanaz thwarted it!
It was such an interesting tale that students from other towers gathered to listen.
"...It's unbelievable. Could they have been brainwashed by Wardanaz?"
"No matter what, it's hard to believe..."
Some students of the White Tiger shook their heads in disbelief.
So, the principal created a dungeon under the sandy beach of the island, summoned a monster, and gave the students assignments to naturally lead them there?
It was a story too hard to believe.
However, the students soon learned the truth of it.
The skull principal himself began confessing everything.
“Well done! You did well, Wardanaz. Because of you, other students missed the chance to learn, but still, well done!”
"...I'm sorry."
Yi-Han apologized, though he found it ridiculous.
It was better not to upset the already sullen skull principal.
Being narrow-minded was, after all, a trait inherent to professors.
The skull principal, feeling unjustly wronged and regretful, continued to grumble and reveal everything he had prepared.
Upon hearing what had been prepared beneath the sands of the beach, the faces of the students who had crossed the lake turned pale with shock.
He had prepared such a thing???
"Shouldn't we report this person to His Majesty the Emperor...?"
"Shh. Be quiet. Do you want to be dragged under the sand?"
After grumbling for a while, the skull principal seemed somewhat appeased and addressed Yi-Han.
"Anyway... managing to obtain a leave permit on your own. I must commend you for that."
As he spoke, Yi-Han's broken arm was completely healed. Yi-Han bowed his head.
"Thank you."
“Because of you, next year's freshmen will face even harsher trials.”
"It is truly regrettable."
Of course, Yi-Han didn't really feel regretful. It wasn't his fault, after all.
"And I didn't do it all by myself."
Yi-Han pointed to Anglago and Dukma.
Normally, when committing illegal acts, accomplices should be well rewarded.
Now that he had created fake leave permits, the two were basically accomplices.
However, the two students from the White Tiger shook their heads.
"We didn't do anything."
"In reality... it was all done by Wardanaz."
“I know that. Do you think I'm blind? I never intended to give you two special points from the start.”
"..."
The skull principal had a talent for making the same words sound infuriating.
They hadn't expected something like 'Your friendship and honor are commendable! I will give you all special points!...’
But hearing it like that, it was indeed infuriating.
'Let's see after graduation.'
'Really, let's see after we graduate.'
Having made enemies of the two White Tiger students, the skull principal turned his gaze back to Yi-Han. And he said, “Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. For accomplishing a special task that the other ironheads couldn't, I'll give you special points. Now, show me the leave permit.”
Yi-Han took out the leave permit and placed it on his palm.
The moment a light flashed in the skull principal's eyes, the leave permit disappeared, having been teleported to one of the principal's storerooms.
"...???"
"????????"
While the swindled Yi-Han remained silent, the other students were startled.
Even those who usually held back their fear of the principal couldn't contain themselves this time.
"Principal! This isn't what you promised!"
"How can you so easily break your promise to us! Have you forgotten your honor?"
“When did I ever break a promise?”
Instead of getting angry or intimidating, the skull principal simply asked in return.
His brazen question was enough to slightly unsettle the students.
Was the skull principal trying to act shamelessly, like Gainando?
"But Principal... you said... if we completed this task... you would give us a leave permit."
“Oh dear. Oh dear... It seems you all wasted your time in <Basic Imperial Language and Logic>. What exactly did I say?”
The exact words of the skull principal.
-There is an island on that lake. I've hidden a leave permit there. Work together and bring it to me.-
...clearly showed that he had never said he would give them a leave permit.
He had only said to bring it to him!
The skull principal, seeing the students' faces and feeling slightly better, spoke kindly.
“Now you understand how important every single word in a contract is, don't you? It's good that you all learned a valuable lesson!”
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han couldn't even guess how many of the students present would come looking to assassinate the principal after graduation.
If looks could kill, the skull principal would have already fallen dead.
In a twist of events, the Dragon brat—no, Wardanaz—was called upon by the skull principal to voice his thoughts. "Do you think I've deceived you?"
‘Did he just call me Dragon brat?’
Yi-Han was not fooled by the skull principal's soft voice.
A student must always respond humbly to a professor's inquiry about any grievances, acknowledging their own fault in causing the professor's concern.
To protest further would risk being sent beneath the sands of the beach.
"No, Principal. I never harbored any desire for the leave permit from the beginning. Why would I have any complaints?"
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with a mix of admiration and regret.
Yi-Han was an extraordinarily talented student, not only in magic but also in other skills.
Usually, magic talent and self-control were inversely proportional. Talent often bred arrogance.
Even students with half of Yi-Han's talent would brazenly challenge the principal as freshmen, only to learn humility after a few stints in the punishment room.
Yet, this boy from the Wardanaz family possessed an unbelievable combination of talent and self-restraint.
Admirable and remarkable as it was, the skull principal couldn't help feeling a sense of loss.
There was no fun in it!
'He's not taking the bait...'
The skull principal was not disappointed, though. Time was on his side, and another opportunity would present itself.
"Very well. Everyone should take a lesson from Wardanaz. Do you understand?"
"Yes..."
"We understand..."
Yi-Han, though not versed in mind-reading, could almost hear the students' thoughts.
The most pressing concern wasn't the mages who might seek revenge on the skull principal in the future.
'I never expected the principal to do this. What a relief.'
Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.
He hadn't anticipated that the skull principal would actually take away the leave permit.
But luck was on his side.
In a moment of quick thinking, he had presented a fake permit, and the principal had not noticed, making it disappear.
Anglago and Dukma looked at Yi-Han, their faces a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
'Could he have prepared for this scenario...?'
'What are you, Wardanaz...?'
Though Yi-Han hadn't anticipated this exact situation and created the fake permits, the two could only misconstrue.
"Wardanaz... How did you...?"
"Shh. Be quiet."
Yi-Han placed a finger to his lips.
The skull principal was still nearby.
If he sensed something amiss and retrieved the permit from his storeroom, Yi-Han would be heading not to the beach sands but to the punishment room.
"Can we really accept such a valuable item?"
Anglago and Dukma carefully tucked the fake leave permit into their pockets, wary of being seen.
Yi-Han hadn't just created one for himself; he had also forged permits for Anglago and Dukma in his spare time.
The mere pieces of paper felt as heavy as gold.
"Use them carefully. Especially, do not use it when the principal is around. If caught, you'll be apprehended immediately."
"Of course."
"We understand, Wardanaz."
The two students from the White Tiger took Yi-Han's warning seriously and moved on.
Yi-Han was left wondering.
'But will these fake leave permits actually work?'
He had made them, yet even he wasn't sure of their effectiveness.
Perhaps they might work if used when the principal was not around and with permission from another professor…
The problem Yi-Han faced was dealing with the aftermath of their return.
'Would they lock me in the punishment room for about a month?'
Initially, Yi-Han decided to observe his friends from the White Tiger using the fake leave permits before making any moves. Although he possessed a real one, using it while the skull principal was around felt risky.
Following the path that had appeared over the lake, the students made their way back as they had come.
Yi-Han also hurried to prepare for departure. He was apprehensive that the skull principal, although it seemed unlikely, might dismiss him and remove the ice path, leaving him stranded.
The Water Spirit waved at Yi-Han, signaling a farewell.
"Thank you. Without you, I might still be wandering around the island."
The Water Spirit appeared to blush at the gratitude.
This sight sparked a sudden thought in Yi-Han.
'Wait. Have I just become friends with a spirit?'
Upon reflection, this felt like a more natural closeness than the shouting matches he'd had with beings like Ferkuntra.
Yi-Han opened his mouth to speak.
"Perhaps you and I could..."
But the Water Spirit, not waiting to hear Yi-Han's words, dashed off and began frolicking in front of Nillia, who was about to leave. It seemed as if the spirit was pleading for a contract with her.
"..."
Yi-Han felt a deep sense of betrayal.
