"Save... Save me, please..."
“Who said anything about killing?”
The revived adventurer cried out in urgency, but the skull principal simply swallowed them whole, gulping them down.
It would have been less terrifying if he had just killed them.
"...Thank you. Sharakan."
Yi-Han turned away, expressing his gratitude to Sharakan.
In truth, Sharakan was the one who had made the greatest contribution in this battle.
At the very start of the fight, upon Yi-Han's command, Sharakan had summoned the skull principal.
If Sharakan had been even slightly delayed, Yi-Han too might have been in danger.
-Grrrr.-
"Gonaldates, you've also done well."
-■■■■…-
The skeleton warrior humbly bowed his head, evidently flattered.
“...”
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with the eyes of someone observing a madman.
What was he doing, attaching someone else's family name to that?
'What kind of person is this...'
The principal restrained himself from hitting Yi-Han on the back of his head, considering the merits he had earned.
No one would believe if it was said that a first-year student stopped the adventurers of the <Serpent of the Maple Tree>.
Even His Imperial Majesty would have chided, "Gonaldates, no matter how much you want the grant, don't lie to this extent."
Such an incredible feat had been accomplished, so a little rebellion like this was forgivable.
"No, it's not that, Gonaldates. Thanks to you for buying time..."
“...”
Should I really hit him?
-Intruders have been detected outside. Students are advised to refrain from leaving the premises outside designated hours. Once again, intruders…-
Having completed a simple health check and returned to the tower, Yi-Han witnessed firsthand how the academy security responded to an intrusion.
'So they had really let me off easy until now.'
Yi-Han looked down from the window.
A student from the Blue Dragon who had just failed to read the room and opened the lounge door was instantly teleported, likely to the underground punishment room.
-The intruders should come out immediately. The longer you wait, the longer your soul will suffer. Once again, we warn the intruders…-
Undead were thoroughly deployed around the academy grounds, issuing dire warnings.
Wherever the first intruder was, they were likely wishing for death by now.
'No, they can't just die rashly.'
If found dead, they would be forcibly resurrected and sent to the torture chamber.
“Ironheads. Line up.”
"Uhuhuhuk!"
Gainando, standing at the window, threw a pewter cup filled with hot cocoa outside in shock when the skull principal suddenly appeared.
The principal, unfazed, caught the cup and sipped the cocoa.
“There are intruders from outside, so be careful.”
Pop!
With his words, a flashing light burst forth. Gainando tilted his head in confusion.
"What kind of magic is this?"
“It's a kind of detection magic. If you ironheads encounter an enemy, I'll know.”
"Uh..."
“No need for thanks.”
"No, it's not that. I have my own private life, you're intruding too much... Uhuh."
The principal covered Gainando's mouth and marked the other students.
If they encountered the intruder, they would instantly recognize it.
“All set.”
"Uh, Principal?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
The principal seemed to be intentionally skipping over him, after having dealt with everyone else.
What's going on?
'Don't tell me, he's saying that since I fought well, I should handle it myself?'
“Ah... You.”
"It's possible that you forget by mistake. You're always so busy, right?"
"It's not that I forgot, you're just immune because of your constitution."
"...No..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
He never expected to be left alone in such a situation due to his abundant mana.
"Take this."
The skull principal tossed a copper ring to Yi-Han.
“Throw the ring immediately if necessary.”
"But... what if the opponent ambushes? Wouldn't there be no time to throw the ring?"
"With your skills, you'll always have time to throw the ring. Trust yourself."
"..."
Yi-Han was about to get angry but then remembered how the skull principal had saved him and restrained himself.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
Salko spoke with sincere gratitude.
The students of the Black Tortoise were lying in the infirmary.
Unlike Yi-Han, who was unscathed after the ordeal, the Black Tortoise students needed recovery after being hit by the <Magic Disruption Storm>.
"If it weren't for you..."
"That's enough, Salko. Focus on getting better."
Yi-Han said this while ladling beef porridge into a bowl.
Salko paused in gratitude, and the other Black Tortoise students also hesitated.
For a moment, they wondered if it was proper to cook freely in the sacred infirmary, but no one could object, owing a favor to Yi-Han.
"Tha... Thank you. It's delicious."
Salko was the first to express his thanks, causing Ymirg to hesitate.
It seemed insincere to simply echo the same compliment.
"The seasoning is just right, and it's so tender."
"Really? That's good to hear."
The next Black Tortoise student was at a loss.
'What should I say?'
"The rice grains are glossy, and the... beef is as chewy as if it was freshly slaughtered..."
"Don't talk nonsense. It's canned beef."
Yi-Han scolded the exaggerating Black Tortoise student and stood up.
'...Could this situation be my fault?'
Thinking about it, if Yi-Han hadn't been there, the Black Tortoise students might not have ventured into that area.
If only he hadn’t gone...
...Was it really because of him?
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Salko. Have another bowl."
"No, I'm full... Um. Okay."
"Yi-Han, you were here first?"
Professor Garcia entered, carrying a fruit basket.
"I brought this thinking you might be bored lying down..."
"As expected of you, Professor."
Yi-Han was slightly moved.
How many professors would care for their students like this?
It was typical of Professor Garcia.
"Everyone seems alright. There's some porridge left, have some more."
"We've already eaten enou..."
"You need to eat well to recover quickly, especially when a friend has gone through the trouble of cooking for you."
"..."
The Black Tortoise students couldn't refuse and took their bowls again.
...So full!
"Ah. I should cut the fruit too."
"Wa... Wardanaz..."
Did we do something wrong to you?
Yi-Han left the infirmary with Professor Garcia.
As they stepped into the corridor, a Death Knight walking by nodded.
-Good day, Professor.-
"Good day to you too, Death Knight."-
'Such a surreal scene.'
Yi-Han observed Professor Garcia greeting the Death Knight without any hint of surprise, realizing the professor was accustomed to such situations.
"Do intruders often break into the academy?"
"Not infrequently. About three or four times a year? Usually, they get caught trying to enter, but this time, the intruders were rather unlucky."
The history of Einlogard was longer than even that of the skull principal, tracing back to ancient times and considered a sacred place by mages, with its end not in sight.
The layered mysteries were so numerous that even the most outstanding great mages couldn't fully grasp them all.
"Most of the external entry points are well known, but the paths in a magic academy are half alive, so the protective magic often gets disrupted. New paths open up occasionally."
"Even so, it's surprising how they manage to get in."
"Most intruders are ignorant and daredevil, blinded by gold. It's foolish, really. One mistake and they suffer for a lifetime."
'I can understand, though.'
Despite the threatening rumors, it would be stranger if no one attempted to enter, considering that a single act of thievery could potentially turn one's life around.
The saying 'life is a gamble' must exist for a reason.
"These intruders seem to have been quite skilled... But now that they've been discovered, it's over. Once the principal sets his mind to raise the security, it's impossible to move around."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
Although a new week had begun and the weekend was over, the undead were tirelessly tightening their grip around the academy.
Seeing this, it was unthinkable for the intruders to roam freely.
The fact that the intrusion had been detected meant the end, as the possibility of escape dwindled once discovered.
"Then, are the intruders hiding somewhere?"
"Probably. There are surprisingly many hiding spots in the main building and throughout the magic academy. It's impossible to know all of them... Of course, they can't hide there forever, so they'll have to come out eventually. So, Yi-Han, don't worry and focus on your studies. I guess this situation has been a nuisance for you, wanting to concentrate on magic?"
"No, not really."
Even though Yi-Han was a student dedicated to his studies, he wasn't absurd enough to think, 'I want to study magic but this intruder is so annoying,' in such a situation.
'Sometimes, Professor Garcia can be scarier.'
"Right. I need to stop by the office before heading to the classroom. You go ahead."
"Understood."
Before leaving, Professor Garcia once again praised Yi-Han's actions over the weekend and then moved on.
Left alone, Yi-Han headed to the lecture hall for his first class on Monday.
-You are that Wardanaz, right?-
"...Ah. Yes."
-You are really amazing!-
"..."
-How did you subdue them?-
-The master praised you.-
-May I have a word? I'm curious about how you fought.-
-I heard you handle dark magic. Maybe someday you could command a Death Knight like me. What do you think?-
"...I'm not Wardanaz!"
Yi-Han had thought that having more Death Knights around might be bothersome...
...But he never expected it to be in this way.
'Why are they so chatty?!'
-Wait! Just a moment…-
-Aren't you from the Wardanaz family? An ignorant first-year student with so much mana!
"..."
Yi-Han cursed the skull principal as he ran.
Then, up ahead, he spotted a familiar face.
"Gainando!"
"Wardanaz! To have lectures on a Monday in such an unsettling situation. Isn't Professor Garcia asking too much?"
"...Seems so."
Yi-Han's expression hardened as he approached Gainando.
Then, like lightning, he threw a punch.
Thump!
"Choke!?"
Without giving Gainando a chance to react, Yi-Han exploded with mana and launched another punch. Gainando fell, beaten to the ground.
"Wait, wait! Why!"
Thud!
Instead of answering, Yi-Han caught a ring and immediately threw it.
Bang!
Suddenly, the skull principal appeared out of thin air.
“You intruder, you've lasted quite a while! I was contemplating how many pieces to split your soul into... Wait... what are you doing?”
The fake Gainando, gasping for air, cried out. His voice was soaked with moisture from the sudden blows.
"Principal, please get this student off me."
“What was the person teaching transformation magic thinking, getting caught like this?”
"I am without excuse..."
"..."
Realizing the situation, Yi-Han's expression turned as hard as lead.
He had thought it was the intruder disguised as Gainando, but it turned out to be a professor.
"Professor, I am terribly sorry. I have committed a grave sin!"
“That's too much... The fool who got caught by a student is the idiot here.”
"No, I am truly sorry!"
Yi-Han apologized with even more humility than he had ever shown to any other professor.
His posture was almost as if his forehead would touch the ground.
The only way to turn this situation around was a heartfelt apology.
"Oh, no. It's okay. It's okay."
“You seem to be more respectful than usual...?”
The skull principal muttered as if somewhat displeased.
