Chapter 1232

-I'm telling you, it really wasn't like that...

The hamster felt wronged and miserable, but it still squeaked as it began to explain.

It had not ambushed the young prince and destroyed the painting. Rather, the young prince had sacrificed himself and exhausted all of the painting's power.

"You bastard, you're still shameless enough to say that!"

Enraged, Lee Han began filling a basin with water. The hamster had no idea what he intended to do, but trembled instinctively.

-If you don't believe me, cough, cough. Ask the spirit in that staff...!

It was humiliating and embarrassing, but the hamster explained everything again from the beginning.

To properly explain what had happened, it had to go all the way back to the moment when the hamster had been enthralled by the evil god.

Normally, no matter how absorbed it was in the mysteries of magic, it would never have succumbed so easily to an evil god's temptation, but it seemed that becoming physically trapped in a hamster's body had weakened its resistance.

It was infuriating that this House Wardanaz bastard had quickly thrown it into the basement, but it had been the correct choice...

"Hmph. It's probably because you're always so filthy greedy for power."

-......

"What was that about casting aside order and rules to pursue the ultimate heights of magic...? And what are you doing now? Sneaking into Einroguard, getting caught, and being locked up?"

-......

The hamster realized that this mage of House Wardanaz had truly been restraining himself all this time. Once the reins came off, his tongue was like a blade smeared with poison.

The most painful part was that everything he said was true.

If it had followed its heart, it would have liked to make excuses that it had infiltrated Einroguard to obtain wisdom from an ancient thought-form, and that considering the value of what it had gained, the risk had been entirely worthwhile.

But the more it tried to argue that, the more pathetic it would only make itself look.

-Fine. I'm ashamed that I was bewitched by such a low-intelligence thought-form. Satisfied?

"No. If you're really ashamed, why don't you get in here?"

Lee Han pointed to the basin full of water beside him. The hamster pretended not to hear and ignored him.

-The important part is what happened after I entered the basement. The thought-form in the painting had been watching you fight the entire time. It intervened to help you at the decisive moment.

"......"

At the hamster's sincere words, Lee Han became solemn.

The young prince had been watching that entire chaotic battle.

Lee Han had thought that a great deal of luck had been on his side, but apparently there had been a reason after all.

"Wait. You're saying Master sacrificed himself to help the spirit in the staff?"

-Yes.

"...Then why has this bastard been keeping quiet?"

Perhaps sensing Lee Han's murderous intent, Saratan, the hornbeam spirit in the staff, hurriedly answered.

-I-I simply never had a chance to answer.

Saratan normally spoke informally no matter how much suffering it endured, but this time it cautiously spoke with unusual politeness.

It had suddenly developed the sense of crisis that if it started screeching here, Lee Han might literally snap the staff and everything inside it in half.

"What do you mean, you didn't have a chance? You bastard. Aren't you conspiring with that wicked hamster to deceive me?"

-What kind of insane...

"What?"

-N-no, nothing. Hehe.

"Do you find this situation funny?"

-......

Saratan felt like crying.

'Why did that bastard save me instead of just letting me break...'

If it had simply shattered back then while maintaining the grim resolve with which it had faced the evil god, it would not be suffering this humiliation now!

Saratan suddenly felt deeply aggrieved that it had stepped forward to help.

It had endured until its body nearly shattered for the sake of fighting the evil god, so where had all the credit for that gone?

-There's no possible way I could be close to that hamster, is there? I don't even want to deal with a stupid, wicked magical criminal like that.

"Well, that's true."

-......

The hamster was dumbfounded.

That shriveled-up spirit bastard was really spouting whatever insults it pleased just because it had a mouth.

-The thing is, I... I thought my seal had been released and my strength had recovered because the resonance of the contract had grown stronger.

When its power first returned during the crisis, Saratan had assumed that its resonance with its contractor had restored it.

It was unpleasant to admit, but considering everything it had experienced with this contractor recently, it could not completely deny the possibility.

Hadn't the spirits who sealed Saratan said something similar?

That it should learn something from accompanying the mage.

And so Saratan had been thinking, 'I see. So the resonance with my contractor really did restore my strength'...

...but judging from what the hamster had said, apparently that had not been the case.

No wonder!

'Of course I couldn't possibly have gotten that close to a bastard like this.'

"So you didn't know?"

-Yes...

"Then why didn't you answer immediately when you heard that just now? Why were you keeping quiet?"

'Damn it.'

How much time had even passed between those two things?!

Saratan shuddered at the mage's relentless interrogation and answered.

-I was so shocked and astonished... and so overwhelmed with gratitude for the great mage's benevolence that I was rendered speechless.

-......

The hamster looked at the spirit in the staff with contempt.

It did not know exactly what kind of spirit that thing was, but it was obvious that it must have been fairly pathetic even before it was sealed.

A bastard that shameless and devoid of pride must have been just as wretched before its sealing.

"Hmm. I see."

'That actually worked!?'

As Lee Han's expression softened considerably, the hamster became even more dumbfounded.

That kind of blatantly transparent flattery had actually worked!

Ignoring all that, Saratan let out a sigh of relief and continued.

-If you grant me another chance, I will never forget the benevolence bestowed upon me by the great mage and will devote myself even more tirelessly, grinding my bones to dust in service!

"Good. I'll let it pass for now."

-Thank you!

The words 'for now' bothered Saratan slightly, but it shouted happily.

Somehow, it had survived!

Lee Han turned his gaze toward the remaining hamster. The hamster hurriedly shouted.

-The staff spirit admitted it, so the truth of what I said should have been confirmed, shouldn't it?

"Why didn't you help?"

-What?

"You could have helped Master and reduced the burden on him, but you simply stood by. Didn't you have some wicked ulterior motive?"

-......

The hamster thought to itself.

If this mage had been born a thousand years ago, he surely would have made quite a name for himself as a tyrant!

'Madman!'

-This rodent body took away all my magic, so how was I supposed to help!? I was even enthralled by the evil god at the time!

"Even if your magic was taken away, you still had your wisdom. It's suspicious that you couldn't think of a single plan."

Lee Han took a step forward. The hamster suddenly became extremely conscious of the basin full of water beside him.

-I really was enthralled! Stop this. That thought-form said it too. Since there was a second meeting, there would definitely be a third!

"!"

Lee Han, who had been looking at the basin, flinched.

"Master really left those words behind?"

-Yes!

"You didn't just make them up?"

-Think about it. Do you really think I could invent a lie like that?

'Well, that's true.'

Lee Han had no choice but to accept that.

With the hamster's personality, there was no way it could come up with something that moving...

Splash!

When Lee Han suddenly picked it up and threw it into the basin, the hamster screamed.

So this young tyrant intended to offer a blood sacrifice after all, despite the fact that it had told the truth!

-I'm telling you I wasn't lying! Stop this! A mage may be killed, but never humiliated!

"I'm washing off the dried blood stuck to you."

Lee Han replied indifferently.

The blood it had gotten on itself while fighting the evil-god worshipers was still crusted all over the hamster's fur.

The hamster became extremely embarrassed.

-I misunderstood because I thought you were threatening me with the basin earlier.

"That part was a threat."

-......

Terrifying bastard!

***

"There's no Immortal Flame Herb?"

Professor Thunderwalk paused at the first-years' words.

Immortal Flame Herb was not normally a reagent that alchemists used frequently. It was an herb found in the undead realm, usually used by dark mages.

Because of that, Professor Thunderwalk had not paid much attention to how much of the herb they had in stock...

Of all times, it had to run out this semester.

"I'll go obtain some."

"Pengerine. Your magic is excellent and your fur is beautiful, but you're still not ready. This isn't an herb a first-year should be going out to gather."

The dwarf professor stroked his beard as he spoke.

This penguin beastkin disciple possessed excellent magical ability, firm determination, and even an adorable appearance, so professors from several different schools were all eager to claim the student.

Professor Thunderwalk might work his disciples fairly hard, but not hard enough to send first-year students into the undead realm to gather herbs.

That remained true no matter how talented the student was.

"I heard Senior Wardanaz went there and gathered it when he was a first-year."

"...That must be a false rumor. Don't believe everything you hear."

Professor Thunderwalk thought inwardly that it somehow sounded entirely true, but spoke with complete composure.

Wardanaz was certainly an exemplary upper-year student, but there were also several things his juniors absolutely should not learn from him.

One of those things in particular was madness.

Professor Thunderwalk hoped this Pengerine would at least avoid learning Wardanaz's madness as well.

"It wasn't a rumor. I heard it directly..."

"Ahem!"

"......"

Alhild closed their mouth.

This student still had some respect for professors, so scolding like this actually worked. Professor Thunderwalk felt proud at the sight.

May that attitude last for a long, long time!

...Though it would probably vanish like morning dew the moment the student began seriously interacting with upper-year students next year...

"I'll have to ask for some Immortal Flame Herb. From Wardanaz... Ah."

Only then did Professor Thunderwalk remember that his disciple was currently in the professors' punishment room.

"Hmmmm!"

You never knew how much you relied on someone until they were gone. With his capable disciple absent, things were far more inconvenient than expected.

'What did I even do before Wardanaz was around?'

Immortal Flame Herb was basically a reagent managed by the dark magic school, so normally he would have to ask them for some.

Naturally, if he simply asked Professor Mortum to give him some, he would hear, 'Cough. Have you gone mad? Did you drink the wrong potion?' And if he casually asked one of the dark magic students, he would receive a look that said, 'Is this professor insane? Since when were we close?'

But Wardanaz was different.

He had the ability to obtain it himself, and even if he simply walked into the dark magic school's storeroom and took some out, everyone from the upper-year students to the professor adored him.

He was like one of those legendary magic staffs.

"Hmmmm. Hmmmmmm."

Professor Thunderwalk tried to think of anyone among the alchemy students who was skilled with either the undead realm or dark magic, but no one in particular came to mind.

Even if there were such a student, negotiations with them would not go smoothly.

-You can raid every cupboard in my hut if you want, so how about going to get me some Immortal Flame Herb?

-Are you insane? I need to graduate, so get lost. And after I graduate, even if you see me outside Einroguard, don't act like you know me.

...A student as capable and materialistic as Wardanaz was exceedingly rare.

After thinking it over, Professor Thunderwalk quietly went to find Professor Garcia.

"Hmm. Professor Kim."

"Ah. Professor Thunderwalk!"

Professor Garcia welcomed Professor Thunderwalk warmly. At the sight, Professor Thunderwalk inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, as time had passed, this young professor's anger seemed to have subsided somewhat.

A very good sign indeed.

"What brings you here? I'll make you a cup of tea."

"N-no. I brought the tea leaves myself, so allow me to make you a cup."

"?"

Professor Garcia felt puzzled.

Just as a chef who worked in the Emperor's court might eat carelessly at home, skilled alchemists rarely prepared tea or coffee for other people.

That was especially true of someone like Professor Thunderwalk.

"Do you perhaps have some favor to ask?"

"No! What a hurtful thing to say! Professor Kim. With the friendship between us, how could you think that simply because I'm making you a cup of tea?"

Professor Garcia smiled again. It was the kind of smile that said, 'I know exactly what you're after.'

"I know. Still, I thought I'd ask just in case you needed something. If you do, please feel free to tell me. I've learned a great deal from you as well, Professor."

"...Then I do have one favor to ask!"

Professor Thunderwalk immediately seized the opportunity.

"What is it?"

"Well, Wardanaz is already carrying out commissions from inside the punishment room, so if that's allowed, surely it would be fine to call him outside for just a little while and ask him to do some wor..."

As Professor Thunderwalk spoke, instinct suddenly screamed a warning.

'I'm going to die here today.'