Fortunately, contrary to the knights’ worries, the greatest magical criminal in history was not born.

Lee Han read the Skull Principal’s reply for a moment, then immediately threw it into the campfire.

'There is a lot of useless nonsense in this.'

Lee Han had dealt not only with teachers but also with powerful beings from other dimensions who were not teachers at all. Provocation of this level was not even enough to make him yawn.

He decided to take revenge on the Skull Principal later and first reconsidered the contents of the reply.

'...It should be fine, right?'

If the situation had truly been dangerous, the Skull Principal would have acted immediately instead of sending such a useless reply.

He would have given Lee Han instructions on what to do as well...

The fact that he had not meant the situation was still within the Skull Principal’s control.

Thinking of it that way, the sarcastic reply was actually reassuring.

'Right. The professors are correct. Even the evil-god worshipers will not be able to deal with Professor Bagreg’s despicable fighting methods so easily.'

When it came solely to fighting in the cheapest and dirtiest ways possible, Professor Voladi ranked among the best at Einroguard.

As a disciple who had experienced it personally, Lee Han could say so with certainty.

-Successor. Are you all right?

“What? I already said I was fine.”

Lee Han looked puzzled when the knights asked with concern.

He had more or less recovered from the shock of Professor Voladi’s escape, so why were they suddenly asking again?

-Well... In situations like this, disciples who receive letters from our master usually have a high probability of escaping as well...

“...If you know that, then try stopping him.”

Lee Han was almost afraid to ask how many seniors had escaped in the past.

***

'Hmm.'

While the anonymous Blue Dragon Tower friend was consulting the other professors about the teacher’s escape, Nigisor sank into thought.

What exactly had that spirit been earlier?

'A spirit that powerful would not have helped me for no reason.'

“Priest Nigisor. Priest Nigisor. Do you think it will be all right?”

“You mean when you called Lord Wardanaz, ‘Hey, Wardanaz!’ earlier? I doubt he heard...”

“...Not that.”

The snake beastkin priest glared at the blazing idiot friend.

Why did the memory have to be so good only when it was useless?!

“For reference, that is a secret. If you tell anyone, I will report to the Inspector that Priest Nigisor participated in the last fire incident.”

“Do not worry. This Nigisor is not so idle as to speak of such things. Then what are you worried ab—”

“Obviously, Professor Bagreg.”

Unable to watch any longer, Priest Tiziling intervened.

Tiziling was worried the two might start grabbing each other by the collars if left alone.

“Professor Bagreg?”

“What else would it be? More importantly, I honestly did not expect Lord Wardanaz to be that upset.”

Priest Siana spoke honestly.

In truth, there were surprisingly few Einroguard professors whose disappearance would make the students sad.

Professor Verdus and Professor Bendozol were easy examples to understand.

Professor Bendozol had actually disappeared before, and no one had regretted it.

And from Siana’s perspective, Professor Bagreg was not particularly...

'Did Lord Wardanaz not look as though Professor Bagreg was beating him every time they met?'

“P-Perhaps there was a relationship between teacher and disciple that outsiders could not know.”

Priest Tiziling had honestly thought something similar, but held it back.

Lee Han had looked far too depressed.

“I was surprised as well, but...”

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting. What were you discussing?”

“Hic.”

Priest Siana, the most startled of them all, began to hiccup.

Lee Han asked in confusion.

“Are you all right?”

“I am veeeery fine. Hic.”

'That is exactly the face Gainando makes when caught secretly playing mage cards.'

Lee Han briefly thought so, then stopped being suspicious.

Priest Siana was not Gainando. There was no reason Siana would do something like that.

It would be rude to a friend.

“We were thinking about the spirit. During the battle earlier, I felt a peculiar spirit helping me...”

“Hic. Perhaps you imagined it?”

Siana responded negatively to the Blue Dragon Tower friend’s words.

Priests generally tended to earn spirits’ favor.

They were all earnest and mild-mannered, so from a spirit’s perspective, there was little reason to dislike them.

Even taking that into account, however, Nigisor’s statement was highly unusual.

An uncontracted spirit had granted favor without even revealing itself?

Because they knew something about spirits, they understood even better how little sense that made.

“Hic. Unless it was a spirit planning something enormously elaborate, I do not think one would do such a thing.”

“It actually is a spirit planning something enormously elaborate. Sorry. It is called Heavenly Fire General, and it keeps following me.”

“......”

Siana’s hiccups stopped instantly from shock.

While Siana stammered speechlessly, Nigisor asked in surprise.

“Wait. If it is a spirit as powerful as Heavenly Fire General... Was the Daylily Magic Tower’s commission truly to subdue a spirit?”

“That is what I thought.”

Not only Siana but the other two priests as well stared intently at Lee Han.

When they had asked at the beginning of this commission, “Was the Daylily Magic Tower’s request a spirit-subjugation commission?” had Lee Han not stubbornly insisted, “No! The Daylily Magic Tower only called me because they wanted to... recruit me!”?

'It really was a spirit-subjugation commission!'

No matter what, the Daylily Magic Tower had its reputation.

Would such an institution really summon an Einroguard student for such a sordid reason?

It was clearly a spirit-subjugation commission.

“...The Daylily Magic Tower really did call me because they wanted to recruit me. Heavenly Fire General was released because of an accidental incident.”

“......”

'Damn it. Even to me, that sounds like a lie.'

Feeling defeated, Lee Han changed the subject.

“That is not important. In any case, Nigisor. This spirit is extremely wicked and underhanded, so even if it treats you well, you must never trust it. If it tries to tempt you into a contract, ignore it.”

Heavenly Fire General would have flared up in anger if it had heard that.

It was following Lee Han around because of a peculiar interest, but Heavenly Fire General was originally a spirit that did not even take contractors.

Why would such a violent spirit offer a contract to a novice priest like Nigisor?

Lee Han’s warning was an insult to Heavenly Fire General.

“Lord Wardanaz. That does not sound like a particularly good method of persuasion.”

“You did not necessarily need to tell Nigisor all of that...”

Siana and Tiziling stopped Lee Han at the same time.

Their attitude showed not the slightest faith in their friend.

Nigisor protested unhappily.

“I do not understand why you think I should not have been told.”

“Why do you think? Every priest except Priest Nigisor already knows the reason.”

“I-I was simply worried you might act a little... hastily...”

While the two priest friends criticized Nigisor sharply, Lee Han spoke again.

“No. I trust Priest Nigisor.”

“What? Truly? Perhaps you should reconsider?”

“...That is part of it, but if we say nothing, the spirit might tempt Nigisor later and cause greater uncertainty.”

When Lee Han whispered this, Siana finally understood.

That possibility had certainly not occurred to Siana.

Of course, Heavenly Fire General had not considered doing anything of the sort in the slightest...

Feeling slightly offended, Nigisor declared firmly.

“Hmph! I swear that even if that spirit contacts me, I will not give any answer whatsoever.”

“Even if it offers you flames?”

“Of course!”

“Even if it offers you an extraordinarily magnificent and powerful Authority of Flame? Even an Authority of Flame that burns endlessly, like Lord Wardanaz’s mana?”

“Priest Siana...”

Lee Han looked at the friend with a complicated expression.

Why did his name have to be brought into that?

“U-Ugh. Of course.”

Nigisor even paused to think after hearing it.

Lee Han wanted to sigh, but still decided to trust the friend.

...Nigisor had refused, at least...

“Good. I will trust you. We will be departing again soon. Everyone is all right, yes?”

“We are fine, but Lord Wardanaz...”

“Do not worry, Priest Tiziling. I am completely fine too.”

'He does not look very fine.'

'Honestly, I am a little worried.'

Siana and Tiziling exchanged brief glances and nodded.

Would it not be better to send him back to school to rest?

“Right.”

Lee Han, who had been about to turn away, stopped again and looked at his friends.

“If you see anyone suspicious on the road, make sure you tell me first. Understood?”

“...F-For what reason?”

Sensing killing intent for some reason, Siana asked with slight fear.

“What do you mean, for what reason? After something like this happened, we should be more careful about safety on future commissions. Why? Would you rather tell the professors before me?”

“Ah! I thought...”

“Thought what?”

“...Nothing! Ha ha. Ha ha... Hic.”

Siana closed the mouth before saying, I thought you were going to find the evil-god worshipers first and grind them to pieces.

“You have been hiccupping often. You are not tired, are you?”

“O-Of course not.”

“Then that is fine.”

With those final words, Lee Han truly left to report the situation to the professors.

The three priests looked at one another.

“...Should we not really send him back? If he intends to find the evil-god worshipers and strike first...”

“S-Surely he would never do such a thing.”

“......”

***

Once they finished handling the village situation and even persuaded the flame giants, the heat decreased quickly enough to feel.

With the people’s gratitude behind them, Lee Han’s group set out once more.

-Please drink something as we travel. We mixed fruit juice and sugar with ice.

“Thank... you?”

The knights’ strangely friendlier attitude was an added bonus.

It was hard to believe there was supposedly a rule that students on commissions were forbidden from buying snacks outside because it violated school regulations.

“Lord Wardanaz. I heard from the mercenaries earlier that if we continue in this direction for another thirty minutes, there is a restaurant that serves an incredible mushroom quiche.”

“No... That is all right.”

“W-Why?! Do you dislike pie?”

“The village over there was not harmed.”

Lee Han answered as though the question itself were absurd.

They were out on a commission, not traveling through the western Empire to enjoy the local cuisine.

Ibinta realized the mistake too late.

Beside them, the knights clicked their tongues in displeasure.

-Idiot. What did you learn while committing banditry if you cannot even flatter someone properly?

-What if Successor changes the mind because of you and reports the mistake? Will you take responsibility?

“......”

Ibinta had just been rejoicing over surviving despite the earlier mistake and inwardly cursed the knights.

It was not as though Ibinta alone had been at fault, yet those knights were tormenting only Ibinta.

'Honorable, my ass...!'

Perhaps they had also been bandits while alive.

If not, then at the very least their consciences were bandits.

Professor Garcia, sipping a chilled apple-juice drink through a reed straw, spoke to the fellow professor.

“When we arrive at the next village, should we buy Student Lee Han something as well?”

'He is not a child. I doubt something like that would improve his mood...'

Professor Kirmin thought so, but nodded.

Perhaps it would still be better.

Not for Wardanaz, but for Professor Garcia’s peace of mind from worrying about Wardanaz.

“You do not need to worry so much, Professor Garcia. Wardanaz is a mage strong enough not to be shaken by a situation like this.”

“You think so?”

-Halt!

Far ahead, the checkpoint before a wooden bridge spotted the carriage and shouted.

Even though the carriage displayed the flag of a magic school with the right of passage anywhere in the Empire, the checkpoint still ordered them to stop.

The professors looked puzzled.

“What is the matter?”

“We cannot tell you! Turn around and get lost!”

“What sort of...”

-Are those bastards insane?

While even the knights were dumbfounded, Lee Han suddenly leaned out of the carriage.

Then he swung the staff and immediately launched a spell.

The soldiers rolled away in terror.

Kwakakakakakang!

The soldiers guarding the checkpoint stared in horror as not only the guard post but even the barricade was smashed apart.

They had never imagined the other side would react like this.

“How dare you...?!”

“Judging by the way they ignore Imperial law, they appear to be evil-god worshipers. Shall we subdue them first?”

“......”