-Ah.

The knights who had been quietly following Lee Han came back.

“??”

When the count and the merchants widened their eyes in confusion, the knights spoke with slight embarrassment.

-Come to think of it, you are embezzlers. We cannot simply leave you behind.

The successor had become so sharp that they had unconsciously followed along, but now that they thought about it, they could not just leave the count and the merchants there.

Mistaking the situation was one thing, but a crime was still a crime.

“......”

“......”

The count and the merchants were left speechless, merely opening and closing their mouths. In truth, they did not have much to say.

They were simply overcome by a sense of injustice.

Had they been caught because it was discovered that the relief-supply warehouse was empty, they would not have felt quite this wronged.

To be caught without understanding why, as though struck by lightning while walking down the road...

“This is truly... This is truly impossible to accept...!”

-Hmph. The net of heaven is vast. Though it may seem loose at first glance, it never lets a criminal escape.

Ordinarily, the count and the merchants would have scoffed at the knights’ words or argued back, but they were so dazed that they unconsciously nodded.

“Truly... perhaps that is so.”

-Wait, do you genuinely think that?

The knight who had spoken was instead taken aback.

For people who had stolen on such a large scale to agree with those words did not suit them at all.

Even the knight who had said it had not expected the other side to listen so obediently...

But the count and the merchants nodded again.

After experiencing something like this, even they could not help but waver.

'No. To think this kind of method would actually be effective.'

The knight was slightly impressed.

The knight had expected them to insist loudly that they had been wronged, but looking at it this way, the successor’s coercive method had possessed a meaning of its own.

'I thought the successor’s actions might have gone too far... but since the result was good, I suppose everything worked out.'

The Skull Principal normally disliked the Death Knights causing incidents outside on their own.

If the knights decided to pursue {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} justice however they pleased and beat up a noble, the Skull Principal was the one summoned by the emperor.

But judging from the current result, it seemed there was less need to worry about that.

...And honestly, the Skull Principal was also the one who had provoked the successor like that!

***

Lee Han’s group set out again.

The only difference was that the number of carriages following behind them had increased to more than ten.

The supplies that could not immediately be taken out of the count’s manor had been confiscated and placed in storage, while only the supplies that could be carried away had been brought along like this.

-Do not be too dejected, Successor. We did not find any evil-god worshipers, but did we not secure all these supplies?

-That is right. In a way, one could say matters turned out even better.

The knights meant every word.

The western region was currently suffering from a disaster, and such a large quantity of supplies had now been donated by force. This could certainly be called good fortune.

'Professor. Please help us too.'

The Death Knights winked at Professor Garcia.

Professor Garcia, who had been wondering whether it was truly all right for the disciple to be like this, was flustered by the sudden signal.

'Help you with what?'

'Encouragement. Professor, please encourage the successor.'

'...I am not sure encouragement is the right thing to do right now...'

If Professor Garcia praised Lee Han for surrounding and smashing apart the count’s manor, there was no imagining what he might do next.

Still, because Lee Han was the disciple, Professor Garcia cleared the throat once and spoke.

“Lee Han. Do not be too... disappointed.”

“I thought there would be evil-god worshipers.”

“......”

-......

Professor Garcia and the knights exchanged looks again.

'Did all of you think there would be some too?'

'We are knights. Do we look like berserkers to you?'

Of course, they had seemed somewhat suspicious, but the Empire was full of suspicious people.

Not all suspicious people could be evil-god worshipers.

“Th-That can happen. I am sure you will find them properly next time.”

“!”

When Lee Han seemed tempted by those words, the Death Knights were horrified.

'What are you saying?!'

'Ah. I made a mistake.'

'There are mistakes you should not make...!'

“Do you think I will be able to find them properly next time after all?”

“N-No. Perhaps you will not find them. Evil-god worshipers are extremely secretive.”

The disciple lowered his head again.

While Professor Garcia and the Death Knights bickered behind them, Professor Kirmin Ku quietly spoke.

“Wardanaz. Even if there were no evil-god worshipers, do not be too disappointed.”

“Yes?”

When Lee Han raised his head in confusion, Professor Kirmin Ku realized the judgment had been wrong.

This disciple had not become dejected.

He had merely been lost in thought.

“...Wait. You were not feeling sad?”

“I was considering a method to find the evil-god worshipers.”

“I see. I am glad you have not lost heart!”

Professor Garcia, having finished bickering with the knights behind them, asked curiously.

“What were you talking about just now?”

“We did not discuss anything. I do not think you need to worry, Professor Garcia.”

'Something feels strange...'

***

Hmm. Hmmm.

The spirit world.

Inside a modest, hidden underground fortress made of lava, Heavenly Fire General Zbagni flickered as it restored its strength.

Even a violent wandering spirit that spent its entire life roaming needed a secluded refuge like this.

Otherwise, there would be no proper way to recover after suffering a severe blow.

Heavenly Fire General was a violent spirit, not a stupid one.

-I will kill you!! You damned spirit!!!

Make sure to recover your strength in the demon world and return.

The demons imprisoned inside cages made of volcanic ash roared murderously.

They were beings who had invaded the spirit world in the distant past and had been captured and imprisoned by Heavenly Fire General.

There was a simple reason why it had gone out of its way to imprison demons it would ordinarily have simply burned.

It intended to use them as fuel for its recovery.

Heavenly Fire General was not some great mage of the material world. It had no reason to imprison demons and attempt to reform them.

Of course, to the demons, it was a terrible humiliation and insult.

A mere spirit was burning them for nothing more than restoring its own strength.

Had they fallen in a fair duel, it might not have felt so humiliating.

-I have memorized your name and scent. You will never escape from—Kraaagh!

Be quiet. You are making it difficult to absorb you.

Heavenly Fire General swallowed the demon in one gulp and complained.

This was one of the reasons the demons struggled so desperately.

If this spirit did not kill them cleanly, their recovery would be much slower even after they returned to the demon world.

It burned them alive without leaving a single trace behind...

I have something to do after absorbing you quickly, so all of you remain still.

-I will kill—Kyaaagh!

Heavenly Fire General finished the meal and tidied the area with refinement.

Fortunately, this fortress still remained, allowing it to recover its strength with ease.

This spirit had so many enemies that it had to be especially cautious at the moment.

It was not the type to avoid a disadvantageous battle, but Heavenly Fire General currently had something to do.

Now... then...

Heavenly Fire General immediately consumed the restored strength and began contacting the continent again.

It searched for the traces of the contractor with whom it had continuously attempted to form a contract, distorted the dimensions, and passed through that path...

There you are!

The spirit found its target.

Surprisingly, it was not Lee Han, but the priest Nigisor.

Heh. There seems to be spirit blood mixed into that one, so naturally the spirit’s power must have been felt even more strongly.

Recently, Lee Han had remained unmoved by any sweet words—though it also seemed that he was not listening at all—and continued behaving stubbornly, so Heavenly Fire General had changed its strategy.

It would tempt the mages around him instead.

A mortal’s greatest weakness was desire.

No matter how strongly someone rejected power, that resolve was bound to waver easily.

Mage, mage... You must have felt my power during the battle...

Heavenly Fire General consumed strength to convey its will to Nigisor.

When the spirit’s telepathic waves made contact, Nigisor spoke firmly.

“I have no intention of forming a contract. Go away.”

......

For a moment, Heavenly Fire General was so flustered that it could not speak.

It was no easy feat to fluster this experienced and savage spirit, but Nigisor had managed it.

From Heavenly Fire General’s perspective, the reaction was only natural.

...It had never intended to form a contract at all!

What... Do you think a mortal like you possesses the qualifications to form a contract with this Heavenly Fire General?! I had not the slightest intention of doing so! How truly arrogant!

“That is good. Go away.”

Nigisor spoke while pretending to cover the ears.

The other Einroguard friends in the same year treated Nigisor as the most dangerous priest in the Phoenix Tower, but Nigisor was not foolish enough to ignore Lee Han’s warning.

Wardanaz sometimes became filled with madness, but he was never a friend who spoke nonsense.

Listen properly. I do not have the slightest intention of forming a contract with a mortal like you. Why would I lower myself to such a thing? I am merely saying that I will gift you a fragment of my power, so use that power once.

A contract with a spirit imposed considerable responsibilities and obligations upon the spirit as well.

Since it was a contract carved into the soul and existence, Heavenly Fire General was no exception.

The reason it intended to form a contract with Lee Han despite that was because it instinctively sensed the other party’s extraordinary nature and a destiny filled with bloody battles.

Heavenly Fire General was certainly not a spirit that formed contracts with just anyone.

Even in tempting Nigisor, it had merely intended to toss over a few fragments of power and tell the priest to try using them.

If Lee Han watched someone beside him using a spirit’s power, he would inevitably begin to waver.

But now some inexperienced brat was saying, “I am not forming a contract with you,” so how could Heavenly Fire General not find it absurd?

“I said I have no intention of forming a contract! Go away!”

......

Only then did Heavenly Fire General notice the sense of incongruity.

Could these mages possibly, as a group...?!

***

Jandanni of House Aljadk, a fourth-year student at Valdrogard, pounded the chest upon seeing the devastation near the city of Vepaim.

As Valdrogard was a magic school located in the western Empire, its students could not stand by and watch the disaster that had struck the west.

“To think these jewels can do nothing...!”

Jandanni looked dejectedly at the jewels inside the pouch.

The plan had been to sell them and buy food nearby, but there was currently no food available anywhere in the surrounding area.

Jewels that could be used like cash anytime and anywhere had become completely meaningless.

Jandanni had never imagined such a situation.

“Senior. Let us go repair the well.”

“Right... Here. Take this.”

Jandanni held out a beautifully cut beryl to the junior.

“If you throw this inside, it will repair the well while purifying it.”

'Is that not far too excessive a method...?'

The Valdrogard mage who had come along thought so, but pointing out every detail of another mage’s magic was rude.

In any case, it was Jandanni’s jewel, so the mage said nothing more and accepted it.

“They say supplies have arrived below the hill! Everyone, please come and help move them!!”

“What? How?! Where did they come from?!”

Not only the Valdrogard mages, but even the priests carrying out relief work were startled.

“They say the people from Einroguard brought them.”

“W-We have not managed to secure any yet, so how did they...?”

“The truth is, about that...”

The messenger who had brought the news looked around, lowered the voice, and spoke.

“There is a rumor that they attacked Count Bouillon’s manor, confiscated all of his property, and secured the supplies afterward.”

“...!!!”

Such a bold method existed?!