Instead of making awkward excuses, Lee Han flashed a confident smile.

Of course, with that fierce, brutal-looking face, it had little effect. Dirimpa thought to themself.

‘How on earth did Senior Diret become friends with such a savage-looking mage?’

It was true that Diret had always been good at summoning and contracting with ferocious undead monsters and demons.

But who could have guessed that talent applied to mages too?

‘Well, considering Diret gets along with that strange Imperial Princess, maybe Diret can get along with anyone.’

***

After showing his face at the gathering, Lee Han said his farewells—with a request not to send letters, since he was not particularly close with Alshicle—and left with the dark magic school students.

The count’s nephew watched Lee Han’s—no, Stedal’s—retreating back with deep regret on his face.

If not for the rest of the gathering, he looked as though he would have followed them at once.

“Senior. How long do I have to keep this disguise up? Can I take it off soon?”

“Since it’s come to this, see it through to the end.”

“!?”

Diret was firm.

Knowing Koholti’s personality, if Koholti learned that Stedal’s real identity was a junior, there was a high chance of rolling around in self-loathing.

“Diret. Could you ask Mr. Nago when I might be able to meet him again later?”

Unaware of the complicated feelings of the friend beside him, Koholti made a small request.

Since they had seemed to get along quite well, Koholti felt that with Diret’s help, it might be possible to befriend that Stedal Nago too.

“No.”

“I see. As befits a mage who wanders freely across the Empire, he dislikes making appointments like that? Then could you ask him for a sign where I can send paper birds?”

“No.”

“I understand. He must quietly immerse himself in meditation, so receiving paper birds would interfere with his concentration. My thinking was shallow.”

“...”

Diret stared at the friend beside them with a gaze mixed with contempt and shock.

A friend who would normally whine, “Ah, why!” was acting this meekly in front of a junior’s disguise.

‘If only Koholti had listened even half this well when we were in school...’

Despite being rejected several times, Koholti did not withdraw that respectful gaze from Stedal.

Koholti wanted to become friends!

“Senior Koholti. Please stop.”

Dirimpa spoke as though the whole thing was pathetic.

If Koholti wanted to become friends, then Koholti should do it personally instead of constantly trying to use Senior Diret.

“Dirimpa. Could you go in my place...”

“I’m meeting him for the first time today too, you know? And if you keep this up, I might want to take back the help I gave you earlier.”

At those words, Koholti shut up.

Apparently, Koholti was worried that Stedal might have overheard the conversation.

“If you want to become friends, you can just show your abilities when we go to the mansion to capture the demon.”

“I-indeed. Wait. But even if we capture the demon, if only Einroguard’s dark magic school can control it, there’s no benefit for me...”

“Then would you rather just leave? Mr. Koholti?”

“Stop calling me ‘Mr.’! Fine, fine, I understand.”

Koholti grumbled that bringing it up had only left him worse off.

Well, considering all the help received from a friend and juniors today, helping this much was nothing.

With luck, perhaps Koholti could properly demonstrate those abilities and shine in front of that Stedal Nago.

“Come to think of it, Senior, your precious student isn’t here?”

“None of the second-years are here.”

Diret shrugged.

The third- and fourth-years worked with Diret on various commissions and research during vacation, but Diret had not gone out of the way to call the second-years.

There was no need to make the juniors miserable early when they would become plenty miserable soon enough.

“But I heard he’s at least at fourth-year level.”

‘That’s true?’

The other dark magic school students listening from behind also hesitated.

Dirimpa’s words were more reasonable than expected.

“No matter how skilled he is, it’s not good to ignore grade level.”

Stedal advised them in a heavy voice.

Though he was an outside mage, listening to the conversation of the renowned Einroguard students seemed to stir a desire to offer guidance.

“Indeed. That junior would need time to spend with friends from his own grade too.”

“Mr. Nago is right.”

The dark magic school students were immediately convinced. Koholti, in particular, nodded several times.

To think he would even give such considerate advice!

“...”

Diret stared fixedly at the junior. Lee Han subtly avoided that gaze.

“But...”

Despite the answer, Dirimpa opened their mouth again, and Lee Han shot over a wary look.

What was Dirimpa trying to say now?

“...I heard he got dragged around by that strange person this vacation to help with magic. Then wouldn’t he have no time to spend with his friends anyway?”

“Yukbeltire isn’t that strange.”

Diret defended the friend in question. Lee Han thought to himself.

‘So it wasn’t about the Skull Principal.’

At first, he had wondered if Senior Dirimpa knew about him helping the Skull Principal, but it turned out to be about Yukbeltire.

With so many strange people at Einroguard, it was hard to guess from “strange person” alone.

‘More importantly, how did Senior Diret immediately know it meant Senior Yukbeltire?’

“And Yukbeltire couldn’t take him this vacation. The Principal took him first.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Han wondered if he should say something.

In the end, Senior Yukbeltire had come chasing after him too...

“What? The Principal took him?”

“...Which is worse, spending vacation with that senior, or spending vacation with the Principal?”

“That really is a difficult question.”

The dark magic school students murmured among themselves.

Spending vacation with Senior Yukbeltire, or spending vacation with the Skull Principal.

Both sounded truly awful.

“If the Principal took him, then there’s nothing we can do, but Senior Diret is too lenient with that strange person.”

“That’s right.”

“I agree, Diret.”

Not only the juniors, but even Koholti chimed in.

Use the affection you would spend on Yukbeltire on the dark magic school juniors instead!

“I think so too... no, friendship is each person’s freedom. Hmm.”

The fierce battle mage who had been about to add a comment quickly shut his mouth.

Diret was preparing to stomp on Lee Han’s foot with a shoe heel.

“Anyway, I heard he’s quite an impressive battle mage. It’s a shame he isn’t here.”

‘This person might be decent.’

At Dirimpa’s praise, Lee Han lowered his guard slightly.

Since Dirimpa spent most of the time underground and occasionally threw away gems, Lee Han had thought there might be something unhinged there...

“That junior is indeed impressive.”

Koholti also praised him.

Since Koholti had received help from Lee Han when he was a first-year, Koholti held this junior in quite high regard.

‘Senior Koholti.’

Lee Han was slightly moved.

Though their connection had not lasted very long, a bond with a senior from the same school truly did not fade easily.

“At first, when I heard he was taking every school, I thought he was insane. But he turned out to be kinder and more sincere than I expected.”

“He seems pretty decent?”

“No. He’s definitely insane! Otherwise, who would take every school! Hahaha!”

Koholti, having let down that guard because the junior was supposedly not present, attempted a bold joke.

Never in Koholti’s dreams did Koholti imagine that the disguised junior was standing right beside them.

‘Hmm. I helped Senior Koholti for nothing.’

***

Bulserec of House Gral was a fairly wealthy noble of the capital, and like many nobles, had a collecting hobby.

Once a collecting hobby grew too deep, it led to walking a tightrope between the illegal and the barely legal.

Eventually, one ended up participating in secret auctions where stolen goods or items of unclear origin appeared.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

The well-built noble kept bowing his head in apology.

Having caused trouble by purchasing a dangerous relic at an unauthorized auction, he seemed unable to face the mages.

“I will never participate in such auctions again.”

“Hmm.”

“Well...”

The dark magic school students exchanged awkward glances.

In truth, unauthorized secret auctions were something Einroguard’s mages attended too.

If a necessary relic appeared, participating and acquiring it, legal or not, was considered a mage’s virtue.

“It would be good if you didn’t participate in the future!”

“That’s right! Hahaha!”

The students quickly laughed it off.

Their consciences made it difficult to say anything more.

“Th-thank you for understanding. I was very worried after hearing the rumors... Einroguard’s mages are more generous than I expected!”

Bulserec, who had been prepared for a harsh reaction because of the rumors about Einroguard’s mages, looked moved.

Who would have thought they would be this kind?

“Heh. Only the dark magic school is especially generous...”

Diret struck Stedal Nago in the back from an angle where no one else could see.

The junior whose identity had to remain hidden had been acting conspicuously since earlier.

“We’re not too harsh on unintentional victims. Could you guide us inside?”

“This way, please!”

Bulserec hurriedly nodded and personally guided the group into the mansion.

After the demon was summoned, Bulserec had sent everyone home except for a few trustworthy senior servants, afraid that rumors might spread.

“It’s in better condition than I expected?”

“There’s no alien magical power either.”

“It doesn’t seem like a very strong demon...”

The students looked disappointed as they studied the elegant corridor decorated with spotless white wallpaper.

Even if a demon was trapped inside, if it were fairly powerful, traces would have shown here and there.

There should have been contamination phenomena, or distortions in the atmosphere caused by magical power.

Diret called over the mage who had dealt with the most high-ranking demons among those present, excluding Diret.

“Do you sense anything uncomfortable?”

“...I don’t feel anything yet, but why are you asking me?”

Lee Han asked back in confusion.

There were reliable upperclassmen here, and even one graduate, so why ask Lee Han in particular?

“When it comes to experience dealing with high-ranking demons, there aren’t many mages who can match you.”

“No, that’s ridiculous...”

Lee Han, who had been about to refute, hesitated.

...Was that true?

Come to think of it, just counting the Pride Duke and the Fury Golem, he had already met two duke-class high-ranking demons.

If he included other powerful demons as well...

“And I trust your senses. Your senses are incomparable.”

“Senior!”

“Don’t call me senior with that face.”

Diret coldly drew the line.

Having a fierce battle mage who looked at least ten years older call Diret “senior” was extremely uncomfortable.

“I don’t sense anything wrong. It seems to be a weak demon, or one skilled at hiding its identity.”

‘It isn’t hiding because of him, is it?’

Diret pondered that for a moment.

Demons were surprisingly fast at sharing information. In particular, House Wardanaz was quite famous among demons.

If the demon in the mansion had sensed the House Wardanaz bloodline and gone into hiding, drawing it out would be rather troublesome.

“We’ll begin work.”

“Go ahead.”

At the juniors’ words, Diret nodded. Since there seemed to be no dangerous elements, the plan was to proceed as scheduled.

The dark mages took out incense burners filled with ash, lit the fires, and chanted spells.

Smoke with powerful binding force against demons spread throughout the mansion. What made it unusual was that the smoke did not merely spread physically, but also into other dimensions. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

It seeped into various interdimensional subspaces: inside mirrors, inside portraits, inside the garden fountains.

Swish!

A black shape flashed through a mirror. The demon hiding in the mansion had begun to move.

“If you come out quietly now, we’ll reduce your sentence, demon!”

One student issued a warning.

It was quite a wicked threat. Of course, demons did not descend to the continent for good purposes either, so they were hardly in a position to complain...

Click!

Dirimpa gave a signal. Several portraits were being sealed to drive the demon toward them.

The demon’s movement pattern grew increasingly simple. From the moment it had been trapped in the mansion, its fate was already decided.

Since it had failed to escape before the mages arrived, there was no way for it to respond.

‘It’ll be caught soon.’

Lee Han quietly waited to see what kind of demon it would be.

Just then, the demon revealed itself from the mirror in front of Lee Han and shouted.

—Please help me!

“...Could it be an insane demon?”