“You just said you’d gone aboard.”

“When you drift across the seas, you go aboard and leave ship all the time. No matter how urgent things are, you don’t set sail before the ship’s been repaired.”

That analogy feels forced.

Earlier, he had admired the comparison. Now it sounded strained.

Lee Han spoke with complaint in his voice.

“I finally learned it, so I should at least find a safe way to use it. It feels wrong to put it off just because it’s difficult...”

—Wh-who broke this place?

A startled voice came from below. It seemed the upperclassmen downstairs had seen the destruction while passing through the corridor.

“Oh no.”

Even Ragesa looked flustered, as if she had not expected this.

“How should we fix this?”

“What?”

“This broken area.”

Einroguard’s main building was like a living thing, so even if something was destroyed or burned, it would restore itself over time. But that did not mean you could simply smash part of it and walk away.

What crime had the people passing through that area committed, to suffer until it finished restoring itself?

The pirate crone giggled and said, “What’s my profession?”

“Pardon? You’re a pirate.”

“That’s right. I’m not a carpenter, stonemason, or blacksmith, am I?”

“No.”

“Then we run!”

Ragesa immediately turned around and took off running with the chain-wrapped pirates.

Lee Han stared blankly for a moment, then belatedly understood and chased after them.

...After this is over, I should stop associating with pirates.

No matter how he thought about it, pirates did not seem like good people to associate with.

*****

Raphaedel, who had joined Einroguard Duel Club this year, always had one question.

Why on earth does that exist?

Professor Bagreg Is Forbidden From Entering

(Report to Professor Ku Immediately if He Enters)

The phrase had been added beside the club rules carved into the old bronze plaque.

No matter how much Raphaedel thought about it, there was no understanding why it had been added.

Had Professor Voladi done something?

“Um. Senior.”

“Oh, Gral. Ask me anything.”

“Professor Bagreg is...”

“Sh-shut up! You insolent, disrespectful bastard. How dare you ask about that?”

“???”

Even the senior who had been acting kindly because they were from the same tower showed near-seizure symptoms when asked about Professor Voladi.

Thanks to that, not only Raphaedel but the other second-year students had no choice but to let their imaginations run wild.

“Did Professor Bagreg borrow money and not pay it back?”

“Professor Bagreg didn’t seem like that kind of person. Wasn’t Professor Bagreg just a blunt mage who made lectures boring?”

“From what I heard from Wardanaz, Professor Bagreg sounded a bit different...”

Unfortunately, none of the students knew much about Professor Voladi.

There was one person who did, but that person was not here.

“What did Wardanaz say?”

“Didn’t Wardanaz say things were hard because of the professor? Probably.”

“...But that’s normal for everyone. That’s ordinary.”

“Wardanaz also said the professor gives too much homework.”

“That’s ordinary too, isn’t it?”

The second-year students had no choice but to imagine Professor Voladi like blind men describing an elephant.

Meanwhile, another senior, Palga of House Ukim, arrived. Raphaedel spotted a White Tiger Tower senior and bowed happily.

“Senior.”

“Ah. Gral. Good to see you. Did you come out to practice?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect timing. Next week is club week, right? A guest is coming to our club too.”

“!”

The second-year students’ eyes lit up.

Basically, Einroguard students grew excited just from hearing that an outsider was coming.

By the time they became upperclassmen, they would get excited even over outsiders who had secretly infiltrated the school.

After spending enough time at Einroguard, outsiders began to look like walking treasure vaults carrying news and goods from the world beyond the school.

Apart from that, guests who came to teach a club were always welcome.

“That’s great!”

“Who is it?”

“But Professor Ku has been incredibly busy lately, hasn’t Professor Ku? How did the professor manage to invite someone?”

Palga answered the underclassmen’s questions one by one.

“It is a good thing. I don’t know who it is yet either, but I heard the guest is an excellent dueling mage. And, hmm... is that so?”

Palga was also puzzled by the last question.

Professor Kirmin Ku had definitely been incredibly busy lately.

“Professor. About inviting a guest for this club week...”

“Sorry, sorry! Ukim. I’ve been completely out of it lately because of the work the Principal assigned me. But don’t worry. I’ll definitely invite an outside guest.”

“If you’re busy, we’re fine without one.”

“No! As a professor, I can’t neglect this. I’ll definitely invite someone. Got it?”

Club week looked like a fun festival and event on the surface, but behind it lay the fierce sweat and tears of Einroguard’s mages.

Some “flashy” clubs attracted interested outsiders without doing anything, but others had to send out invitations in advance and prepare thoroughly just to barely save face.

It was similar to magic schools.

In one school, disciples might line up even though the professor was a beaver beastman, while in another school, new students might or might not come despite the presence of the kindest fifth-year student in Einroguard...

So it was only natural for Professor Kirmin Ku to make that promise to the dueling club students.

Einroguard Duel Club was not a club many outside guests visited.

“Professor Ku knows many people, so I’m sure the professor sent invitations during spare moments.”

“Indeed... Professor Ku is amazing. Sending invitations isn’t ordinary work either, and yet it was done in spare moments!”

The new dueling club members looked on with respect.

Having a professor who cared about the club was considerable luck at Einroguard.

“...Palga. To be honest, I was worried it might be Professor Bagreg.”

After finishing the conversation with the underclassmen and returning, a same-year friend whispered to Palga.

“What ominous nonsense are you saying?”

Palga’s expression turned serious.

Even between friends, there were lines that jokes should not cross.

Why was Professor Bagreg’s name coming up here?

“Think about it carefully. How busy has Professor Ku been lately? Sending invitations properly takes a fair amount of time too... and Professor Ku has a record.”

Professor Kirmin Ku was one of the rare popular professors at Einroguard, and the dueling club students did not deny that.

But Professor Kirmin Ku also had a terrible, ugly past: the past of inviting Professor Voladi to the dueling club.

For the sole crime of saying, “We want to become stronger,” the dueling club members had been forced to fight Professor Voladi in a confined space for three days.

“...”

Remembering that painful past, Palga went pale, breathing unevenly.

I was already traumatized from running into Professor Bagreg over winter break...

“...No. I checked Professor Bagreg’s whereabouts, and Professor Bagreg was in the underground classroom. Definitely not the guest. And they said it was an external guest.”

“Right? Phew. I guess I’ve become too sensitive.”

The friend apologized to Palga.

If it was an external guest, there was no way Professor Voladi would visit.

“No. I understand. I should tell the underclassmen the truth someday.”

“I’m... I’m afraid. I’m scared of how the underclassmen will look at us when they find out Professor Ku actually did something like that.”

“We can’t hide the truth forever...”

BANG!

The moment Palga finished speaking, an old woman burst through the door of the dueling club.

The old woman came in leading pirates wrapped in chains, rolling her eyes around as she inspected the students.

“Is this the dueling club?”

“Yes? That’s right.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ragesa, daughter of Torgerd. A pirate, captain, and admiral.”

“?”

Palga tilted Palga’s head.

Hadn’t something strange been mixed in before captain and admiral?

“Did you just say pirate...?”

“I came after receiving an invitation. You’re the fools who pretend to duel, right?”

“No! We do not pretend ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) to duel!”

Palga and several other students grew angry.

Einroguard Duel Club officially worked as duel champions and received payment for it.

Since they fought for other people’s gold coins, they fought far more bravely and fiercely than ordinary duel enthusiasts.

But pretending to duel?

“If I say it’s pretending, then it’s pretending! Standing face-to-face and waiting for a signal before fighting. Good grief. I don’t understand how fights that long and boring can be real.”

FLUTTER!

Ragesa pulled a bundle of papers from inside her coat.

“Here. I brought commission letters from fools who like that kind of pretending as a gift. I hear you lot like this stuff?”

“...!”

The dueling club students were shocked.

One of Einroguard Duel Club’s sources of income was the payment received for fighting duels on someone else’s behalf.

For that income to flow steadily, duel commissions had to keep coming in.

And this pirate had brought such a thick bundle of commission letters.

“How did you get so many?”

“There are ways to do everything!”

Ragesa giggled at the students’ question.

Naturally, once pirates threatened someone, even people who had never thought of dueling would suddenly want to find a champion.

“Anyway. I want to give you these... but I can’t just hand them over.”

“We expected that. What do we need to do?”

Several students stepped forward as if they had anticipated this.

There was no way such an eccentric mage would simply give them gifts without demanding a price.

“There’s a rookie pirate here. Fight this pirate and win.”

“????”

Lee Han, who had been watching, was bewildered when he was suddenly dragged out.

However, his confusion was nothing compared to the confusion of the second-year dueling club students.

“Wardanaz, why are you there?”

“A professor asked me to help guide someone around the school.”

“Professor Ku?”

“No. Professor B—”

“Quiet! Why are you having such a long conversation before fighting? Unless you’re hurling insults at each other!”

Ragesa seemed displeased by the sight and grumbled as she cut off their conversation.

“Lady Ragesa. I don’t want to fight the dueling club members.”

“That’s understandable. Pirates don’t fight without payment in the first place. I’ll give you this much gold for each one you beat.”

Ragesa spread her fingers wide as she spoke. Even so, Lee Han remained skeptical.

“There are even third-year upperclassmen here, so I...”

Ragesa spread the fingers of her other hand as well. Lee Han said firmly, “I’ll give it a try.”

“Kihihi. You know how to negotiate. Good! Give those fools some enlightenment. Got it?”

While Lee Han was speaking with Ragesa, the third-year students were having a silent discussion through their expressions.

Even if their opponent was a genius studying every school, he was still an underclassman.

For the honor of the dueling club, they had no intention of backing down out of fear of an underclassman.

“Since he’s studying every school, he probably has no weaknesses.”

“We’ll have to clash with him using our specialties. I’ll go first. ...Palga, what’s wrong?”

“Well... that guy. He’s Professor Bagreg’s disciple.”

“...”

“...”

While the upperclassmen were talking behind them, Raphaedel asked Lee Han a question.

“Wardanaz. Did Professor Ku assign this to you?”

“No. Professor Bagreg assigned it to me. Professor Bagreg was asked by Professor Ku.”

“I see. Senior, since the topic came up, may I ask why Professor Bagreg is banned from entering...”

Raphaedel turned around to ask.

However, the third-year upperclassmen had already fled out the door and disappeared.

“...”

“...”

“At least you learned one thing!”

Ragesa nodded in satisfaction.

Not being stubborn and fleeing when danger was sensed was also very important wisdom for mages.