“...Senior, do you have no pride as a jousting player?! How could you so readily accept such corrupt gold coins?”

“!?”

Karnella was thrown into confusion by the junior’s unexpected criticism.

“Wh... what? Wait. What does accepting sponsorship have to do with pride as a jousting player? And what do you mean, corrupt gold coins? Can gold coins even be corrupt?”

“Forget it. You don’t understand anything, Senior!”

“Wait, junior! Come back! At least tell me what you mean before you leave! Come back!”

When a normally kind and sincere junior suddenly got angry and ran off, Karnella was left flustered and at a loss.

Were jousting players with pride not supposed to accept gold coins?

*****

Since it’s come to this, I have no choice.

Lee Han made up his mind.

He didn’t need a cheerful, enjoyable club week anymore.

I’ll call the Death Knights!

The upperclassmen who had been looking forward to it would be sorely disappointed if club week turned into a shocking and terrifying magical-criminal suppression operation, but that couldn’t be helped.

Lee Han had to survive too.

At first, he had thought he could simply avoid Intarendals and endure it, but after seeing what Intarendals was capable of, that no longer seemed possible.

Just look at that absurd scale and speed of sponsorship.

If this continued for even one more day, Intarendals might create an <Einroguard Sponsors Guild> and come looking for Lee Han.

I’ve heard that the wand is mightier than the sword, but who knew gold coins were mightier than wands?

—Is that really true?

—Yes, Count Klzenbelg.

—How truly remarkable!

“Great Death Knights!”

When Lee Han spotted Death Knights patrolling in the distance, he hurried over.

—To think someone would sponsor the dark magic school... And during club week, no less. Sponsoring a school instead of a club.

—The Empire is vast. There must be all sorts of eccentrics.

—Come to think of it, the dark magic school used to be quite prosperous and popular in the old days.

—Really? I can hardly imagine it!

“...”

Lee Han was shocked by the Death Knights’ conversation.

Meanwhile, the Death Knights recognized him and greeted him warmly.

—Gasp... Is that Lee Han of House Wardanaz!

—Gasp... Lord Wardanaz!

At some point without Lee Han’s knowledge, the Death Knights had begun adding a strange greeting that started with “Gasp.”

He had no time to ask what bizarre trend was spreading among the Skull Principal’s subordinates, so he went straight to the point.

“Something terrible has happened! We need to gather the other knights immediately and surround the school...”

Lee Han, who had been speaking forcefully, hesitated.

The conversation he had just overheard was bothering him again.

“...But everyone. There’s something I’m curious about.”

—Did you not just say something terrible had happened?

“It is terrible, but there’s something even more terrible I need to know... What would happen in a situation like this?”

Lee Han explained the day’s events in the most roundabout way possible.

A suspicious magical criminal had revived the ancestor of an imperial noble family. That revived ancestor had embezzled the family’s hidden assets to sponsor mages. If this fact were discovered, what would happen to the sponsored assets?

—?

—??

The Death Knights were puzzled, unable to grasp the point of the question.

—Student Lee Han. Reviving someone in a proper state instead of as undead is generally impossible.

—And why would a person revived like that want to sponsor mages? Especially after being revived by a suspicious magical criminal?

“...Ah, just imagine it!”

Lee Han snapped.

If it had been any other student, the Death Knights would have dragged that student to the punishment cells immediately, but they flinched and stepped back.

First of all, dragging Lee Han to an ordinary punishment cell would not mean much. And by knightly conscience, sending such a pitiful mage to the punishment cells seemed far too dishonorable.

—In that case, according to imperial law, those assets would likely be confiscated and returned to the original family.

“Why? Wouldn’t the family ancestor have authority too?”

—One could see it that way. But once someone dies, ownership of the assets has effectively been transferred. In fact, similar problems arose during the ancient kingdom period. There were even rebellions over it. Hmm. His Imperial Majesty likely codified it clearly in imperial law because he knew about those incidents.

“...”

Lee Han inwardly cursed the imperial emperor, who was uselessly competent and knowledgeable.

There should have been at least a few loopholes in the law for the sake of human warmth. How could it be so thorough?

—So why did you ask? Wait. Could it be...

Death Knight Count Klzenbelg looked at Lee Han as if he had figured it out.

“No.”

—...You’re planning to revive old ancestors of noble families and extort their assets!

“That is absolutely not it.”

—No?

Count Klzenbelg looked extremely embarrassed.

That had seemed like the obvious answer.

Meanwhile, Lee Han was deeply conflicted.

If I call the knights now...

Lee Han imagined Senior Diret crying after having a pouch of gold coins taken away. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Of course, Senior Diret was absolutely not someone who would cry over losing a pouch of gold coins. Lee Han was much closer to being that kind of person. But right now, Senior Diret was not beside Lee Han to get angry at this junior’s insulting imagination.

“Great Death Knights.”

—By the way, when our master calls us that, it usually means we’re about to be given something difficult and troublesome to do.

“...Death Knights.”

Lee Han immediately changed his wording.

As expected of knights who had lived long lives, their skill at indirect criticism was exceptionally sharp.

“I’m going to tell you something now. Can you swear on your honor to keep it secret?”

—...!

—!!

The Death Knights’ eyes turned serious.

If the successor was speaking like this, it had to be a grave matter.

—Is it about attacking our master?

“No.”

Lee Han answered, then hesitated.

Is it? In a way, it could be seen that way.

—Actually, it would be fine even if it were about attacking our master. That was just a casual question. We swear on our honor to keep it secret.

—I, too, will uphold my honor.

The Death Knights promised so readily that Lee Han was the one taken aback.

“Are you sure that’s all right?”

—Helping someone as pitiful as you, Student Lee Han, is a knight’s duty.

—I agree.

“...”

For the first time, Lee Han realized that chivalry could wound a person’s feelings.

Still, he could not refuse their help. He calmly explained the terrifying events that had happened that day.

—...

—...

The Death Knights were just as shocked.

It was an obsession beyond anything they had dared imagine.

—Dear god. What kind of method is that?

—As expected of our master’s remnant. Truly extraordinary.

—Even the trouble it causes is extraordinary.

“Excuse me. Are you listening? Can’t we leave the gold coins alone and find some way to deal with this? At least leave the sponsorship money for the dark magic school.”

—Student Lee Han. I understand your feelings very well.

—Lord Wardanaz. I understand too. The Dalcard family claiming ownership of those gold coins would be morally outrageous in the first place. Are they not ancestral assets? Just because the ancestor died, does that mean the descendants may use that property however they please? How dare they! Arrogant, insolent bastards!

As the junior Death Knight shouted in fury, Count Klzenbelg whispered.

—You understand, don’t you? The descendants squandered the fortune.

“Ah, yes...”

—Good. Do not make this bigger. Handle it quietly.

Lee Han was moved by the veteran knights’ reliable cooperation.

Unlike the Skull Principal, who had not been seen lately, these knights truly were the pillars supporting Einroguard.

“Then what should we do?”

*****

THUD, THUD, THUD!

The Death Knights used shadow leap to surround Intarendals, then drove dark swords into Intarendals to seal away any possible action.

Then they swiftly stuffed Intarendals into a bag enchanted with subspace magic and gestured.

—Move!

“...”

Lee Han was shocked by their skill in subduing an opponent faster than the blink of an eye.

Even if he had been in Intarendals’s position, he would have been subdued in exactly the same way.

He had often heard that knights were a mage’s natural enemy, but he had forgotten it because he usually saw only powerful mages.

The Death Knights, strengthened by power drawn from their territory of Einroguard, displayed terrifying force against mages.

Whatever magic you could use, they would subdue you before you used it!

—Up these stairs.

—Student Wardanaz, jump out that window.

—After that, plant your foot deep in this pit!

Lee Han followed the Death Knights through shortcuts in the main building, memorizing every route.

He might need to use them someday.

—Is the first room empty?

—No. There’s a prisoner inside.

—The second and third rooms must be full.

—Ah! The seventh room is empty. Perfect!

“?”

When Lee Han looked puzzled, one kind Death Knight explained.

—This is <Truth of Mages>, an interrogation room personally designed by our master. Accomplished mages often escape when confined in ordinary rooms.

I shouldn’t have asked.

Lee Han immediately regretted hearing the explanation.

When they opened the door to the seventh room and entered, a severe headache struck Lee Han at once.

The room was overloaded with too many complex spells, and the flood of information hit him all at once.

If he had been a mage with duller senses, it might have been better, but Lee Han’s senses were far too sharp in such matters. He could not avoid the headache.

Ugh...! What kind of magic is this...?

—Take him out.

THUMP!

Intarendals fell to the floor after being pulled from the bag.

Despite the dark swords embedded all over Intarendals’s body and the sudden abduction, Intarendals’s expression remained perfectly calm.

It was truly the composure of someone who had served the Skull Principal in the harsh ancient era. The Death Knights inwardly admired it.

—Intarendals. Do you know why you were dragged here?

“I am not sure.”

—Because your master and our master are enemies.

The Death Knights explained the relationship between the Skull Principal and the insane duplicate, saying that Intarendals was serving the wrong master.

However, Intarendals remained unshaken.

“How can you prove that your side is the main body and not the duplicate?”

—...Uh...

The Death Knights hesitated.

That was true.

—Because our side is much stronger and more evil. That means our side is the main body.

“That would have to be compared directly.”

—The other side is an existence like a thought-form that periodically disappears and reappears.

“Even so, you cannot say it is the duplicate...”

As the conversation began sliding into a debate, Lee Han sent Count Klzenbelg a meaningful look.

The experienced Death Knight scolded the others.

—Do not give unnecessary answers! Intarendals. You have two choices. Leave the gold coins behind and quietly depart the school, or die by our hands.

“Why would I fear death at this point? However, even if I die, I would like to know the reason. Is there a reason I should not make contact with Lee Han of House Wardanaz? Perhaps your master is deceiving you.”

—Stop talking nonsense. Lee Han of House Wardanaz said he does not want to meet you.

Intarendals did not believe the Death Knight and smiled brightly.

Like the capable administrator who had handled all manner of work as a prince’s chamberlain, Intarendals found the gap hidden in the opponent’s words.

“That is a lie. Lee Han of House Wardanaz likely does not even know I have come. We simply kept missing each other because of ill luck.”

“...Actually, I am Lee Han of House Wardanaz.”

Unable to watch any longer, Lee Han stepped forward and spoke.

At those words, Intarendals showed shock for the first time that day.

“No, that is impossible! How can this be!”