—Isn’t it strange that Intarendals didn’t notice?

One of the Death Knights sounded as if the matter made no sense.

Considering the situation they had just heard, it would have been stranger not to feel suspicious.

First, Lee Han had shown a suspiciously excessive interest. Then he had claimed not to know who Wardanaz was. Then, every time Intarendals visited a club, he had hurriedly run away.

Intarendals answered with genuine confusion.

“I thought he would be a much more evil and violent mage.”

—Ah!

—So that was it!

The Death Knights understood at once.

Intarendals’s words were certainly convincing.

If the Skull Principal went somewhere and told them to find his successor, they too would probably begin by looking for a mage with three heads and six arms.

A normal-looking mage was just too...

...unsuited to him!

What is that supposed to mean?

Lee Han inwardly cursed the Death Knights.

They should have sternly scolded such nonsense instead of agreeing with it.

“Wait. If you are Lee Han of House Wardanaz, why did you hide your identity?”

“...Because I don’t really want to learn magic?”

“That... that is nonsense! Do not lie to me!”

Intarendals showed the most shocked expression of the entire day, as if this was absolutely impossible to believe.

Several Death Knights were also flustered.

—Does the successor sometimes not want to learn magic?

—Hmm. Depending on the opponent, that might be possible. But it is surprising. Seeing him learn under Professor Bivle, I thought he would not care who taught him as long as he could learn.

Fortunately, Lee Han was too busy dealing with Intarendals to hear the Death Knights’ conversation.

If he had heard it, he might have flared up in anger.

“Why do you say it’s a lie?”

“It is an opportunity to learn magic from Master! Think about it. He was born a prince of a nameless small kingdom. Yet he became one who destroys kingdoms and melts crowns! If that does not make him the master of destiny, then who could ever deserve the name? And what a great honor it is to learn from such a person!”

Intarendals’s voice held sincere regret and faith.

Instead of trying to persuade Intarendals, Lee Han spoke to the Death Knights.

“Did the Principal destroy kingdoms and melt crowns too?”

—Well... We each offered our swords at different times...

—Could it be that incident? The one where he gathered kings and stitched them together?

—No. That did not destroy kingdoms or melt crowns.

I shouldn’t have asked.

Actually, when Lee Han thought about it, it did not really matter whether the Skull Principal held titles like <Kingdom Destroyer>, <Crown Melter>, or <One Who Stitches Kings Together>.

What mattered was refusing.

“No. I don’t like crowns or kingdoms...”

“What on earth is the reason?!”

“Your master teaches too harshly.”

“What?! Harsh? What nonsense is that, Lee Han of House Wardanaz! Where on the continent would you find an archmage so generous?”

One Death Knight, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up from the side.

—Listen, Intarendals. While you were dead, magical instruction on the continent became much more peaceful.

—If you kill disciples like in the old days, you get punished now.

“...!!!”

Intarendals, the capable chamberlain, was fanatical and blind, but not stupid.

Intarendals immediately understood what the Death Knights meant.

“This is ridiculous... Are you saying the corrupt customs of the current era interfere with Master’s teachings?”

—Corrupt... are they?

—Hmm. Young knights these days do seem a little corrupt.

Despite the shock, Intarendals quickly regained composure and spoke. Regardless of personal shock, the task given by the master had to be carried out faithfully.

“Good... very well. Lee Han of House Wardanaz. Then let us negotiate.”

“What negotiation? Just so you know, don’t think you can sway me with gold coins. No matter how much gold you pour into the dark magic school, I won’t be tempted so easily. Do you understand? I’m not someone who gets shaken by Imperial gold coins so easily...”

He’s becoming suspiciously talkative.

The Death Knights thought the same thing.

If they pushed just a little more with gold coins, he might fall to temptation.

“Lee Han of House Wardanaz. The reason I went around sponsoring various clubs was so that material concerns would not hinder you when you learned magic from Master.”

Intarendals spoke solemnly.

It was not that Intarendals had sponsored with evil intentions, as Lee Han had assumed.

Of course, the result had become evil sponsorship, but the intention itself had been to create time for Lee Han.

Mages had to spend time on research and magic that did not interest them in order to secure gold coins.

How regrettable would it be if such wasted time reduced the time available to learn from Intarendals’s master?

“And I’m not sure what you mean by the dark magic school.”

“Didn’t you sponsor the dark magic school?”

“Yes. I did sponsor them, but that was not because of you, Lee Han. I sponsored them simply because it is a school that inherited Master’s magic.”

“...I, I see. Thank you. Please continue supporting us generously.”

“Haha... There must be many other good sponsors besides me.”

At Intarendals’s words, the Death Knights and Lee Han subtly averted their gazes.

They could not bring themselves to tell the truth about that part.

“Anyway, Lee Han. Naturally, I thought that when I told you Master was looking for you, you would come running in joy and delight...”

The plan of Intarendals, capable chamberlain, had been simple and flawless.

Enter the school during club week.Sponsor Lee Han to give him more free time.Welcome Lee Han when he came running over in joy.That’s insane.

Lee Han cursed inwardly.

“Did that magical criminal with a name similar to Antagondals not report anything?”

Lee Han had clearly expressed his refusal to Antagondals, yet Intarendals had arrived with such naive expectations.

He wondered whether something had happened along the way that prevented the message from being delivered.

“Antagondals? A magical criminal?”

Intarendals looked puzzled and seemed to think for a moment.

Then Intarendals answered.

“I am sorry, but Master has always ignored the words of worthless and insignificant beings. He separates the wheat from the chaff in words as well.”

“...”

Antagondals had risked life and limb to come in, gone through all that suffering, and in the end, the report had been ignored by the main body.

Lee Han felt just slightly sorry for Antagondals. Being a magical criminal was not easy work either.

“Lee Han. I would like to discuss the negotiation.”

Intarendals, who had managed the Skull Principal’s affairs large and small as a chamberlain in life, immediately brought out a proposal.

If the world had changed, should one not adapt to it?

“First, you said Master’s teachings are harsh. How about this? For deaths occurring within one week, I guarantee resurrection up to three times.”

“...”

—... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

“Hmm. This does not seem right either. I understand. Let me raise it a little more.”

Intarendals read the room and began refining the negotiation terms.

Three resurrections, five resurrections, seven resurrections, prohibition of death...

“Prohibiting attacks is nonsense. Lee Han! How can you learn magic without being attacked?”

—Tsk, tsk. This is why people from the old days...

—They are all stuffy and narrow-minded without exception. Utterly inflexible.

“?!”

The Death Knights vented their usual frustration from being mocked by students as old knights onto someone even older than themselves.

Intarendals groaned in anguish.

“But... but the no-attack rule is... Ugh. It can’t be helped. I will convey it. Though I doubt my master will approve. He will likely refuse.”

“If he refuses, there’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s respect each other.”

Lee Han answered indifferently.

In fact, if the insane duplicate heard those words and refused, that would be good for Lee Han, not bad.

“What other conditions might there be? Since we are already doing this, please tell me.”

—Hmm. How about teaching in neutral territory? In a dimension where neither side can attack.

—Teaching through long-distance communication would be better. That would be much safer. We would feel at ease if it took place through mirrors.

“Long-distance... artifacts... communication... safe distance...”

Intarendals scribbled rapidly, quill flashing across the page.

“Anything else?”

—Student Lee Han must be quite busy attending many other lectures...

“But those lectures are garbage compared to my master’s teachings...”

—Hey! This old-fashioned fool again!

—Are you going to keep spouting such rigid nonsense?

“S-sorry. Please continue.”

—There should be appropriate compensation, should there not?

At the Death Knights’ subtle demand, Intarendals showed a troubled expression for the first time.

“But neither I nor my master have anything. He is such an ascetic that he has no kingdoms, territories, tax collection rights... All I have are vast quantities of Imperial gold coins and jewels.”

“...”

—...That should suffice.

“Ah. Is that so? What a trivial compensation. I can confirm that much on my own authority.”

Lee Han began to seriously wonder just how much family gold Intarendals had embezzled.

*****

“Then I shall deliver this message.”

Intarendals spoke solemnly while tied up and held by the Death Knights.

The expression was that of a capable diplomat, but being completely bound made the sight rather undignified.

—Farewell, Intarendals. Though we met while serving different masters, it was pleasant to encounter someone from the old days. Return safely.

“I feel the same, knights. How often does one meet knights who refuse eternal rest in pursuit of honor?”

The Death Knights warmly saw Intarendals off.

Then, as soon as Intarendals flew far away toward the mountain range, they spoke.

—Did you plant it properly?

—Yes.

“??”

Lee Han, unable to understand the conversation, asked.

“What did you plant?”

—Ah. When we stabbed that fellow with our swords, we implanted a darkness scarab inside the body. We will know immediately if Intarendals approaches.

The Death Knights hated doing ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the same work inefficiently.

The next time Intarendals infiltrated the main building, Intarendals would start by taking several hits from darkness blades.

“...Everyone!”

Lee Han hugged the Death Knights in gratitude. The Death Knights nodded with pleased expressions.

“Wait. You didn’t plant anything in me, did you?”

—Truly a thought worthy of Lord Gon—no, Lord Wardanaz. It would die anyway because of your high mana density. Rather, I was a little surprised you let that fellow go. Executing Intarendals, or at least imprisoning Intarendals forever, were also options.

“Neither seemed like they’d be very effective. The insane duplicate would just send the next minion anyway... I thought persuading that side to give up on me would be the best method.”

After hearing Lee Han’s words, the Death Knights exchanged subtle looks among themselves.

Do you think it’ll work?

Doesn’t seem like there’s anyone to replace him.

Actually, I think so too.

“His pride is quite strong, isn’t it? If he receives such a counterproposal, he might refuse to teach me out of spite.”

—Hmm. That does seem quite possible, actually.

“Actually?”

—My jawbone is old and rotted, so my pronunciation often slips. Haha.

“...”

After hearing Lee Han’s reasoning, the Death Knights raised the probability quite high.

Certainly, even if the Wardanaz boy was an irreplaceable talent, was the other party’s pride not just as strong?

With the disciple making such an impudent counterproposal, the master probably would not insist on teaching...

“Knights!”

Though only a few minutes had passed since Intarendals left, the chamberlain returned quickly. The Death Knights grabbed their swords in surprise.

Were we discovered?

“My master has given permission!”

—...

“...”