“No. It’s fine. I said I’d help, so I should go with you.”

“He says it’s fine.”

“You shut up.”

Diret was already feeling conflicted, so the moment Princess Yukbeltire scraped at that sore spot, Diret’s voice naturally sharpened.

Still, it was hard to deny what Princess Yukbeltire had said. They needed a battle mage like Lee Han at full strength.

Neither Diret nor Princess Yukbeltire was a battle mage who had trained professionally in magical combat.

Of course, not being battle mages did not mean they were weak. One only had to look at Einroguard students to understand that.

Fundamentally, given enough time and room, mages could unleash attacks of more than sufficient power. The same went for Diret and Princess Yukbeltire.

Diret had dark magic.

Princess Yukbeltire had enchantment magic.

Both were excellent mages in their respective schools, and adapting the magic they had learned for combat was not difficult.

But that did not mean they had no weaknesses. The greatest difference between a battle mage and an ordinary mage lay in whether they could respond to sudden emergencies.

When attacks came flying from every direction, when noise and threats of every kind focused first on the mage, could they remain calm and cast the necessary spells?

Einroguard students fought far better than ordinary mages thanks to the brutal environments they trained in, but even they had limits.

Not many students would set aside their research goals to prioritize combat magic.

Of course, on very rare occasions, there were unfortunate students who learned both...

“If I had to classify my combat style, I’d say it’s long-range summoning. Diret is similar. We need a mage who can respond at medium and close range. Summoned creatures have their limits.”

“Especially against Einroguard students. They’re good at exploiting those weaknesses.”

Whether it was a lifeless summoned creature whose routine had been programmed directly by a mage, or a summoned being called from another dimension, they all had habits.

Outsiders unfamiliar with magic might not notice, but Einroguard students, who constantly clashed with one another, were skilled at exploiting such flaws.

In the end, the most stable solution was to have a mage who could respond flexibly to any situation.

“I understand. I’m not sure how well I’ll do against upperclassmen, but I’ll try.”

“Wardanaz junior. You are Professor Voladi Bagreg’s finest student. You have defeated the Ghoul King, a basilisk, a sea serpent, the Frost Giant King, magical criminals, and more. Naturally, you should perform well.”

Princess Yukbeltire encouraged her junior with the dignity of a senior.

Moved by that encouragement, Lee Han replied curtly.

“Senior, you’re Professor Verdus’s finest student, but you still haven’t completed your artificial dimension artifact, have you?”

“...That comparison is completely nonsensical and illogical.”

Princess Yukbeltire coldly ignored him with her usual unshakable attitude.

However, Diret could see her fingertips trembling faintly.

Normally, like Professor Verdus, Princess Yukbeltire ignored whatever nonsense other students babbled. But she could not quite ignore the words of a junior she regarded relatively highly.

“Princess Yukbeltire. If you want respect from your junior, try treating him a little better.”

“What more am I supposed to do here?”

“...Never mind. Keep living like that!”

Diret gave up immediately.

Maybe Princess Yukbeltire would improve after feeling wronged and hurt enough.

Of course, she might never improve at all...

***

Duke Ikalderen had thought he knew quite a lot about Einroguard.

Ancient documents and books, testimonies from visitors and graduates, research on other magic schools.

After preparing so thoroughly, he had judged that stealing a single treasure from Einroguard would be entirely possible.

On top of that, the Duke possessed the particular arrogance and pride of someone who had gone undefeated for a very long time.

As a member of an imperial noble house, had he not plotted countless schemes since youth to bring down political enemies?

But Einroguard was far too different from what the Duke had expected.

At this venerable magic school, Duke Ikalderen tasted defeat for the first time in his life.

-I was wrong. What do you want? I’ll pay whatever ransom you demand.

-Be quiet, please.

-...Duke Ikalderen is admitting his fault, is he not?

-I understand. So please be quiet.

-...At the very least, prepare quarters befitting a duke’s dignity.

-If you keep chattering, I’ll lock you in the underground dungeon.

-Do you think this treatment befits an imperial duke?!

-We’re doing this with permission. Why would someone of your stature try to steal from Einroguard?

-I will not deny that I gave the order to my subordinate. But all of this ultimately stems from the Principal’s arrogant selfishness in monopolizing ancient secrets and refusing to share them with honorable imperial nobles—Pugh! H-how dare you throw sewage at an imperial duke?!

-You seem to like sewage. Spray more on him.

-Wait, wait! Stop. I’ll stop.

-One more word, and we’ll spray you with toxic magical wastewater.

-...Can’t you at least provide meals befitting my dignity—Stop! I’ll stop! I’ll really keep my mouth shut!

The Death Knights commanded by the Skull Principal were terribly barbaric and violent.

Faced with such rude and brutal conditions for the first time in his life, Duke Ikalderen’s spirit broke, and he had no choice but to submit.

Living with nothing but hard beds, rough blankets, tasteless meals, and boring books for company—<The Biography of the Great Mage Osu Gonadaltes, Volumes 1, 2, and 3>—Duke Ikalderen eventually received new information.

-Duke. You said before that you would pay a ransom, correct? Do you still intend to do that?

-...At last! Can I finally pay the ransom?

Originally, the Duke would have said, “How dare you kidnap an imperial duke and demand ransom? I absolutely will not allow it!” But his time with the Death Knights had greatly reformed him.

-Yes. You can pay it now. Strictly speaking, it’s a little different from paying... but close enough!

The Death Knights began explaining.

This time, Einroguard was holding club week, with guests visiting from outside. Traditionally, it was an event where sponsorships and investments were arranged.

Duke Ikalderen could pay his ransom by sponsoring whichever student he chose...

This is much better than I expected!

He had been tense because the explanation came from Death Knights, but Duke Ikalderen felt relieved. The content was far more reasonable than he had imagined.

Was this not the sort of sponsorship event he had participated in even before being trapped in Einroguard?

-Oh. Don’t say anything unnecessary to outsiders. If you run your mouth for no reason, you might really spend three hundred years as an invertebrate.

-...A-all right.

Duke Ikalderen flinched and shrank back. Any thought of possibly asking for help vanished completely.

-May I go out like this?

-Yes. Feel free to go out and look around.

-All right...

-Oh! Might you be Duke Ikalderen, Your Grace?

The moment he entered the corridor, several students approached him cheerfully.

At the sight of people addressing him by his title, the Duke’s eyes grew warm.

-That is correct. I am indeed—

-Found him! It’s the Duke! Kidnap him!

Alde of House Markang, a third-year student from the Blue Dragon Tower, and several friends burst into triumphant, villainous laughter as they waved their staffs.

The Duke, whose protective artifacts had all been confiscated upon entering Einroguard, was helplessly subdued.

-Wh-why are you doing this?! What is the meaning of this?!

-Your Grace, we apologize! We have to receive your sponsorship!

-Could you not simply ask me?!

-Then someone else might steal you away, so that won’t work! Your Grace must stay with us until club week ends!

Einroguard students knew very well the difference between ordinary guests and guests imprisoned by the Skull Principal.

The former could not be attacked by students, except in the case of Valdrogard students.

The latter meant students were allowed to attack and seize them by force.

Of course, as the Duke said, they could have asked.

But then they would have had to share him with others.

If they kidnapped him, he would be theirs exclusively. There was no need to do anything so inefficient.

-The illusion magic # Nоvеlight # worked, right? Does the Duke look like someone else?

-Yeah! Looks like Senior Perse!

-Such insolence... Will you not untie me?!

-Your Grace, please be quiet!

-Mmph!

The Duke still did not truly understand Einroguard.

Anyone who thought they understood Einroguard well had not understood Einroguard at all.

-You there. Stop.

-Ivanna...! What’s this about?

-That Senior Perse you’re holding captive right now. Something’s strange.

-What’s strange about it? Senior Perse is only struggling because of an accidental luminescence potion!

-Sorry, but I saw Senior Perse at the Jousting Club racetrack thirty minutes ago. And I suppose you didn’t think to check the shoes. There’s no way Senior Perse would be wearing rags that shabby!

-...Damn it, they caught us! Attack!

-That’s our line. We’ll pay you back for the grudge from the smuggling incident!

The White Tiger Tower third-years—Ivanna’s gang—shouted fiercely and charged.

They were still bitter over the failed smuggling operation during enrollment, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

When the White Tiger Tower students formed ranks with enhancement magic and charged like a fortress, the Blue Dragon Tower students hurled curses.

-Ignorant fools!

-What kind of people learn magic just to fight?! Why did you even come to magic school?!

Ivanna did not answer. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Those words were a trap in themselves. One had to be especially careful when facing the illusion magic school.

However, one of Ivanna’s friends lost composure and snapped back.

-You bastard, your grades aren’t even better than mine—Huk!

-Got you!

Illusion magic became extremely vulnerable the moment a mage’s defenses wavered.

When emotions fluctuated, or when one of the five senses connected.

And right now, both had happened.

Move without looking. Move without looking...

Ivanna kept low, head down, avoiding the chaotic scenery and the enemies raging around them.

Several spells flew in, and dull pain struck, but Ivanna endured with enhancement magic. Whether it was real or illusion did not matter much.

-Got him! We’re leaving!

-Mmmph!

-Transform him! So the others won’t notice! A wooden barrel! Turn him into a wooden barrel!

Duke Ikalderen, who was already under illusion magic to look like someone else, shook his head desperately when he realized he was about to be transformed into a wooden barrel.

However, the ruthless White Tiger Tower students stubbornly dragged him away and transformed him into one.

-Retreat! Retreat! Leave the fallen behind!

-White Tiger Tower bastards, just you wait! This absolutely won’t end here!

***

“There.”

“?”

Lee Han tilted his head at the two seniors’ words.

On the sixth floor, beneath the large spiral staircase, he could see upperclassmen walking below while carrying a wooden barrel.

“What’s there?”

“Duke Ikalderen.”

“...They locked him in a wooden barrel?!”

“No. They probably transformed him.”

Diret handed Lee Han a pair of glasses fitted with purple lenses. Lee Han looked through them.

Astonishingly, the wooden barrel looked like Duke Ikalderen.

“...”

Lee Han was at a loss for words.

No matter how valuable the Duke’s sponsorship was, was it really all right to kidnap him like that?

“Isn’t it uncomfortable to be forcibly transformed like that?”

“?”

Princess Yukbeltire tilted her head with an attitude befitting Professor Verdus’s disciple, entirely unable to understand the question.

From that reaction, Lee Han realized he had asked the wrong person.

“Senior Diret. Is it really all right to transform someone like that...”

“Hm?”

Diret turned toward Lee Han while summoning a demon that looked like a giant toad.

“...What is that?”

“We need somewhere to confine the Duke.”

“Ah. I understand. Let’s begin!”