When Professor Garcia seemed to be deliberately dodging the issue, Lee Han looked at him suspiciously.

But professors were professors for a reason.

They never lost when dealing with students.

“Student Lee Han. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“Yes!”

“To unleash magic capable of harming that demigod, we would need to activate ancient artifacts—”

“There’s no need for that.”

Professor Voladi Bagreg interrupted calmly, causing Professor Garcia to blink in surprise.

“You have another method?”

“Yes.”

Professor Voladi Bagreg answered while pointing upward.

A familiar Gold Dragon was flying toward them like an arrow shot across the sky.

“...”

Lee Han’s expression became complicated.

The house-arrest order hadn’t even been in effect that long, yet here was a member of the Imperial Family openly violating it.

***

Professor Bagreg. What do you think about letting Jowrin go outside for just a little while?

Once Lee Han became busy with exams and started leaving constantly, Jowrin began plotting.

Of course, she had sincerely reflected on her mistakes and promised never to recklessly use her physical body again.

But that was separate from going outside, wasn’t it?

Even playing with the baby basilisk beside the fireplace in front of the common room had started to bore her.

Jowrin missed wandering around Einroguard together with Lee Han.

“Of course that’s possible, Dragon!”

Professor Bendozol answered immediately before growling at Professor Voladi Bagreg.

“If you possess even the slightest shred of humanity, let the Dragon go outside for a little while.”

“No.”

“What exactly is wrong with you?! Don’t you have a human heart?!”

As the two professors started arguing again, Jowrin hurriedly intervened.

Not because she felt guilty, but because she was worried Lee Han would find out later if they fought.

S-stop! It was only a simple question!

“Ah! So that was all. I misunderstood your innocent question, Dragon.”

So, Professor Bagreg. What do you think—

Professor Voladi Bagreg conveyed his answer through the ancient and traditional art of slightly shaking his head from side to side.

‘Hmph.’

Jowrin regretted sending that letter asking Professor Voladi Bagreg to come to the school.

At the time, she had no choice.

But if a slightly less strict professor had been standing guard now...

Honestly, it didn’t even need to be a less strict professor.

If it had been someone like Professor Verdus instead, she could have secretly escaped and then thrown a tantrum afterward!

Ever since her social intelligence had increased recently, Jowrin’s regrets had only grown deeper.

Eventually, she gave up and crouched in front of the fireplace again.

Perhaps this was for the best.

If she sincerely reflected on her mistakes, Lee Han might reduce her punishment a little.

-Are you seriously not going to sneak out?

Mm-hmm.

-Then can’t I sneak out by myself? I don’t think I’d get caught.

No.

Jowrin tightly hugged the baby basilisk against her chest.

The baby basilisk struggled desperately but couldn’t escape the dragon’s embrace.

If even Basil disappeared, Jowrin would become unbearably bored.

-I’m saying I really won’t get caught...

Jowrin hears nothing.

-Huh? Something moved over there.

!

The baby basilisk pointed outside the window with its tail, sounding puzzled.

A strange wave of power was coming from the direction of the mountain range.

As a species with exceptionally powerful bloodlines, the baby basilisk was extremely sensitive to unsettling presences.

Naturally, Jowrin sensed it too.

That’s strange!

-Right!

But strange things happened at Einroguard all the time.

-That’s also true.

The two intelligent creatures immediately came to an understanding.

The distant surge of power felt dangerous and ominous, but this was still Einroguard.

Abnormal incidents happened here constantly.

And almost immediately afterward, yet another strange thing occurred.

Professor Garcia arrived in front of the tower.

“Professor Bagreg. You felt that disturbance just now, didn’t you? It seems to be coming from the workshop where that projection is staying, so I’m heading there to investigate. Will you come as well?”

“Understood.”

“Oh my. You’re both leaving?”

Professor Bendozol’s face brightened instantly.

Being trapped here with this emotionless professor had already been torture, and now someone was taking him away too!

As expected from one of the few Einroguard professors with at least some conscience left.

“Yes. We need to verify something.”

“I see. Then go ahead, Professor Bagreg. I’ll guard this place faithfully by myself.”

“Keeping promises is proof of a being’s dignity.”

“...What exactly are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing. Do as you please.”

Professor Voladi Bagreg departed immediately after saying only that.

The situation still hadn’t been fully confirmed, but if they intended to prepare for the worst-case scenario, they needed to move quickly.

Left behind alone, Professor Bendozol ground his teeth.

“How dare he leave after saying something like that! If he thinks this Bendozol can be manipulated so easily, he’s gravely mistaken! Does he really think I can’t let the Dragon go free?!”

He shook his fist toward the empty sky where Professor Voladi Bagreg had already disappeared.

Naturally, the professor flying far away couldn’t hear a thing.

Professor Bendozol slowly began pacing while lost in thought.

‘...Still, teaching the importance of promises really is important. Especially for a Dragon that’s still young...’

No one in the Empire understood magical beasts better than Professor Bendozol.

Which meant no one understood better how important it was to teach intelligent and powerful species habits like keeping promises and respecting rules.

If he carelessly indulged Jowrin’s whims and ignored her punishment now, decades later the Empire might end up facing a truly wicked dragon.

***

“Wait. Then how exactly did you get here?”

After hearing the explanation, Lee Han looked genuinely baffled.

From what he knew, Professor Voladi Bagreg had practically bound Professor Bendozol with a single sentence.

So how had Jowrin managed to leave?

Did he seriously just step aside because she asked?

“...”

Lee Han regretted listening to the story.

Professor Bendozol’s concerns and realization had collapsed instantly under a single request.

Carefully reading the atmosphere, Jowrin hurriedly spoke.

O-originally Jowrin really was going to stay inside. But when Professor Bagreg and Professor Garcia both left together, she got worried... and the waves of power kept growing stronger... A-and Basil agreed too.

-W-Why are you dragging me into this?

The baby basilisk hanging behind her cried out tearfully.

Being punished with confinement was already miserable enough, so why did they keep saying things guaranteed to increase the punishment later?

Lee Han silently stared at Jowrin for a moment before slowly speaking.

“Your Majesty.”

Hmm?

“I’m embarrassed to ask this after lecturing you about recklessness and giving parts of your body away to others... but I need Your Majesty’s help.”

...!

Jowrin’s huge eyes blinked repeatedly.

Then overwhelming joy spread across her face.

Jowrin can help! Jowrin really wants to help! Wow! This is exciting!

For the first time ever, Lee Han had directly asked her for assistance.

Jowrin trembled with excitement, unable to keep her wings still.

The baby basilisk glanced around anxiously and muttered.

-Shouldn’t we maybe not be excited about the current situation?

...Forget what I just said!

“If it’s dragon breath, the nearby defenses will collapse completely.”

Professor Garcia spoke coldly while calculating the situation.

That Demigod Hamster—though she had absolutely no idea why it looked like a hamster—had thoroughly reinforced itself by rewriting the laws and order in the surrounding area.

To break through that, they would need power on an entirely different level.

And dragon breath qualified.

By utterly annihilating the surrounding space itself, it would sever the very framework supporting those altered laws.

“The moment Your Majesty releases the breath, Professor Bagreg and I will move immediately.”

Understood! Lee Han, hurry! Hurry hurry hurry hurry!

Lee Han climbed onto Jowrin’s back while slightly regretting having asked for help.

Seeing this, the Death Knights immediately scattered into the air, sending signals to one another.

They intended to confuse the demigod’s line of sight in preparation for any possible counterattack.

I forbid approach.

The Demigod Hamster, which had focused solely on descending while turning the surrounding space into a labyrinth, issued a stern warning as the Death Knights advanced.

An overwhelming law of submission surged toward one Death Knight charging with a spear.

-Ha!

The Death Knight instantly reverse-summoned itself.

As its existence vanished, the incoming law also lost its target and dissipated.

Another Death ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Knight tapped the pommel of its sword against the ground.

The previously reverse-summoned knight immediately reappeared.

It was a bizarre maneuver possible only for Death Knights fighting within their own territory.

-So you’re a demigod? Then accept our tribute!

One of the more experienced Death Knights raised both arms while mounted and created a black sphere.

Pop!

The sphere vanished instantly and was absorbed directly into the Demigod Hamster.

It contained no hostility whatsoever.

A perfect tribute.

Yet the moment it absorbed the offering, the Demigod Hamster’s movements noticeably slowed.

-Darkness-based tributes seem difficult for it to digest!

-Offer more!

Veterans who had survived battlefields for decades became monsters skilled not merely in combat, but in every conceivable trick.

Death Knights who had fought for dozens of times longer knew perfectly well how to harass even a demigod.

While the Demigod Hamster irritably struggled to expel the forced tributes, Jowrin carried Lee Han high into the sky.

Jowrin is ready! If Lee Han helps with mana like last time...!

“I’m ready too, Your Majesty. I’ll be counting on you.”

Lee Han’s voice sounded strangely languid.

But Jowrin, too excited by battle and adventure, failed to notice.

Now!

The dragon opened her jaws wide.

A torrent of overwhelming power gathered within.

The Death Knights immediately scattered in every direction.

If that breath hit them directly, even reviving within their territory would leave them bedridden for months.

Stop the attack, commander—

Commander?

“Ignore it.”

Got it!

The moment Lee Han gave permission, Jowrin unleashed her breath.

A golden waterfall radiant enough to rival the sun itself descended from the heavens.

The torrent struck the Demigod Hamster head-on.

Jowrin continued pouring out breath enthusiastically while feeling her depleted mana rapidly replenishing.

With such a reliable ally supporting her from behind, she felt like she could fly anywhere.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four—

Commander!!

With a final death scream, the Demigod Hamster’s telepathic voice abruptly vanished.

The altered laws and order surrounding the area immediately returned to normal.

Before Professor Voladi Bagreg or Professor Garcia could even move, the giants who had been grinding their teeth in frustration charged forward roaring furiously.

-You bastard!!

-We’ll turn you into a hamster trapped in a coffin!

Lee Han! Jowrin won again! You may praise me now!

“Well done... Your Majesty.”

...?

Only then did Jowrin realize something was wrong.

Lee Han’s voice sounded far too weak.

Normally he would have been just as excited as she was while praising her.

Lee Han? ...Lee Han?!!!

Jowrin let out a piercing scream.

Lee Han had collapsed unconscious across her back.

Looking closely, blood stained the corner of his mouth.

Blood! Blood!! Lee Han! Blood blood blood!!

“That blood... was from earlier... I’m fine...”

Lee Han had forcefully endured the backlash from his failed spellcasting and continued fighting afterward.

Even with effectively infinite mana, both his body and mind had finally reached their limits.

Despite drifting in and out of consciousness, he still tried to reassure Jowrin.

It did not help at all.

Yooooou can’t die!!! Lee Han! Lee Han??!!

No response came from Lee Han, who had already fallen into deep sleep.

Jowrin felt as though the entire world was collapsing around her.