But that was not my fault.

Even after recalling the whole matter, the Skull Principal remained extremely confident.

If there had been a prior arrangement, and Yukbeltire had wanted to use the boy as a magic slave over vacation, then she should have taken him away first by her own ability.

After doing that sort of thing under Professor Verdus, it made no sense to complain now that she was on the receiving end.

“Magic slave?”

Boy. It is a metaphor.

“...”

This time, even Lee Han glared at the Skull Principal.

After all the effort I put in to fill Einroguard’s empty coffers?

“No. Principal. You brought him out even though he had a prior arrangement with Student Yukbeltire?”

When Professor Garcia spoke up in bewilderment, hope sparkled in the fifth-year senior’s eyes.

Fortunately, there was still one mage here with proper sense.

Yes. But Professor Garcia. If I may dare defend myself, Yukbeltire is no different. Last year, she attempted to kidnap a professor. The year before that, she tried to kidnap a friend. If you swing a sword, you should be prepared to be struck by one, should you not?

“...”

Unfortunately, Professor Garcia was refuted on the spot.

Yukbeltire’s past had caught up with her.

Did she truly make a normal arrangement with Wardanaz? Did she not use her authority as a senior to bully him?

“Gasp.”

“Ah, no. That isn’t what happened.”

When Professor Garcia looked at him with an expression that said, Surely not, Lee Han answered in a panic.

Of course, Yukbeltire was an annoying person, but at least this time, she had not threatened him with seniority.

Do not listen to him, Professor Garcia. That Wardanaz boy became someone’s disciple even after being kidnapped last time. He cannot make normal judgments when magic is involved.

“That was the Principal’s insane duplicate...”

Lee Han protested in disbelief, but Professor Garcia had already been almost completely swayed.

Sensing total defeat, Yukbeltire’s fingertips trembled with anger toward the Skull Principal.

An archmage who hates the Skull Principal suspiciously much will be born in the future.

Even without using divination magic, Lee Han could somehow see that future. He spoke to appease his senior.

“I’m mostly finished with what I was doing. I’ll help with your research.”

“But the lost time cannot be recovered.”

“Would you rather work for the rest of vacation, or would you rather just get lo—leave?”

Yukbeltire thought for a moment, then answered.

“It would be better to work for the rest of vacation.”

“As expected, senior. You are wise.”

While Lee Han praised his senior, Professor Garcia quietly approached Alshicle.

Alshicle said angrily, “Leaving a person behind!”

“Shh! This isn’t the time for that.”

“Such shallow tricks won’t fool me...”

Alshicle grew even more furious at the typical Einroguard method.

Mages from Einroguard excelled at all kinds of schemes. One of them was causing a commotion as though something terrible had happened in order to deceive people.

“Ah! Lord Pengerine! That mage over there seems to have been poisoned by gargoyle flames! Please administer emergency treatment!”

“I-I understand!”

“Good! Pengerine took the bait! We’ll go meet that patron first! Run!”

“...You bastards!”

Having already been fooled by graduates several times, such tricks only fueled Alshicle’s anger.

No. This truly is not the time for that. You need to worry about something more important.

“?!”

When even the Skull Principal spoke seriously, Alshicle hesitated.

Gonadaltes was a great archmage, and no matter how relatively friendly Alshicle was with him, that reverence had not faded.

For the moment, Alshicle suppressed his anger and asked, “Why?”

Professor Voladi Bagreg is convinced about what happened during the last expedition and is trying to hold you responsible. Well then.

Pop!

The Skull Principal disappeared immediately, unwilling to be caught by Alshicle.

Professor Garcia floundered alone and said, “I-it’ll be fine anyway! Just don’t wander around alone!”

“...I should have just stayed in Petrograd...”

Alshicle regretted his decision deeply.

What glory had I hoped to see by coming back here?

***

“Wow! It’s Alshicle!”

“Eek!”

Alshicle’s ordeal was not over yet.

After trudging into the villa and climbing the central staircase, Alshicle spotted a golden-eyed girl seen a few times before and was horrified.

Why is Prince Jowurin here?

“Alshicle! Wyvern play! Let’s play wyvern! Where are you going? Play with Jowurin!”

“Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Help me!”

Searching for Lee Han, the contractor who could at least stop this dragon, Alshicle frantically flapped his wings.

The second-year students watched in admiration as Alshicle coated the stairs with ice to create a shortcut and slid down.

“That’s amazing magic.”

“It’s even cute!”

Alshicle barely managed to find Lee Han on the first floor. Wardanaz was gathered with his other friends, chatting.

“Wardanaz! His Majesty is trying to kill me!”

“Huh? It’s not that bad. Why are you making such a fuss...”

Lee Han knew what wyvern play was.

It was a game where Jowurin threw Alshicle into the air and Alshicle flapped around like a wyvern.

“Don’t you know that controlling strength is harder in human form than in dragon form? Do you want to see me smashed into the ceiling? And if I get smashed like that, Professor Voladi Bagreg will come right over to stab me.”

“...”

Instead of saying, “Oh, it isn’t that bad,” Lee Han’s expression turned seriously contemplative.

Alshicle became even more frightened by that reaction.

“You’re supposed to say that isn’t true. Why are you acting like that?”

“It does seem like you should be careful of Professor Bagreg...”

“...I’m staying here for a while.”

When Alshicle squeezed in and sat down, the second-year students spoke firmly.

“Don’t touch the loot.”

“Loot?”

“Wardanaz raided a thieves’ fortress and brought back loot. We’re auctioning it now.”

“...What on earth happened while I was gone?”

Although Alshicle had wasted quite a bit of time in Petrograd, he had never expected so much to change.

What on earth had happened in the meantime?

“Lord Alshicle. Could you close the drawing room door?”

“Ah. Is there a reason this needs to be done somewhere quiet?”

Alshicle rose unsteadily. However, Lee Han shook his head and said, “I’m worried about senior’s gaze.”

“...”

Only then did Alshicle notice Yukbeltire standing blankly outside the door.

It was a tenacious obsession: the moment the auction ended, she would drag her junior away and plunge into research without wasting even a single second.

Adenart lowered her head in embarrassment. She wished everyone would forget they were sisters.

“C-can’t she just come inside and wait?”

“We don’t want that.”

“Honestly, senior makes us uncomfortable.”

Cold bastards.

Alshicle shuddered at the second-year students’ cold reaction.

Though Alshicle specialized in ice magic, compared to the reaction of these Einroguard second-years, the ice he wielded felt warm.

“You’ll change your minds once you hear this. Now, listen.”

Alshicle began explaining Yukbeltire’s journey.

First, when Yukbeltire realized that her perfect vacation research plan had been ruined because of the Skull Principal, she reacted calmly despite the shock.

“Oh no! Yukbeltire! To think your magic would be obstructed by such an evil archmage. Let me become your attendant and help you instead!”

Although her friend volunteered, Yukbeltire declined. This was not something a friend could help with.

“...Wait. Wait. This is strange from the very beginning.”

“Why?”

“Wasn’t that friend Senior Diret? Senior Diret would never say something like that...”

If it were the Diret that Lee Han knew, Diret would definitely have said this instead:

“What can you do about it? I can’t help during vacation. Go complain to the Principal.”

“Really? Anyway, that’s what I heard.”

Alshicle shrugged. Lee Han had no choice but to listen despite the blatant and shameless distortion.

What a truly despicable person. Making distortions like that just because the person involved isn’t here.

In any case, after shaking off her persistent friend, Yukbeltire arrived late in the capital.

Since Lee Han had departed a week earlier, no matter how quickly she flew, there was bound to be a gap.

“But as we know, we went to Petrograd.”

“That’s right.”

“Petrograd was better than expected. Though there were a lot of annoying people.”

The friends who were listening opened their mouths and joined in.

The visit to Petrograd had been quite shocking for these Einroguard students as well.

“That’s fortunate. From what the Petrograd mages were saying, it seems the exchange meeting will happen. If Einroguard and Petrograd hold one together... I think it was called the Pitah Festival.”

Alshicle searched through old memories and recalled the name.

The exchange meetings between the Empire’s magic schools each had their own names.

When two schools held one together, when three schools held one together, and so on.

The name of the competition held between Einroguard and Petrograd was definitely the Pitah Festival.

Suddenly curious, Lee Han asked, “Have Einroguard and Kalarogard ever held an exchange meeting together?”

“Yes. Walpurgis Night.”

“What about Einroguard and Valdrogard?”

“Uh... I’m certain that one was the Imperial Magic School Friendship Exchange Meeting.”

“...”

“...”

When a suddenly bureaucratic and cold name appeared, the students were flustered.

Lee Han regretted asking for no reason.

“Anyway, the Imperial Princess arrived late at Petrograd.”

Surprisingly, Yukbeltire was already acquainted with the Petrograd mages.

Come to think of it, considering her year and skill, it would have been stranger if she had no connections there.

“So she talked to them and then chased after us?”

“No. The Petrograd mages made a fuss and told her to get lost. As you know, the relationship between Einroguard’s enchantment magic school and Petrograd isn’t exactly good.”

“...”

We don’t know that!

Lee Han was dumbfounded, but unfortunately, there was no one there to explain.

“Since a commotion was about to break out, I stepped in and stopped it. We reconciled, shared magic stories, and showed each other artifacts.”

Alshicle’s excellent magic, outstanding career, and cute appearance were all superb tools for calming people down.

When Alshicle stepped in to mediate, the Petrograd mages set aside their old grudges and allowed Yukbeltire to enter.

Yukbeltire also praised the Petrograd mages’ artifacts.

“Oh.”

“So the Imperial Princess asked where you were, and they answered that you had left first.”

Lee Han suddenly felt an ominous sensation.

The atmosphere had been heartwarming, so why did he feel uneasy?

“What happened?”

“She immediately pointed out that the Petrograd mages’ artifacts were trash...”

“I didn’t point that out.”

The senior standing outside, whose face could not be seen, retorted. Alshicle ignored her and continued.

“She did point it out. Actually, calling it pointing out is generous. It was closer to outright criticism.”

Thinking this would not do, Alshicle quickly escaped with Yukbeltire.

Nothing good would come of a fight breaking out in enemy territory.

“...Uh, but Alshicle. From what I heard, it sounds like you were the only one who suffered, yet you’re still taking senior’s side?”

“I suddenly felt sorry for her when I thought about how someone abandoned me.”

“...Senior Yukbeltire! Please come inside!”

Lee Han quickly opened the door and changed the subject.

***

“So what do we need to do?”

“What we will challenge this week is the fusion of these two magics.”

Yukbeltire spread dozens of magic-circle blueprints across the table and began explaining.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but her eyes seemed to be glowing faintly.

“Fusing these two magics is by no means easy, so you had better prepare yourself. Specifically, you should set aside all bounty hunting and other activities...”

Lee Han half-listened, then picked up the important blueprints.

“Wait a moment. I’ll just go ask about something quickly.”

“Sto...”

Yukbeltire panicked, thinking her wicked junior was attempting the wicked escape technique he had learned from the wicked Skull Principal.

However, unexpectedly, Lee Han returned before long.

“I brought newly drawn magic circles. They said there were some mistakes in the existing ones.”

“...?!!!”