Chapter 463

"Be drunk, like a drunkard!"

"Slip!"

"Dig deep!"

By the time Yi-Han arrived, the battle was already taking place at the main gate.

The students were standing on the barricade, firing magic at the monster ramming into the main gate.

'Tapir!'

At a glance, it looked like a large bear, but it had the trunk of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the feet of a tiger, and the tail of a cow, giving it a unique appearance.

Yi-Han recalled the characteristics of the monster he had learned from Professor Bungaegor.

Why was a monster that enjoyed eating the nightmares of others here?

'Well. The Einroguard library is indeed a place full of nightmares.'

Come to think of it, there were no beings who had nightmares as frequently as the studying Einroguard students.

■■■■■...

The tapir rammed into the main gate with slow but heavy movements.

The students bound its ankles with magic, but its determination to enter the fortress was clearly felt.

The White Tiger Tower students were dumbfounded to see the magic-imbued javelins bouncing off.

"What grudge does that bastard have to do this? Why is it trying to come in here?!"

"Well. We did sweep all the library furniture and use it as a barricade."

"...Bring more spears! Wardanaz! Come quickly! Wardanaz!!"

"Hey. Don't call so loudly, it's embarrassing! He's coming anyway!"

Upon arriving, Yi-Han immediately headed to the top of the barricade. At that moment, Jijel spoke with a serious expression.

"Wait. Wardanaz. A tapir wouldn't have the ability to sneak in and kidnap a student."

"!"

It was a valid point.

Just looking at the creature's current behavior, it was clear that it wasn't a monster that would sneak in secretly and kidnap a student.

Jijel glanced around and lowered her voice so that others couldn't hear.

"...Actually, there's a place I suspect."

"Is that true? Why didn't you say it earlier?"

"There's nothing good that would come out of saying it. You saw Salko, right?"

Jijel shrugged her shoulders sarcastically.

Even if she mentioned the place she suspected, that guy would have just instigated to go there.

"I think the culprit is..."

Yi-Han focused on Jijel's words.

Eventually, the lips of the northern elf opened, and the awaited words flowed out.

"...I think it's the principal."

"..."

Yi-Han unfocused and looked at Jijel with the expression of someone who was looking at conspiracy theorist.

However, Jijel didn't notice and continued whispering.

"No matter how much Einroguard is a place swarming with monsters, do you think they could just break through a place with this many mages and take someone away? The opponent must be a mage."

'It's scary how convincing it sounds when you listen to it.'

The scary thing about conspiracy theories was that they sounded quite plausible when you listened to them.

And the skull principal conspiracy theory was surprisingly convincing. Yi-Han felt himself wavering.

'Is it really the principal? He's certainly someone who would do that. But...'

It hadn't been long since he had gone to the skull principal to borrow dark magic reagents.

If he had intended to take a student, he would have been grinning with joy, but there was no such sign at all.

Had Yi-Han been deceived?

"Ahhh! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"

A White Tiger Tower student screamed.

He had leaned his body outside the barricade, and the tapir had stretched out its whip-like trunk and wrapped around him.

"I'm coming. Flash forth!"

When lightning crackled, the tapir flinched but that was it.

As a fellow magic resistance expert, Yi-Han immediately realized that the opponent was not to be taken lightly in terms of magic resistance.

'Then...'

"Be paralyzed, fractured, and darkened. Bones, seize the enemy!"

If the dark magic school seniors were there, they would have given a standing ovation to the textbook combat method.

Against an opponent who is not easily affected by magic, stack curses to reduce their defense and restrain their movements with bone element magic.

"Cold, become arrows and shoot forth!"

It didn't end there, and cold arrows flew.

Since the tapir had endured even lightning magic, it wasn't greatly affected by the cold arrows, but as ice and frost piled up in layers, it couldn't help but slow down.

As the opponent slowed down, Yi-Han immediately summoned water orbs.

'Even if it can't penetrate, the impact...'

Although not perfect, the impact of the spinning water orbs was on a different level from conventional magic.

The tapir, which had been trying to break through the main gate until just now, flinched and started to run away.

"The creature is fleeing!"

"Let's chase it!"

"No!"

"..."

When opinions were immediately divided again, Yi-Han had a headache.

Moreover, the situation was different from before.

'If it's instigated by the skull principal, the story changes.'

Yi-Han basically preferred the safe method, but if this whole series of events was because of the skull principal, the story changed.

He had to act contrary to the skull principal's expectations.

"Wardanaz. Keep in mind that the moment we chase it, a few more students may disappear."

"But we can't not chase it either. Especially if it's the principal's doing. Moradi. Take care of this place. I'll go with Salko and come back."

"..."

At Yi-Han's words, Jijel paused as if she hadn't expected it.

She didn't think Yi-Han would ask her.

"Yi-Han. Wouldn't it be better to go with Moradi?"

Dolgyu said worriedly.

Of course, Salko's gang's skills were good, but there was no one as vicious and ruthless as Moradi in the White Tiger Tower.

And such qualities tended to be advantageous in dangerous pursuits.

"...There's no one as vicious, cruel, and fierce as Moradi. Going together..."

"Dolgyu. Did Moradi hit you?"

Yi-Han was startled.

For Dolgyu to speak such harsh words...

"And the reason for not going together is because of Salko. If they go together, they'll fight, won't they?"

"Ah."

Dolgyu immediately understood and made an embarrassed expression.

"I thought you trusted Moradi's skills and left it to her."

"Huh?"

Yi-Han paused and answered a little late.

"Haha. Of course, that's why."

"...Yi-Han..."

Sharakan skillfully tracked the tapir's trail.

The tapir was a threatening monster when attacking, but it wasn't very difficult to chase when it was running away.

In the first place, it had a large build and wasn't particularly good at hiding.

The problem was...

"It's a swamp!"

"Why is there such a place in the library..."

"What's so surprising now?"

'Indeed, it's really not surprising anymore.'

Yi-Han thought to himself upon hearing the conversation from behind.

Well, it was a bit funny to be surprised by what appeared in the academy at this point.

"It would be nice if this swamp is the creature's base."

Salko spoke with a worried face.

He was in a state of great concern because a student from the same tower had disappeared.

Putting other things aside, such an attitude towards his friends was worthy of respect. Yi-Han nodded and replied.

"Let's hope so. Salko. You must be working hard. Taking care of your friends."

"It's nothing compared to you."

"Yeah. ...Huh?"

Yi-Han, who had answered absentmindedly, felt something strange.

"What did I take care of..."

"The creature has stopped!"

"I didn't particularly take care of..."

"Mr. Wardanaz. Lower your posture!"

Ratford hurriedly pressed down on Yi-Han's shoulders. Yi-Han wanted to protest, saying, 'I don't take care of my friends that much,' but he didn't have the leisure to do so.

The tapir, which had stopped in the middle of the swamp, stretched and then submerged its body deeply. Then, the bone fragments and ice attached to its body fell off.

'I don't see the student it took.'

At that moment, there was a splashing sound from behind the tapir, and someone appeared.

Surprisingly, it was a siren.

"...Those cowardly bastards!"

Yi-Han muttered softly.

The siren was the culprit.

Although there was friction between the two, it was only related to proper exams.

If they had a grudge, they should have taken it out on Professor Bungaegor, not an innocent student.

Of course, Yi-Han had also shifted responsibility regarding the cabin, but seeing what they were doing now, it seemed he had done well to shift it.

"Everyone, step back. It's dangerous to get close to the siren."

"G, got it."

"Let's go, Sharakan!"

-♪♩♩???-

The siren recognized Yi-Han and Sharakan and sang in a startled voice.

Then, pointing alternately at the tapir and Yi-Han, it sang.

-♩♩♩♩!-

"Water..."

Yi-Han immediately took a stance to attack the siren.

At that moment, the tapir grabbed a log floating on the swamp with its long trunk and threw it at the siren.

"??"

The siren hurriedly dodged.

The tapir threw objects continuously as if to definitely drive away the siren.

The siren sang and attacked the tapir, but the tapir staggered and swayed but caused a commotion to push the siren away.

'What's going on? Is it a deception tactic?'

Yi-Han was puzzled.

He thought the siren was controlling the tapir, but the current situation looked as if the two were fighting over territory.

The tapir, which had been causing a commotion, turned its head and spotted Yi-Han and Sharakan.

Discovering the mage who had been pounding on it on the barricade, the tapir let out a cry and prepared to attack Yi-Han as well.

"...Rotate!"

Yi-Han hurriedly completed the spell and changed the direction of attack.

With a dull impact, the tapir staggered.

"Sharakan. I'm counting on you!"

Yi-Han summoned bone binding orbs in preparation for the tapir's possible charge.

'Bone explosion... Will the siren get involved? Even if it does, will it understand?'

Not knowing that Yi-Han was having such a wicked conflict, the siren hurriedly swam across the swamp, ran over, and gestured to Yi-Han.

"Into the swamp?"

The siren nodded.

Yi-Han looked at the siren with the same gaze he used for the skull principal.

It was a clear gaze of distrust.

-Grrr!-

Sharakan warned Yi-Han with a sharp roar.

The tapir was ignoring other restraints and prioritizing Yi-Han. Its momentum was unusual.

"I'll say this, but last time..."

Before he could make an excuse, the siren hurriedly lifted Yi-Han with both arms and swam quickly to the opposite side.

Boom boom boom!

At that moment, the tapir rolled its body, trampled the surrounding debris, and charged straight ahead. It was a spine-chilling sight.

"Wardanaz. We'll join you!"

Salko, who confirmed that the siren was not an enemy, shouted, unable to wait any longer.

At this rate, Wardanaz looked too precarious.

With the sound of a click, an enchanted crossbow was fired. The tapir became enraged at the appearance of other mages.

"Bones..."

Along with the ominous spell, Yi-Han's mana boiled.

The siren carrying Yi-Han was startled by the concentration of that mana.

"Explode!"

With a roar, the bone fragments attached to the tapir burst out.

Although the amount was not large, it was enough to make the tapir panic.

■■■■■...

The tapir turned around in the opposite direction and fled as if it was too dirty to deal with.

At that sight, Yi-Han's party let out a sigh of relief.

Continuing to engage in combat with a monster of that size and defense was a nightmare for mages.

"Somehow it worked out..."

-♩♩♪-

The siren sang as if thanking Yi-Han's party for now.

Of course, the other mages except Yi-Han immediately showed enchanted expressions.

"As expected, it reveals its true colors!"

-♩♩♩!-

When Yi-Han pointed his staff and shouted fiercely, the siren was startled, stopped singing, and shook its head.

Since a single word of song thrown out carelessly could enchant mages, it wasn't easy for the siren to be aware of it and be cautious.

The siren gave up communicating with song and left letters on the shore.

'The handwriting is really bad.'

'The handwriting is really terrible.'

Yi-Han stared at the letters with a serious face.

Although it was difficult because the handwriting was like worms, the gist was that even though they didn't have good memories of each other, it was grateful that Yi-Han helped fight the tapir first.

"?"

For a moment, Yi-Han wondered what it was talking about.

'Ah. It understood that I was trying to attack the tapir, not attack it.'

Come to think of it, it must have looked that way from the siren's perspective.

Since he had twisted the attack and launched it at the tapir.

"As a mage of Einroguard, it's only natural to act that way."

"?"

Salko looked at Yi-Han as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

Even the siren tilted its head.

It didn't seem like the mages of Einroguard were particularly like that...