Chapter 500

"Asan. In my opinion, shouldn't that song..."

Yi-Han was about to say to his friend, 'Shouldn't that song be banned?'

"If it's that song, it's definitely worth showing."

"Ugh. It's frustrating. If I had written a good song, I would have shown it too. The professor criticized my <A Day in the Punishment Room>."

"Cheer up. You can write a good song next time."

"..."

Yi-Han decided to just keep his mouth shut.

'He must really be famous, more than I thought.'

He looked around, but unfortunately, Yonaire was not among the idle guys who were out here.

'If Yonaire were here, we could have shared the feeling of being left out together.'

Isn't it better to be two people than to be a person with no social skills alone?

Yi-Han had a very rude thought about Yonaire.

Creak-

"!"

At the sound of the door opening, all the students lowered their posture. Except for Yi-Han, everyone's eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

'Huh? Did he really come?'

In fact, Yi-Han didn't really believe his friends' words.

There were so many false rumors in Einroguard.

-Kids! Next week, His Majesty the Emperor's army will overthrow the principal and liberate the school!-

-Kids! Next week, a new principal will come and the school rules will change!-

-Kids! Starting next week, meat will be added to the menu!-

...Such false rumors usually turned out to be not true at all. And when asked, no one remembered who started them first.

But surprisingly, the one who entered through the open door was an unfamiliar outsider he had never seen before.

The elderly turtle mixed-blood man, wrapped in a slightly worn but thick coat, put down his instrument case and looked around the main building as if observing it carefully.

In his appearance, one could feel the leisure and dignity that only a person who had been active as a minstrel for a long time could possess.

Even though he had never seen Ipadour's face, Yi-Han could be sure that the other person was Ipadour.

'Indeed, famous people have a different aura.'

"It is truly a beautiful place. Lord Gonadaltes."

"Haha. I think you are being too generous, Lord Ipadour. For someone who has seen all the spring flowers and autumn moons across the Empire."

"No. The history that permeates this building overwhelms me."

"..."

"..."

The students lowered their posture to the point of sticking their bodies flat on the floor. Yi-Han looked at them as if they were pathetic.

'These guys are doing this without even figuring out the skull principal's location.'

Come to think of it, if a famous person came from outside, wasn't there a high probability that the skull principal would come out too?

The basics were to either figure out the skull principal's location, or if that was difficult, to set a fire near the principal's office to guide the skull principal's movement in that direction.

'I got caught.'

When the skull principal turned his gaze, Yi-Han sensed that he had been caught.

Indeed, considering the number of his friends, it was difficult not to get caught.

'Hiding here forcibly is something only a novice would do. I have to trust the outsider and go out strongly.'

"Principal! How are you!"

"!?!"

"????"

The friends who were lying on the floor thought Yi-Han had gone crazy.

The skull principal also threw a dismal gaze, as if he didn't expect Yi-Han to pop out so blatantly.

"Ye-Yes. It's a good night. What are you doing there?"

"While passing by, I felt sorry that the floor of the honorable Einroguard was dirty, so I was cleaning it."

"...Th-That's right."

"That's what we were doing."

The friends who were lying on the floor wiped the floor with their whole bodies to show that they were cleaning.

The skull principal clicked his tongue, seeing the 1st-year students who had sneaked out while on duty making absurd excuses.

"Your sincerity is so admirable that it's hard to believe. Is Professor Verduus coming out to clean tomorrow?"

"Thank you. If it's not rude, may I also greet the guest?"

"Rather, it would be an honor. I am Ipadour."

"Gasp!" "Ugh!" "Kuh!"

"?"

Yi-Han was startled when his friends who were trying to get up screamed and collapsed.

'Is it magic?'

But his friends were not affected by magic. They were so happy that they didn't know what to do and trembled.

Yi-Han was at the level of being startled, but the skull principal was looking at them with eyes filled with contempt, as if saying, 'To think those ironheads are students of Einroguard.'

"They don't do the magic they're supposed to do and are only interested in acrobatics."

"I'm sorry. Lord Gonadaltes."

Ipadour was used to his followers showing such an appearance, so he apologized with a slight smile.

"There is no need for you to apologize, Lord Ipadour. You guys, learn a little from that Wardanaz over there. Except for his bad habit of serving you meals, doesn't he only immerse himself in magic?"

'Why is that a bad habit...'

'If we immerse ourselves like Wardanaz, won't we die?'

"Let's go. Lord Ipadour."

"Wa-Wait a moment!"

Originally, except for Yi-Han, 1st-year students rarely spoke in front of the skull principal.

Apart from the immense position the skull principal held, the intense aura he exuded as a Great Mage intimidated the 1st-year students.

But sometimes, love overcomes fear.

With their strong affection for Ipadour, the 1st-year students pushed away their fear.

"Mr. I-Ipadour! C-Can you listen to a song I wrote?"

"Hey..."

The skull principal felt embarrassed for the first time in a long time.

He had called Ipadour solely for the purpose of magic research.

In ancient magic, primitive magic, or holy magic, music held a very important position, but not in the current Imperial magic.

Magic that used music was considered a significant minority.

Although mages gave the impression of being transcendent from reality, they couldn't actually be like that. Naturally, they were influenced by realistic factors.

Magic that used music was a representative school of magic that was difficult to theorize due to its variability depending on the caster and their emotions on that day.

However, recently, some senior students at Einroguard had become interested in this magic and were researching it.

Moreover, when even among the 2nd-year students, there were those who seriously considered this magic under the influence of their seniors, the skull principal could no longer sit idly by.

When mages with a purpose gathered, it was the duty of the lord of Einroguard to pave the way for them.

That's why he invited Ipadour.

To have a conversation with an outstanding minstrel and devise a curriculum for music-based magic.

Otherwise, there would have been no reason for the skull principal to invite a minstrel inside Einroguard.

If he made a satirical song and spread it throughout the Empire, it would be troublesome to deal with the aftermath...

Anyway, while the teacher was enduring the inconvenience and annoyance and making efforts for the students, the students were asking him to evaluate some insignificant song, so it was extremely irritating.

'If it weren't for the eyes watching, it would be the punishment room.'

"Do you think I called him to evaluate songs? Get out of the way. Don't interfere."

"Lord Gonadaltes. This is also a connection, so can't you listen to it just once before leaving?"

"..."

The skull principal nodded while grinding his teeth inwardly.

He couldn't reveal his true colors until he extracted what he needed from Ipadour (even in the form of a professor's contract seal if necessary).

Until then, he had to be a kind and magnanimous Great Mage.

"Sing it. Sing. You idi..."

"Principal. The guest is here."

At Yi-Han's whisper, the skull principal came to his senses.

He was about to let his usual habit slip out for a moment due to the anger provocation of the ironheads.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"Why are you here then? You don't seem like someone who would know who Lord Ipadour is."

Yi-Han was hurt by the skull principal's words that pierced his heart.

Of course, he really didn't know who he was, but hearing this from the skull principal made him feel bad for some reason.

"No. How could I not know Lord Ipadour, the famous minstrel of the Empire? What do you take me for?"

"Name one song that Lord Ipadour sang?"

"...Oh. Asan is singing a song."

When Yi-Han changed the subject, the skull principal clicked his tongue as if he had expected it.

If all the students were crazy about magic like this Wardanaz, running Einroguard would have been much easier.

"Einroguard. Einroguard. It's so great."

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han could clearly feel the atmosphere becoming chilly, as if Pengerin had used cold magic.

"A place with warm meals and soft beds. Einroguard."

"Why is that ironhead singing such a vulgar song in front of an outsider? Won't people think I made him do it!"

"I don't think so."

But Ipadour was already looking at Asan and the skull principal with a perplexed face.

As a seasoned minstrel, he immediately realized that it was a bit strange for a newcomer of an organization to sing a song of praise.

"Don't tell me, Lord Gonadaltes, you...?"

"No! Why would I!"

"Asan just wrote it out of pure impression."

Yi-Han stepped in, unable to watch any longer.

If left alone, Asan might be dragged to the punishment room for the crime of defaming the principal's honor after the event ended.

"Are you saying that someone from a great noble family was impressed by warm meals and soft beds?"

Ipadour threw a question as if it was hard to believe.

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like a song made by force and coercion.

Yi-Han gritted his teeth and hastily came up with a reason.

"...Actually, there's a story behind it. In fact, the friends who enter Einroguard come in full of fear due to all sorts of rumors. In the midst of that, they made such a song after realizing that the rumors were wrong."

"Aha!"

"..."

"..."

The friends next to Yi-Han made very complicated expressions.

The words 'No, there are no warm meals or soft beds' were about to come up to their throats.

"I misunderstood. I apologize. Lord Gonadaltes."

"It's alright. That can happen."

"The rhythm is excellent, but the lyrics are a bit too... blatant praise that can be misunderstood. I think subtle metaphors would be better."

While Ipadour was pointing out the song to Asan, the skull principal spoke to Yi-Han.

"Have I ever told you that I cherish you a lot?"

"Oh. What are you going to give me?"

"...I was just asking."

Yi-Han glared at the skull principal.

After listening to the songs of the 1st-year friends, correcting them, and even giving autographs, Ipadour said to the skull principal.

"Lord Gonadaltes. Actually, I have a request."

"Say whatever it is."

"Could I perhaps take a look around the school's scenery? If I could do that, I think it would be a great help for my poetic inspiration."

"Are you going to write a song about Einroguard?"

The skull principal tried not to show his emotions, but Yi-Han could feel the hidden dismay in it.

Of course, writing a song about Einroguard was not a bad thing.

If Ipadour just made a song of praise, how abundant would the donations and investments be that year?

However, the skull principal knew well that basically, the mouth of a minstrel could not be controlled as desired.

If he just didn't write a song, there would be no worries...

"That's right!"

"Alright. Let's take a look around together."

"I'm really sorry, but could a student also accompany us? I think they will show a different perspective from what you see..."

At Ipadour's words, the friends made expressions as if they were almost having a heart attack.

They silently screamed at each other, grabbed each other's collars, and stepped on each other's feet, trying to step forward.

"Wardanaz. Come out."

"Huh? Principal. I was going to go back and sleep..."

The skull principal used an extraordinary space magic to move a leave pass into Yi-Han's outer coat pocket.

Yi-Han nodded with an expression of being impressed by the beautiful magic.

"Wouldn't it be an honor for us students to serve the guest as well?"