Chapter 501

The skull principal spoke in a meaningful voice.

"I'm counting on you. Explain the beauty of Einroguard."

'Can I do it well?'

Although he accepted it for the leave pass, now that he had received it, he suddenly became worried.

Is there such a thing as beauty in Einroguard?

'It seems like there's only pain and sorrow...'

Someone like the skull principal couldn't have given a leave pass for no reason.

Naturally, it meant to do well so that the famous minstrel wouldn't write a song like 'Oh, the students of Einroguard are suffering in hell~' when he went outside, right?

But no matter how hard Yi-Han tried, if there was only pain and sorrow in Einroguard, there was a limit.

Can he really do it well?

"What are those students doing over there?"

"The fence broke recently, so they came out to fix it."

Yi-Han answered Ipadour's question without hesitation.

In the distance, friends from the Black Tortoise Tower were fixing the broken fence while cursing.

Ipadour, as a seasoned and experienced minstrel, asked a sharp question.

"But why are they fixing it at this dawn?"

"Because they love the school too much."

The skull principal next to him looked at Yi-Han with admiring eyes.

To think he could spout such embarrassing words without a second of hesitation.

'How did such a guy come from the Wardanaz family?'

"Since they came out like this at night because they couldn't stop thinking about what they couldn't finish fixing during the day, that means they love the school that much."

"The love that the mages have for Einroguard is truly amazing."

"It's only natural."

Yi-Han handled the words that the Black Tortoise Tower students would have thrown a hammer at if they heard, without batting an eye.

A pro does not get swayed by personal emotions.

"Was there a flood recently by any chance?"

Ipadour asked in a surprised voice while walking along the forest path.

There were still traces left as if there had been a flood, even though it was not a place where there should have been moisture originally.

"Yes."

"As far as I know... It shouldn't have been the rainy season yet, right?"

Yi-Han looked at the skull principal. The skull principal nodded as if it was okay.

'It's okay to say that much.'

'Understood.'

"Einroguard is an area with strong mana, so many anomalies occur. This spirit flood was one of those phenomena."

"It's truly amazing. Such capricious natural phenomena are not common even in the Empire."

"It tends to be like that."

The old turtle mixed-blood minstrel looked around with a fascinated gaze, supporting his body with a staff.

Then he took out a quill and started taking notes on something. The skull principal glanced at the notes.

[In Einroguard, the cradle that nurtures outstanding mages, various phenomena occur. Young mages solve these phenomena with the help of experienced mages.]

The skull principal sent a satisfied gaze.

It seemed that even this seasoned minstrel had fallen into the trap of stereotypes and common sense and failed to realize the truth of Einroguard.

Even though there was no such thing as the help of experienced mages!

'Keep going like this. Wardanaz.'

'Don't worry.'

"Wait. How do students move when a flood hits? Do they also use magic?"

"Yes. We make boats using magic or summon Cerberus."

"Thank you."

Ipadour paused while taking notes.

"You summon Cerberus??"

"..."

The skull principal looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was doing.

Yi-Han also realized his mistake.

'I made a mistake.'

Come to think of it, summoning Cerberus was not the typical response when a flood hit.

"Who summoned Cerberus?"

Ipadour was very interested and grabbed the quill with an attitude of never letting it go.

"I summoned it."

"Very interesting... Very interesting indeed."

The skull principal gave Yi-Han a look telling him to get a grip.

His disciple couldn't lose his mind already.

"Lord Gonadaltes. Can all the students of Einroguard summon Cerberus?"

"That's not the case. Only a few outstanding students can summon it."

"What kind of students..."

"Oh, Lord Ipadour. Look over there! Giants are wrestling!"

The skull principal pointed to the mountain range and changed the subject.

Fortunately, giant wrestling seemed more interesting than expected, so Ipadour also turned his gaze.

"It's truly amazing to be able to see giants like this in a rare place. Lord Gonadaltes. But one thing, it may be a rude question... Don't the giants cause harm to the students?"

Although giants were not a threatening race like monsters, they were not kind and warm neighbors either.

If they accidentally collided with young mages, it could cause great damage.

The skull principal burst into laughter and said.

"Haha. As you can see from the distance, students have no chance to meet giants. They are the mountain guardians who protect the mountain range."

"Indeed. So that's how it is."

"This Wardanaz here knows as much as he mingles with the giants. Tell him, Wardanaz. Do giants ever have a chance to meet students?"

"..."

Yi-Han looked at the skull principal as if he was crazy.

Only then did the skull principal realize his mistake.

'Damn it.'

Come to think of it, Wardanaz was still a student.

"No... Student Wardanaz... with giants...?"

When Ipadour seemed to be in confusion, Yi-Han urgently stepped in for damage control.

"Actually, there is a giant who saved me..."

Yi-Han told the story of how the giant Ikurusha saved him, and the story of how he gave his hair through a chess match (with some embellishment).

Thanks to that, he became close with the giants and was able to watch them raising a mountain-destroying goat last time.

The old minstrel nodded with a very impressed face.

"It's an amazing story. A truly amazing story! For a young mage to become so close with a giant."

"Haha. Wardanaz is quite a sociable fellow. Boy! I told you not to go to the mountain range because it's dangerous!"

Yi-Han looked at the skull principal coldly.

The skull principal avoided his gaze as if realizing that he had gone too far.

Ipadour continued to walk along the forest path, admiring the mountains, lakes, and the moon and stars that rose above them.

Seeing the minstrel singing about the glass-like clear surface of the lake, Yi-Han newly realized the merits of Einroguard.

'The scenery here is better than I thought!'

Usually, he only thought things like 'How many fish do I need to secure from the lake today?' or 'How many baskets of wild vegetables do I need to fill from the mountain today?', so he didn't know, but looking at it like this, it was quite nice.

Looking to the side, the skull principal was yawning.

If other friends had seen it, they would have cried with envy.

To be able to hear Ipadour's song right next to him.

'Hmm. I don't really get it either.'

Yi-Han knew that he sang well, but to Yi-Han, who had no particular interest, Ipadour's song was just a well-sung song.

"But there's something I want to ask student Wardanaz."

"Yes. I'm all ears."

Yi-Han spoke as humbly as possible, thinking that he might have been caught thinking about something else.

"Lord Gonadaltes invited me to study the relationship between music and magic... Oh, I should have asked this first, my mistake. As I get older, my memory is not good... Which school of magic are you studying in?"

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and the skull principal's eyes wavered at the same time.

'Can I say it?'

'I think it's okay to say it.'

"I am paying attention to all the schools within Einroguard."

"Is that so!?"

Ipadour was also surprised by this story and took out the quill again.

"Isn't that impossible?"

"Thanks to the professors who give me their unwavering attention, I am somehow achieving it, although it is difficult."

'He's really crazy, even though I told him to do it.'

The skull principal was in awe of the answers that came out like a device that spewed flattery when a coin was inserted.

Was it a mistake to keep this disciple in Einroguard?

Shouldn't he be sent to the Imperial political world with such a tongue?

'But he loves magic too much for that.'

Not knowing that the skull principal had decided on his career path in a short time, Yi-Han continued to speak.

"I can feel that the student sincerely respects the professors of Einroguard."

"I am truly a lucky person. Haha."

"It seems so. Going back to the main point... How much interest do you have in music?"

The skull principal gave Yi-Han a look saying 'Just say you like it roughly.'

"I really enjoyed the song you wrote last time, Lord Ipadour. The lively rhythm..."

"The lively rhythm, you say?"

"...It is something only Lord Ipadour can do, to elicit the reaction of the Imperial people with a song that goes against the current popular trends."

"Aha."

Yi-Han immediately corrected his words after seeing Ipadour's reaction.

"I'm also lucky that you're interested. As you know, while Lord Gonadaltes is studying the relationship between music and magic, I also have to work hard to assist him, but I think I will also need the help of you students."

Ipadour also knew well that there was nothing as capricious as music, having been active as a minstrel for a long time.

Even the same song felt different depending on which day it was sung, so how much more difficult would it be for mages?

Inevitably, he needed other mages to help in various ways during the research.

"Could you perhaps help?"

At Ipadour's question, the skull principal frowned with a very displeased face.

'What's going on?'

Yi-Han was puzzled.

Knowing the skull principal's personality, he thought he would push Yi-Han's back to learn magic no matter how difficult it was for Yi-Han.

"If I help, what do I have to do?"

"Ahem. It will be quite bothersome for you. I will give you compensation, but..."

"?"

Yi-Han was surprised by Ipadour's words about giving compensation.

Huh?

'You learn magic and even get paid for it?'

Does that make sense?

"...After all, it will take up a considerable amount of your precious weekends. Going out with Lord Gonadaltes to meet the Empire's orchestras or choirs and listening to their music magically..."

"I will help you!"

"Is that really true?"

Ipadour was amazed.

No matter how outstanding a mage was, he thought that since they were still young, they would value having their own time on weekends more.

For example, going out to enjoy ball games or playing chess at a cafe in the city, and so on.

"It will take up a lot of your time."

"Lord Ipadour. I am a person who has dedicated my life to magic."

"Indeed, seeing that you belong to so many schools..."

"..."

Yi-Han was hurt by his own words.

'Some of them I was forced to take.'

"I would be really happy if you could help."

"...We'll have to check if Wardanaz has any talent for music or not, right?"

It was painful for the skull principal that Yi-Han had to waste his precious time going out unnecessarily instead of studying magic on weekends.

Having to waste it for music magic that might not even bear fruit.

"It's alright. Lord Gonadaltes. Whether he has talent or not, it will all become an important example. Besides, where else can you find such an interesting student? I want to hear more stories."

Damn it...

The skull principal muttered softly.

Although he succeeded in turning the gaze away from Einroguard, Ipadour had become interested in something else.

Indeed, there was no way that curious minstrel wouldn't be interested in someone like Wardanaz.

"Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Ah. A thought just occurred to me. Unlike a normal flood, a spirit flood wouldn't disappear naturally..."

"..."

"..."