Chapter 1171
As dark mages who had been through every kind of hardship, the Descendants sensed the danger hidden within the question.
It sounded like an ordinary question, yet there was something about it that sent a strange chill down their spines.
“...Why do you ask?”
“Because I belong to Einroguard’s dark magic school?”
“!!!”
The Descendants were horrified by that answer.
The brat before them belonged to Einroguard’s dark magic school.
Then could it be...?!
“Do not tell me you are Lee Han of House Wardanaz?! The one Mortum bragged about until our ears nearly fell off?!”
“......”
This time, it was Lee Han’s turn to fall silent.
'Professor...!'
He had never felt ashamed of belonging to the dark magic school before, but today he felt slightly embarrassed.
“That is correct. ...Professor Mortum only acted that way because he cares deeply for his disciples.”
“Huh? Did he praise Raphaedel too?”
Anglago, who had been listening from the side, asked in confusion. Lee Han immediately hardened his expression.
“Be quiet.”
'What...!'
He had only asked because Lee Han said the professor cared for his “disciples”!
“If you possess enough ability to make contact with the Devil Hag, then I can understand why Mortum bragged about you.”
The Descendants admitted it in resentful voices.
With this level of ability, Mortum’s bragging had actually seemed to underestimate him.
To be fair, much of Mortum’s bragging had focused on rather pointless matters. Why did he keep repeating that Lee Han had filled the dark magic school’s vault to the brim?
“I agree. Mortum truly has an extraordinary disciple.”
“...No. Why are you changing the subject? I asked what Professor Garcia meant when she said you excluded Einroguard’s dark magic school by refusing to invite them.”
“Ah.”
The Descendants, who had been chattering in shock, returned to their senses.
Now that they thought about it, the offense they had committed was still unresolved.
The undead of the Legion of Oondorgu, who had been quietly watching the conversation from the side, promptly answered.
“Grrrrrk. (The Descendants of Ahrak agreed to invite Einroguard’s dark magic school, then deliberately left them out).”
“......”
“Are you seriously doing this? You treacherous bastards?”
The Descendants protested in disbelief. The undead merely shrugged.
“Grrrk. (The living must survive).”
Even if the Descendants of Ahrak could not ask a question, should the other dark mages not be allowed to?
“A reasonable opinion. We agree as well.”
The Obsidian Magic Tower immediately agreed.
In truth, they would have stabbed the Descendants in the back even if it had not been reasonable.
As long as they alone could ask their questions, they did not care whether the Descendants of Ahrak or the Legion of Oondorgu suffered.
However, this pathetic infighting among the dark mages had the opposite effect.
Lee Han was already furious that they had failed to invite Senior Diret, yet instead of reflecting on their actions, they were shifting the blame among themselves!
In Lee Han’s eyes, all these dark mages looked like members of the same group.
“...Enough! Are you not all the same?”
“Grrrk. (We are not)?!”
“The Descendants of Ahrak truly were the ones who omitted the invitation. We can prove it.”
The dark mages panicked and began explaining themselves.
Lee Han, however, pointed out coldly,
“When you learned that they had not been invited, did any of you try to invite them afterward?”
“......”
The dark mages were struck speechless by the unexpected point.
That certainly was...
“I do not see why I should show kindness to people who look down on Einroguard’s dark magic school this much. I withdraw what I just said.”
“N-No!”
“Grrrrrk. (Think again)!”
The dark mages screamed and tried to persuade him, but Lee Han had already made up his mind.
Lee Han looked toward the only person among them he could trust.
“Professor Taswan. If there is anything you would like to ask the Devil Hag, please tell me. I will ask if possible.”
“...M-Me?!”
Professor Taswan, who had been watching the disgraceful quarrel among the seniors, was startled when his name was called.
Then he belatedly cleared his throat and tried to recover his dignity.
“...Thank you, Student Wardanaz!”
“No!! Why does that brat get to?!”
The Descendants of Ahrak struggled wildly, unable to accept it.
They could have understood if none of them were allowed to ask.
But only the Kalarogard brat was receiving special privileges.
Why in the world?
'I can never accept this!'
The other dark mages seemed to feel the same way, staring at Lee Han with burning eyes.
Whether the reason involved magic, experience, or reputation, they were confident they could refute it.
“You truly do not know the reason?”
“That is right! What is the reason?!”
“Kalarogard and Einroguard are close.”
“......”
All the dark mages fell silent at the unexpected reason.
It was shameless and brazen, but it was certainly understandable.
Nothing could be done if they were close...
***
The dark mages gathered there dispersed in dejection.
Their desire regarding the Devil Hag prevented them from leaving the fortress, but remaining in the audience chamber would accomplish nothing further.
'Hmph. Winning over one brat will not be difficult. I will persuade him and obtain the right to ask a question no matter what.'
Grrrrrk.
'I should prepare a negotiation proposal for Einroguard’s dark magic school and make contact.'
Of course, the dark mages were not simply giving up.
Each of them withdrew while thinking, 'The others might fail, but I still have a chance.'
“My apologies, my lord.”
Lee Han apologized because of the disgraceful quarrel they had displayed.
It occurred to him anew that perhaps this was why the Empire’s dark magic schools had such a poor reputation overall.
He did not know much about the other schools of magic, but at the very least, they probably did not engage in such disgraceful quarrels inside audience chambers.
“What are you saying, Wardanaz? If the mage who resolved the north’s problem says such a thing, the northern houses will be the ones who feel ashamed.”
Jiderf looked at Lee Han with a gaze full of affection.
Who could possibly have imagined that the boy from House Wardanaz, whom he had invited for an entirely different reason, would solve this problem as well?
'I do not think I have ever seen him look at me that way...'
Giselle muttered inwardly.
Her father, who was always cold and strict, was capable of making an expression like that.
It was enough to make her wonder which of them belonged to House Wardanaz and which belonged to House Moradi.
“I will report to you once the negotiations concerning the Devil Hag are concluded.”
“If the dark mages become troublesome, tell me.”
They had been precious guests before the problem was solved, but now that it had been resolved, they were people who could be expelled at any time.
The dark mages knew that as well, which was why they had withdrawn quietly instead of whining in this room.
All of them knew that if they whined in the audience chamber like last time, they would be expelled immediately.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“And tell me if the knights become troublesome as well.”
Jiderf quickly glanced over the White Tiger Tower students, then returned his gaze to its original position.
“......”
Giselle realized that the “knights” he had just mentioned did not necessarily refer only to the knights of the territory.
The White Tiger Tower students, however, failed to understand and shouted enthusiastically.
“We will protect Wardanaz! Leave it to us!”
“...Yes. Thank you, all of you. You must be tired from the journey, so return and rest for today.”
The students bowed politely, then left the room one after another.
After Giselle, who came out last, the chief attendant quietly followed.
“There is something I would like to ask, Lady Giselle.”
“Please tell him that I will manage the White Tiger Tower students.”
Giselle answered as though she had expected this.
If the chief attendant had followed her out to ask something, it was clearly to convey her father’s intentions.
He could not openly criticize her friends in front of them, so was that not only natural?
“No. The head of the house did not ask about that. Everyone knows that Lady Giselle will handle it properly, so why would he ask?”
“Then what is it...?”
“What spell did the mage of House Alpha cast on the horns? If possible, I would like to teach it to the other attendants as well.”
“...I will ask Wardanaz later...”
Her tension leaving her, Giselle answered weakly.
***
The Devil Hag sent a large toad messenger across the dimensions.
Powerful benevolent beings of other dimensions rarely maintained contact with evil-god worshipers, but the situation was different for a neutral being like the Devil Hag.
Whether someone was good or evil mattered less than how entertaining they were.
How much distorted time passed between the dimensions?
By one standard, less than a second had passed. By another, several decades had gone by before a reply returned.
Why does the Wisest Devil Hag wish to see me?
It was written in the hand of the Immortal, one of the bishops of the Frahgal Order.
The Devil Hag cackled, then used the tip of a ladle to write across the back of another enormous toad.
This primitive magic possessed the power to pierce through dimensional distortion and interference, allowing immediate communication.
I came because I have a proposal.
My apologies, but I am not in the mood.
'Hmm.'
Despite the cold and arrogant attitude, the Devil Hag did not become angry.
Of course, if a mere mortal had acted that way, she would have immediately flown into a rage and used them as fuel to heat her cauldron, or simply thrown them inside it.
But evil-god worshipers were a different matter. Were they not all somewhat insane?
There was no point becoming angry because people like that were rude. The Devil Hag could be generous when she chose to be.
'Something happened.'
Evil-god worshipers were always at a disadvantage in the material plane, so they were often receptive to proposals coming from outside the dimension.
Yet this one was acting so prickly.
It had to be one of two things.
Either they had achieved a major success recently, or they had suffered a major failure.
Judging by the emotions contained in the handwriting, the Devil Hag wagered on the latter.
Yes, yes! This old woman heard about that failure too. I am sure it was embarrassing. But what good does it do for a fully grown child to hide under a blanket and cry?
Did you send a messenger merely to insult me? Or to boast about how quickly rumors reach you?
The Devil Hag smiled again.
Judging from that indignant response, she had guessed correctly.
Of course I sent it to help you! Why else would this old woman go to the trouble of sending a toad to someone like you? So stop crying and tell me. I will help you take revenge.
Now that I think of it, you were skilled at handling insects as well... Very well. Let us make a deal. If you answer my question, I will pay the price. Would one hundred sacrifices be enough?
The price depends on the question. Do you perhaps take this old woman for a fool?
My apologies. It is such a bewildering matter... You are also aware of the Regenerator’s insects, are you not?
The Devil Hag waited quietly.
The Regenerator—in other words, Frahgal’s insects—were well known to the Devil Hag, who also used an Authority related to insects.
Their powers belonged to different categories, but there was some overlap between them, and each had things worth learning from the other.
Do you believe an outsider could steal the Authority of those insects?
'?!'
The Devil Hag was startled.
Did that not mean someone had stolen and used the Frahgal Order’s Authority?!
'Has the time finally come for those fanatics to perish?'
She had lived for a very long time among the dimensions, but she had never heard of an outsider stealing and using an order’s Authority.
You mean it was not reproduced through magic?
Are you the one taking me for a fool?
This old woman apologizes. Indeed, there is no chance you would fail to distinguish the two.
Reproducing something through magic and stealing the Authority itself to use it were clearly different.
If the other party had been stupid enough to fail to distinguish between them, they would have been captured and executed in the material plane long ago.
The Devil Hag had come to make a proposal, but now she became completely absorbed in the intriguing mystery.
What kind of person had stolen the Authority, and how had they done it?
'How very curious!'