What a crazy tyrant.
Lee Han had never heard of such an evil king. He could not understand why there had never been a rebellion in the Wise King’s dimension.
-Why do you deny the king’s wisdom? Even the most violent beings from other dimensions do not deny the king’s wisdom.
Apazragon could not understand Lee Han’s reaction.
The Wise King was a powerful figure respected across multiple dimensions. Even devil dukes respected the king’s wisdom.
So why?
-You’re being deceived!
Lee Han spoke firmly.
No matter how renowned a sage from another dimension might be, Lee Han had absolutely no intention of acknowledging that person.
-You mustn’t be fooled by his words. He is an extremely cunning being.
-Amazing. That is a very fresh opinion I have never considered before.
The angel listened carefully to Lee Han’s words.
Since the Wise King had told Apazragon to go and learn, there was no reason not to listen to this mage’s words.
Such a unique and radical opinion!
Was this the dignity of one who walked ahead on the path of ancient mages?
-Can you teach me more? I will engrave it deep in my soul and follow it.
-Don’t trust the Wise King, and don’t trust that ancient mage either...
Lee Han, who had been speaking rapidly out of anger, paused.
But was this really right?
Wait a minute.
Thinking about it, Apazragon seemed quite desperate.
Lee Han did not know much about angels, but he did at least know that these celestials usually lived in seclusion, rarely leaving their own domains.
If a being of such a race had come out and was wandering around like this, then the angel must truly be desperate.
Should he really speak so emotionally to someone who was trying to remember every single word of his advice and take it seriously?
-...Come to think of it, you probably don’t need to follow what I say.
-Why is that?
The angel, who had been planning to remember all of the advice and follow every bit of it, was puzzled.
-I’m not a mage at a level where I can give teachings. ...Just don’t follow my words! That’s my advice.
-Indeed.
Apazragon was definitely a powerful angel.
Despite the mage’s incomprehensible words, the angel grasped the profound mystery hidden within them.
Is he telling me not to rely on words, but to learn from actions?
Transmission through language was bound to be easily corrupted and distorted.
That mage must have spoken out of concern for that very thing.
-I understand. I will learn on my own.
-That’s fortunate.
-Originally, before meeting the king, I was practicing by capturing and confining demons.
-...
Lee Han wanted to ask where exactly the angel had seen and copied that kind of practice, but he was too afraid to do so.
-I intended to fulfill the number of demons I had sworn to capture first, and then seek out the ancient mage’s disciple, but I ended up meeting you first like this. This too may be a revelation.
-I think it’s just because there aren’t many demons like Orlagh on the continent.
Apazragon ignored this and continued speaking.
After all, the mage had just said there was no need to follow his words.
-That was all I had to convey. Please take care of me in the future as well.
-Sure...
With those words, the angel withdrew the locally manifested spirit realm. The sight of burning souls disappeared, and the awkwardly made human body appeared again.
Pop!
Having conveyed everything that needed to be said, Apazragon transformed back into a bird and flew away.
Lee Han watched in a daze, then belatedly realized something strange.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘please take care of me in the future’?! What does that mean?!”
Of course, no matter how much he shouted, the angel that had already flown far away did not return.
Diret was startled when the angel suddenly flew away and the junior urgently shouted, so Diret asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“Well...”
Lee Han appealed about the evil tyrant’s conspiracy in a slightly choked voice.
How many times had that bastard from another dimension tormented him now?
“...”
Diret’s expression turned strange while listening to the story.
...How does this kid keep attracting beings from other dimensions like this?
Diret could not say it aloud because he would probably cry if told, but it really seemed as if he had been born with such a destiny.
“When the angel said, ‘please take care of me in the future,’ that was probably just a greeting among celestials, right?”
Lee Han made an expression that begged, Please tell me it was just a greeting.
Since he was still disguised as Stedal Nago, the expression was quite frightening.
Diret wanted to agree with him, but could not. Diret slowly shook his head.
“I don’t think so.”
“...”
“It sounds like the angel is going to follow you around.”
The angel Apazragon had a strong obsession, like other angels.
It did not seem likely that such an angel would be satisfied and leave after hearing only the advice, Don’t follow my words.
Judging from remarks like, I will learn on {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} my own, and, Please take care of me in the future, the angel seemed to be planning to follow the junior around and learn by watching his actions...
“...”
Stedal Nago became deeply dejected. He probably would not have looked this dejected even if he had been captured by pirates.
Diret spoke urgently to comfort him.
“B-but we don’t know how the angel plans to follow you around. It could be that the angel will do separate work and only come find you when the time is right.”
“That’s still really unpleasant, though.”
Lee Han was disgusted.
It was better than being followed around every day, but it was still terrible.
Frankly, how was this any different from Professor Verdus?
No. That was too rude a thought.
Lee Han immediately felt remorseful.
The angel was merely going to follow him around and learn, so how could that be the same as Professor Verdus?
“Should we try sending another message? Wait. Where did Senior Yukbeltire go?”
“She kept insisting that you were plotting evil schemes to betray me and that she needed to spy on the spirit realm, so I told her to get lost downstairs.”
“...I’m sorry.”
Lee Han felt sorry, because it seemed as though their friendship had been damaged because of the Stedal Nago identity.
However, Diret shook his head.
“Junior, never apologize for things you don’t need to be sorry about. And the Stedal Nago identity seems well made. Did you see Yukbeltire struggling?”
“It’s definitely convenient when attacking, plundering, or stealing from someone.”
Diret decided to pretend not to have heard that.
A little later.
They called Princess Yukbeltire back and sent a message to the angel, but this time there was no reply.
...The angel isn’t ignoring me because I said there was no need to follow my words, right...?
With an uneasy feeling, Lee Han kept looking around.
He could not shake the uncomfortable sensation that there might be a disguised angel somewhere among the crowds filling the main roads of the Imperial Capital.
“Let’s go back for now. We need to return and divide the reward with the others.”
Diret pushed the large battle mage and the friend toward the manor. Princess Yukbeltire tilted her head.
“Divide the reward?”
“?”
Lee Han was puzzled by the senior’s reaction instead.
Then they should split the reward. What else were they supposed to do?
Would it be all right to pick a fight with this?
In the Empire, there are commissions, and when you complete those commissions, you receive rewards. You might not know this very well, but it’s customary for the participants to share those rewards among themselves...
He had come up with it on the spot, but it was a decent bit of mockery. Lee Han felt slightly proud.
...No...
However, Diret stopped him with a look, telling him not to.
Provoking Princess Yukbeltire would do no good.
“Why? We should split the reward.”
“You’re saying the dark magic school students should also get a share.”
“That’s right...”
“Diret. Let me explain why the dark magic school students do not deserve to receive rewards from this commission.”
Damn it.
Diret cursed inwardly.
The outcome was the same even without provoking her!
Senior.
The junior sent another look. Thinking he was going to pick a fight again like before, Diret glanced back.
I don’t want to listen to this. Should we just run away?
We probably won’t need to contact the angel anymore anyway, so it doesn’t matter, right?
...That is a very good idea.
So the two of them did exactly that.
***
“Huff, huff, huff. I negotiated well with the angel and wrapped up the discussion. We can take the demon. Done!”
“Th-thank you for your hard work. But why... why are you so out of breath? It’s like you ran here at full speed...?”
The dark magic school students were puzzled by Diret’s panting appearance.
“Didn’t you fight the angel?”
Everyone stirred at Cohorti’s observation.
“Senior, did you really fight the angel...”
“I didn’t fight.”
Diret denied it, but Cohorti sharply pointed out again.
“Diret might be acting like that so you guys won’t worry.”
“...”
“...”
When Diret and Stedal stared blankly at Cohorti at the same time, Cohorti quietly shut up.
Apparently not!
-Sob, sob. Thank you. For driving away that angel bastard.
Orlagh spoke from the side in a moved voice.
The demon was glad to have trusted House Wardanaz. In disputes like this, there were few existences as reliable as that family.
-I will serve you with utmost loyalty from now on!
“Ah. About that.”
Lee Han hesitated slightly.
Come to think of it, he had not fully explained the situation to the demon yet.
“You’re not my demon.”
-What?
“So strictly speaking, from now on you’ll be a demon who helps all the dark mages here...”
-...
The demon’s face, which had been full of emotion and joy, hardened like stone.
What kind of nonsense was that?
-Aren’t dark mages the people so poor they can’t even scrape together blood porridge? You’re sending me to such a miserable place??
This bastard.
Lee Han grew slightly angry.
We do eat blood porridge!
Not knowing that the young master of House Wardanaz had been thoroughly irritated, Orlagh desperately flattered him.
-Please take me as your direct servant! I will compose beautiful praise poems and offer them to you every dawn and dusk!
Orlagh was confident in the conditions being proposed.
Since this was a tribute that both the duke and Arsil had been satisfied with, surely this young master would be tempted as well.
Of course, Lee Han immediately ignored it.
“I don’t need that. Either make a contract, or call the angel back. One of the two.”
-Waaah!
Orlagh cried pitifully. Even the other students felt a little sorry.
“Do you dislike our school that much?”
“Still, Einroguard’s dark magic school should be better than other dark mages...”
Regardless, Stedal Nago mercilessly squeezed Orlagh. It was truly an attitude befitting a fierce battle mage.
Orlagh, who had been sobbing miserably, eventually could not withstand the pressure and agreed.
-Sob, sob...
Having gotten what he wanted, Lee Han spoke consolingly.
“Still, Einroguard’s dark magic school is better than other dark mages.”
-They’re still dark mages, though...
“...It’s better, you bastard.”
Lee Han could not hold back and grabbed Orlagh by the collar. The demon panicked and screamed.
-I was wrong! I was wrong!
“Ca-calm down, Sir Nago! Why are you doing this?!”
“This demon bastard keeps insulting the dark magic school!”
“!”
Cohorti was moved once again.
How could someone be so broad-minded?
“...”
Diret lowered his head. Diret could no longer bear to watch the friend’s foolish behavior.
It was embarrassing even to be nearby.
