For a moment, Gainando thought Lee Han was joking.
How could a person live on nothing but hard black bread and cold rice balls?
How could anyone wear such a rough, tattered cloak?
But Lee Han didn't seem to be joking at all.
'The Wodanaz family… What a terrifying lineage…!'
Gainando was shocked.
The noble families of the empire wielded immense power, each with their own unique customs and traditions.
And among them, the Wodanaz family, Lee Han's lineage, was one of the more mysterious, with little known about it.
This was largely because they didn't actively participate in politics, focusing solely on magical research…
But that only fueled Gainando's misunderstanding.
The Wodanaz family must raise their bloodline like *that*!
'Isn't that too much? Even slaves wouldn't be treated that way… To think the Wodanaz patriarch is such a cruel figure…'
Gainando gave Lee Han a sympathetic look and patted his shoulder.
"Come visit my estate sometime. I'll make sure to treat you properly."
"Uh… Thanks?"
Lee Han didn't know why Gainando was acting this way, but he nodded anyway.
* * *
After the skull headmaster's whirlwind speech ended and the students began to disperse, Lee Han got another chance to talk with Yoner.
He asked something he'd been curious about earlier.
"Why do you stick with Gainando? Even if he's your cousin, someone from the Maykin family shouldn't need to cater to a random royal."
"Oh, it's because of Gainando's mother."
Yoner answered casually.
Intrigued, Lee Han pressed further.
"Did you owe Gainando's mother a favor or something?"
For a moment, Lee Han imagined it.
A much younger Yoner attending a banquet at the imperial palace, only to make a huge mistake.
Everyone looks at her with disdain, and Yoner, scared and on the verge of tears, is approached by Gainando's mother—one of the imperial consorts—who warmly says:
- It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes.
An experience like that would certainly leave an impression.
Even if Gainando wasn't a particularly noteworthy royal, treating him well might make sense…
"Huh? No. Gainando's mother is ridiculously rich. She gave me a lot of money for hanging out with him."
"…!!"
Lee Han was floored.
There was a secret like *that*?
'I need to get close to him too!'
* * *
Einroguard, the magic academy, accepted anyone with talent, from royals to slaves.
Of course, the mages knew full well that throwing a bunch of hormonal, sharp-edged boys and girls together in one place could easily lead to trouble.
That's why Einroguard's dormitories were divided into four based on background.
The Tower of the Arrogant Blue Dragon.
Royals and heirs of prestigious noble families went here.
As a Wodanaz, Lee Han naturally belonged to this group.
"Ugh, priests. Hope they don't start preaching or something."
"Shh, don't stir up trouble for no reason."
Grumbling voices came from nearby.
They were complaining about the new students from the Tower of the Ever-Burning Phoenix.
The Tower of the-Seeking Phoenix Tower.
Priests from various religious orders of the empire were assigned here.
Surprisingly, the empire's priests didn't shy away from using magic.
They viewed mana as a blessing bestowed by the gods.
So it wasn't strange for various orders to send their priests to Einroguard, the empire's premier magic academy.
'They do stand out.'
While royals and nobles hadn't yet changed into uniforms and wore a variety of outfits, the priests were all dressed in simple clerical robes.
Noble boys and girls, who'd grown up listening to sermons from priests visiting their families, frowned as memories resurfaced.
*Clank, clank—*
But when the next group entered, the students' expressions soured even more.
The Tower of the White Tiger That Bites Thunder.
Boys and girls from the empire's knightly families belonged to this tower.
At first glance, it might seem odd for knightly families to attend a magic academy, but knights needed magic too.
From telepathy to healing, there wasn't a field where magic wasn't useful.
These were individuals prepared to walk the dual paths of knight and mage.
Gainando, clearly displeased, muttered under his breath.
"Do we really have to accept people who insult the noble and pure path of magic like that? They could just hire a street mage as a tutor."
Lee Han, overhearing, felt a slight pang.
Others might be here to pursue the pure truth through magic, but Lee Han had come to climb the social ladder with it.
"They probably wanted to learn from the best if they're going to learn at all."
"What… Why are you taking their side?"
"Gainando."
Lee Han's tone toward Gainando had softened considerably.
After all, he'd just learned Gainando's mother was loaded.
"A noble being doesn't look down on those beneath them."
"…That sounds like a pretty tough standard…"
Still wanting to be noble, Gainando shut his mouth.
As the knightly boys and girls passed by, the final dormitory group made their appearance.
These were the most diverse and uniquely dressed students present.
The Tower of the Black Turtle That Sees Past and Future.
This dormitory had the most varied composition.
Commoners, servants, slaves, jesters, beggars, merchants, and minor upstart nobles—all gathered here.
They seemed aware of their lower status, their expressions tinged with timidity.
'I'd like to get close to them if I get the chance.'
Unlike the others casting scornful glances, Lee Han wanted to build rapport if the opportunity arose.
What's the best way to make money?
Business, of course.
And the best people to do business with weren't someone like Gainando beside him, but those rough-and-tumble folks who'd been seasoned by the real world.
"They're looking this way?"
"Don't make eye contact. Nothing good comes from it."
"Annoying bunch…"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower couldn't be unaware of the contemptuous looks being thrown their way.
Since there was no benefit in starting a fight here, they averted their gazes and kept walking.
"Do we really have to accept such vulgar people? Even still."
Among the whispering voices, one stood out sharply.
The students of the Black Turtle Tower heard it too, their expressions darkening.
'Oh.'
Lee Han realized this was his chance.
A chance to build rapport with the Black Turtle Tower students!
'I should step in now.'
* * *
The students of the Black Turtle Tower couldn't help but feel intimidated, no matter how hard they tried not to.
Even the bolder ones hesitated to step forward in this unfamiliar atmosphere filled with murmurs.
That's when a boy from the Blue Dragon Tower—Lee Han—took the stage.
With bold features and a dignified, statuesque appearance, the boy spoke slowly.
"The vulgar ones are you. Didn't we all set aside what we had before entering Einroguard? To forget that and flaunt petty pride instead."
His voice carried an imposing presence and a commanding aura.
The innate dignity of a great noble, born of proud lineage.
The other Blue Dragon Tower students seemed to agree.
"He's right."
"Wodanaz family, huh? As expected of a Wodanaz."
The one who'd mocked earlier, now embarrassed, stayed silent and didn't dare step forward.
The Black Turtle Tower students reacted too.
"Wodanaz family??"
"That magic family…?"
"Don't make eye contact, idiot! They're dangerous!"
"Isn't their patriarch a dragon? A dragon's bloodline?"
"I thought it was the bloodline of an ancient spirit…"
"…"
* * *
At first, Lee Han thought it went well.
The students all seemed convinced by his words.
'Not bad.'
Now, if the Black Turtle Tower students would just thank him…
"Wodanaz family??"
"That magic family…?"
"Don't make eye contact, idiot! They're dangerous!"
"Isn't their patriarch a dragon? A dragon's bloodline?"
"I thought it was the bloodline of an ancient spirit…"
"…"
But the reaction wasn't quite what Lee Han had expected.
Instead of gratitude, they looked at him with fear!
Seeing their response, Lee Han realized something had gone awry.
He'd expected thanks…?
Beside him, Yoner spoke with admiration.
"What you just showed was amazing. You're right—a noble entering Einroguard should act like that."
"…Yoner, do I look scary?"
"Huh? No? You look noble, dignified?"
Yoner didn't understand why Lee Han was troubled.
Lee Han's appearance was, quite literally, "nobly" handsome.
Bold features, a chiseled jaw, pursed lips, and sharp eyes.
An imposing air that commoners couldn't easily approach was considered a virtue among nobles.
In fact, the Blue Dragon Tower students all viewed him favorably.
Lee Han sighed at their reactions.
'This is going to make fitting in tough.'
Each dormitory was positioned far apart from the main building, stretching out in the directions of east, west, south, and north.
Lee Han and the other students headed along the path toward the distant blue tower.
'This place is really vast.'
Seeing it from the inside, he couldn't help but be newly amazed.
It was called a school, but what kind of school had lakes, forests, rivers, and mountains within its grounds?
That sight suddenly brought to mind something the skull headmaster had said.
'He told us to get it ourselves, didn't he?'
The headmaster had said that if you wanted something in this school, you could obtain it as much as you desired.
Looking at this landscape, it certainly felt plausible.
Go hunting for beasts in the forest, or fishing by the lake…
"You're thinking the same thing, aren't you?"
"Huh?"
"You were thinking that being able to see this beautiful scenery is a great blessing, right?"
"No, I was wondering what kind of animals I could catch in the forest."
"…Does the Wodanaz family make you train for that too??"
* * *
The Tower of the Arrogant Blue Dragon was a tall, slender tower made of blue stone.
From the outside, it didn't look all that large.
But inside, the mages of Einroguard had expanded it into a near-infinite expanse of space.
"!"
As soon as he passed through the tower's entrance, all the students who had been with him moments ago vanished.
Regaining his senses, Lee Han found himself alone in a dark, shadowy space.
[Where would you like to go?]
"??"
[Where would you like to go?]
'Ah.'
Lee Han realized that it was the tower itself speaking to him.
"Where… can I go?"
[You adapt quickly.]
Though the tower couldn't be seen, Lee Han felt as if it were smiling faintly.
[Right now, you can go to your personal room or the first-year-only Steel Lounge.]
"Can I go anywhere else?"
[Yes. Some places you can reach just by knowing their names, while others require additional knowledge.]
The Tower of the Blue Dragon Dormitory
The Tower of the Phoenix Dormitory
The Tower of the Tiger Dormitory
The Tower of the Turtle Dormitory
"Can I go to the second-years' lounge or the common lounge?"
[Yes. But not right now.]
"Why not?"
[Because the headmaster has forbidden it.]
"…"
Lee Han inwardly cursed the headmaster's thoroughness. In moments like this, he was annoyingly meticulous.
"Then please send me to my personal room."
[Very well. Welcome to the academy, young mage.]