Chapter 2

Chapter 002

Royalty. Prince. Princess.

Things that usually carry the character '황' (royal) are supposed to possess noble and dignified power.

But it was a bit different in the empire.

The royal family...

turned out to be more numerous than expected.

'Isn't the current emperor's offspring already over a hundred?'

No matter how much the royal family was known for their prolific nature, having a three-digit number of direct children of the emperor was a bit of a problem.

At that point, if Yi Han were to sneak into the palace, the emperor might mistake him for one of his own children.

Just like Yi Han, who received the punishment of having to live his life diligently for being born later than his siblings, the emperor's children were the same.

If you weren't the firstborn...

you had nothing.

In a way, it could be said that they were even more harshly treated than Yi Han.

At least the Wodanaz family's head remembered and took care of his children's names.

But the royal family had to figure out their own lives without such attention.

Of course, even a rotten mackerel is still a mackerel, and the royal bloodline still held considerable power in front of commoners...

However, the ones around here were the offspring of prestigious families in the empire.

They had no need to bow to a prince they had never heard of.

Yoner Meikin, for instance, was likely in a better position than most of the royal family.

So why was Yoner so eager to hang around with the prince?

'...Is he a bit stupid?'

Yi Han thought Yoner would have been angry if he had heard that.

Indeed, looking around, there were a few boys and girls who were mocking Yoner.

There was a sense of dignity among the nobles, and the question was why Yoner was serving the prince.

The pride of the imperial nobility was no less than that of the royal family.

In fact, when it came to the great nobles, even the emperor couldn't treat them casually.

"Alright, I get it."

However, Yi Han accepted Meikin's proposal.

'It's not bad, right?'

The one being mocked was Meikin, not Yi Han, who had accepted the proposal.

And just because the prince wasn't very impressive, there was no need to pick a fight right from the start.

In this world, anyone could become a friend, and friends could be helpful later on.

"...Thank you! I'm so relieved!"

Meikin smiled like bright sunlight. Yi Han was puzzled by his excessive joy.

"Why?"

"I've already had three people reject my proposal."

"......"

Yi Han slightly regretted not rejecting Meikin's proposal.

* * * *

Prince Gai Nando was the 97th prince.

There were several siblings born around the same time, so some said he was actually the 101st, but Gai Nando strongly insisted he was the 97th. He clearly didn't want to reach a three-digit number.

Apart from that, Gai Nando was a rather immature member of the royal family.

At 15, he was considered an adult, but not everyone matured at the same rate.

He clearly hadn't realized that the value of the royal family wasn't that great in this school.

"Did you hear? Yi Han?? That guy rejected my proposal?"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard."

"How dare he??"

"He probably doesn't know how noble you are."

"What does 'noble' mean?"

Gai Nando looked at Yi Han with a puzzled expression.

Yi Han stared at Gai Nando, then nodded with a gentle smile.

At that moment, Yi Han's evaluation of Gai Nando dropped a notch, but Gai Nando didn't notice.

"Noble means someone of high and precious status."

"Oh, that fits me well."

"Indeed."

"Anyway, he rejected my proposal and is now talking to Adenart! It's really insulting...!"

Adenart.

The student Gai Nando pointed to, Adenart, was also a member of the royal family. Probably the 43rd or 44th princess.

'The atmosphere is completely different.'

Long, flowing silver hair, bright blue eyes, an intelligent and refined face.

The princess could make the surroundings chilly just by standing there in silence.

A princess who naturally exuded such a dignified aura couldn't help but be respected by the noble-born students.

Moreover, Adenart probably...

'Wouldn't have sent someone to call him like Gai Nando did.'

Even if the noble-born students had strong pride, they wouldn't be so rude as to ignore a direct approach from a member of the royal family.

If Gai Nando had just gone and talked to them himself, he would have gathered a group of people.

"Will you help me later?"

Gai Nando said, looking at Yi Han.

Compared to his peers, Yi Han was tall and well-built.

It was natural, given his continuous training in swordsmanship.

Although they had gathered to become mages, in a group of young boys and girls who hadn't learned a single proper spell, physical strength was more important.

Of course, Yi Han had no intention of fighting for Gai Nando's pride.

"Gai Nando."

"Yeah?"

"Noble people don't have others torment others for them."

"It's not tormenting, it's punishment..."

"Regardless, noble people don't do that. Think about it."

"Hmm."

Gai Nando looked thoughtful at Yi Han's words. Upon reflection, it did seem a bit undignified.

"Then, Yi Han, what do you think should be done?"

"Forgive him generously."

"...Anything else?"

"Challenging him to a duel is also an option."

"Hmph. I'll forgive him generously."

Gai Nando quickly decided, apparently not wanting to duel.

Yi Han saw a positive trait in Gai Nando at that moment.

He was simpler than expected.

"Wow, you're amazing. You even changed Gai Nando's mind."

Yoner spoke with a surprised expression. Yi Han asked curiously.

"Why are you moving with Gai Nando?"

"He's a relative. A cousin."

"But you don't have to listen to every word he says, right? The Meikin family is... "

Before he could ask more, a loud voice echoed through the hall.

-Did you all have a good chat, you ironheads? Now, you can stop talking. You'll have plenty of time to talk over the next few years.

"!"

The same voice that was heard at the main gate sounded again, and a giant skeleton appeared in the middle of the hall.

A skeleton radiating immense magical power, with burning eyes.

'A lich!'

A great mage who had become an undead to overcome death.

That was a lich.

Yi Han had only heard rumors about liches; this was his first time seeing one. The other students also murmured in amazement.

-I have a question for you. Why do I call you ironheads?

Adenart raised her hand. Gai Nando glared at her, clearly displeased.

-Speak.

"Because... the symbol of the new freshmen is steel."

-Excellent. I'll give your dorm 10 points!

"Is there such a thing?"

-Of course not. If you want to become a mage, you must learn to detect lies first.

Adenart, who had been pleased, turned red with embarrassment upon realizing she had been fooled.

-Yes, the symbol of your first year is steel, just as the symbol of the second year is bronze. Steel is strong, and its quality varies depending on how it's made. It's a versatile and useful material, fitting for you first-year students.

"Oh..."

"Indeed."

The young boys and girls gathered there were impressed by the skeleton headmaster's words.

-You fools, you fell for it again! Your symbol is steel because your heads are empty. That's why you're ironheads! If you don't believe me, try tapping on them. You'll hear a nice sound.

"......"

"......"

The atmosphere in the hall turned cold instantly.

Many of the people present had never experienced such an insult.

But no one dared to argue.

The presence of the skeleton headmaster was overwhelming.

'Impressive.'

Yi Han took a deep breath and exhaled.

Since the skeleton headmaster appeared, the magical density in the area had skyrocketed, making it difficult to move.

It felt like being in the deep, deep sea.

'Still... I can move. Yes, I can move somehow.'

As Yi Han moved his body, the skeleton headmaster turned his gaze to him.

-...?

A look of curiosity.

Yi Han immediately straightened up and stood properly.

He had entered to graduate with a degree and connections; he couldn't afford to be marked by the headmaster in his first year.

-I seem to have been too harsh on the future of the empire, who have traveled far.

The skeleton headmaster's voice softened. Some people were slightly relieved, but Yi Han wasn't fooled.

'He's definitely a bit crazy.'

Becoming a lich means losing something, and the skeleton headmaster had clearly lost quite a bit.

Yi Han thought of a professor from his graduate school days.

That professor also had a gaze filled with madness...

'No, this lich seems better than that professor.'

Thinking that, the skeleton headmaster seemed more manageable.

-Now! The finest chefs in this academy have been preparing a feast for you for a day. Enjoy the meal, and rest from your journey. After the meal, warm beds and blankets await you in the dormitories...

At that, a few chubby boys drooled.

What kind of feast would it be? A chicken dish cooked with flour, oil, butter, onions, salt, and pepper, simmered in wine, or a gratin with a generous amount of béchamel sauce?

Right now, even a thick slice of cheese and butter on white bread would be delicious.

Or a fresh fish grilled with chili sauce, in the style of the eastern empire.

Eastern dishes like noodles were considered cheap and not often eaten, but after a long journey, they would be quite satisfying.

However, no food appeared on the giant table in the hall.

"???"

-You fools, you fell for it again! When will you come to your senses? What kind of mage are you trying to become?

'Is he really crazy?'

Some sensitive freshmen were on the verge of tears at the skeleton headmaster's harsh words.

-Now, I'll explain the rules. This academy is the cradle of mages. The greatest driving force in raising mages is desire!

As he spoke, a shabby cloak, a shabby staff, and a shabby bundle of clothes appeared in the air.

-This is your school uniform.

As soon as he finished speaking, black, hard bread and cold rice balls appeared in the air.

-This is your food.

"You're going too far...!"

Someone shouted without realizing it, and the skeleton headmaster responded with an excited voice.

-Yes! That's exactly the reaction I wanted! The food looks too tasteless? Learn magic quickly and get your own food! The clothes and staff look too trashy? Learn magic and get new ones! This academy can provide whatever you desire!

"......"

Yi Han was shocked.

He had only heard rumors that Einroard was harsh, but he didn't expect it to be this severe.

In short, if you felt wronged, you had to improve your magical skills quickly.

'Is this even allowed?'

"Hmph. Just bring in items from outside."

A student with a cocky attitude muttered with a frustrated expression.

The skeleton headmaster shouted even more excitedly.

-Yes! That's the reaction I wanted. First-year students are not allowed to go out! Don't even think about asking upperclassmen for items! You won't see them for a while!

"......"

"......"

-Dismissed! Ironheads, I wish you luck! Become good mages!

Yi Han thought he heard someone mutter "bastard" clearly.

The skeleton headmaster didn't say anything about it.

Prince Gai Nando, after the skeleton headmaster disappeared, stomped his feet in anger.

"Is this acceptable? Treating someone of our status so casually? Yi Han, aren't you angry? Can anyone live with clothes that look like they belong to beggars and food that looks like it's for pigs??"

"Huh? Isn't it fine?"

"......"