"Ah. Lord Gonadaltes."

"Look here! This Mr. Wardanaz is on the verge of mastering <Ogonin's Light Fog>! And he's only a first-year!"

"..."

The skull principal mustered up as much patience as possible to not curse at the faces of the illusion mages who spoke so innocently.

"That's truly an amazing feat."

"Right? I knew you would agree!"

"Of course you would be happy as the one responsible for Einroguard! Hahaha!"

The illusion mages burst into laughter, but Yi-Han had a slightly different thought.

'He seems extremely pissed off.'

The expression of the skull principal in human form was not just icy cold, but looked like he wanted to attack the illusion mages right away.

However, the illusion mages were so overjoyed by the fact that Yi-Han, who was only a first-year, might master <Ogonin's Light Fog> that they failed to notice the skull principal's expression.

"How about Lord Gonadaltes giving a few words of advice as well?"

"That's a really great idea!"

Listening to that pure conversation, Yi-Han thought to himself.

The rumor that illusion mages were skilled at reading other people's emotions might be false.

"But there's one thing I'm curious about..."

"What is that?"

"Didn't I ask you all to do something?"

The skull principal asked as kindly and gently as possible.

If his true intentions were revealed, the mages might all run away.

"What was it?"

"Was it to help him completely master <Ogonin's Light Fog>?"

As the illusion mages murmured, the skull principal's anger deepened even further.

"The students... in the... ballroom..."

"Ah. Right. I remember now. Lord Gonadaltes."

"It was to surprise the students, right?"

"Not just... surprise them... but make them all... flee in fear..."

"Huh? Why do we need to make them flee in fear?"

The skull principal regretted calling these illusion mages for nothing.

He thought he had brought some decent ones from Granden City, but to think they would be this clueless.

"...Forget it. Everyone, get ready."

"Ah. Wait a moment. Lord Gonadaltes."

"What is it?"

"We want to finish watching Mr. Wardanaz master <Ogonin's Light Fog> before getting ready."

"..."

The skull principal thought about how nice it would be if this were Einroguard.

Then he could have shoved all those mages upside down into the punishment room.

But this was Granden City, and if he did that to the illusion mages, reports and petitions would immediately fly to the Imperial Capital.

The reputation of Einroguard built in the city would be tarnished with violence and fear.

He had to endure.

"Now... since the ball is past the halfway point, shouldn't we prepare quickly...?"

The skull principal spoke as nicely as possible.

However, the illusion mages were more clueless and persistent than expected.

"Please, Lord Gonadaltes."

"We're almost there! If he doesn't master <Ogonin's Light Fog> this time, who knows how much longer it will take."

"I'm fine. I can practice again next time..."

Yi-Han, who grasped the situation, tried to stop them, but the illusion mages didn't back down easily.

"Lord Gonadaltes! Please!"

"Lord Gonadaltes, you should know how important this opportunity is..."

"...Do as you wish."

The skull principal let out a very deep and dark sigh.

It was so deep and dark that it seemed to pierce through the corridor floor and reach the evil spirits deep underground.

"As quickly as possible."

"We will do our best to finish it quickly."

Yi-Han read the skull principal's feelings and spoke sincerely.

Then the illusion mages threw advice from the side.

"There's no need to rush."

"That's right. Haste is a dangerous enemy when mastering magic."

"..."

The skull principal glared at the illusion mages as if he would kill them.

When Yi-Han finally mastered <Ogonin's Light Fog> and returned to the banquet hall, the ball was already in its final stages.

The skull principal sent a suspicious look, wondering if Yi-Han had deliberately mastered it late, but he didn't dwell on it.

Honestly, even from the skull principal's perspective, he had mastered it quickly, so he couldn't conscientiously say anything.

'Fortunately, I wasn't caught.'

Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

At the end, he had mastered <Ogonin's Light Fog> but deliberately twisted the flow of mana to pretend to fail a few times.

Roughly looking at it, it was time for the ball to end, so he didn't really want to return quickly.

"Gainando... Did you go swimming or something?"

Yi-Han was surprised to see Gainando looking like he had taken a bath in sweat.

Gainando sat on a chair, panting as if his heart would stop at any moment. He was so out of breath that he couldn't even speak properly.

"The, huff, shoes, huff, crazy professor, huff..."

"Don't trust shoes given by a crazy professor. Got it."

Gainando kept nodding his head. Yi-Han noticed that Gainando was barefoot.

He must have had a problem with the artifact and barely managed to break it and escape.

'I told you not to wear them.'

While Yi-Han was feeling sorry for him, a few city nobles passing by saw Gainando and exclaimed in admiration.

"It was truly an amazing dance."

"A dancer of that level is rare even in the capital. If His Highness the Prince shows his face in high society, everyone will be amazed."

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised.

Who would have thought that Professor Beavle's cursed artifact would turn into such luck?

He didn't know how Gainando had danced, but it was clear that he had shown a dance impressive enough to amaze even the city nobles who were accustomed to social gatherings and balls.

"But His Highness the Prince has a big flaw, doesn't he?"

"Ah. Right... If he doesn't fix that flaw, he might not be welcomed in high society."

"!?"

Yi-Han was surprised in a different sense.

'What? What kind of trouble did Gainando cause?'

Even though Gainando was a bit of a troublemaker, he didn't have many opportunities to cause trouble in the first place.

He had spent most of this year at the magic academy, and before that, he probably didn't have many occasions to attend social gatherings, so how?

'Did he misspeak? Did he insult someone?'

"To think His Highness won with a dark magic curse in a Mage Cards game. Truly, really..."

"Who would have thought he would pull out such vulgar cards in a friendly game that respects each other's honor?"

"..."

Yi-Han was at a loss for words.

No, what...?

'Isn't it too much to say that just because he played a few cards?'

"Mr. Wardanaz."

While Yi-Han was amazed, two friends from the White Tiger Tower approached him.

He had heard so many honorifics from the illusion mages today that his ears were numb, so Yi-Han flinched without realizing it.

"Rowena. Ctran. Good to see you."

Rowena was one of the Princess's followers, a knight from the East, and Ctran was a knight who had broken his ankle while playing ball and had received Yi-Han's help before.

Ctran asked as if puzzled.

"But Wardanaz. Where were you from the middle of the ball? I didn't see you."

"I met some city mages and had a brief conversation."

Yi-Han made an excuse. Anyway, it wasn't a lie.

"Oh... As expected, you're amazing."

Ctran took it in a different sense.

Since Wardanaz had such a reputation, he thought the city mages had come to him on their own and had a heartwarming conversation.

It wasn't completely wrong.

Of course, it wasn't something Ctran should envy either.

"Mr. Wardanaz. This seems a bit unfair."

Rowena grumbled in a sulky voice. Yi-Han didn't understand what that elf friend was talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"The Princess is also your friend, Mr. Wardanaz, but you only gave such shoes to Mr. Gainando."

"..."

Listening to Rowena's words, it seemed that thanks to Gainando stirring up the ball like a storm, Princess Adenart, despite having excellent dancing skills, didn't get a chance to show her abilities.

Ctran, who was listening from the side, spoke as if he couldn't understand.

"But if she was beaten by Gainando, isn't it just that her dancing skills are lacking..."

"How dare you?! That dance only had flashiness that drew attention! A true dance should have elegance and meaning in silence..."

"Ah, no. I don't know much about dancing."

Ctran sent a pleading look to Yi-Han for help.

"Rowena. I didn't give those shoes. Professor Beavle..."

"I heard from the professor that he originally intended to give them to you, Mr. Wardanaz, but you refused, and he gave them to Mr. Gainando... Is that wrong?"

"...I didn't give them, Gainando just took them on his own. And those are cursed artifacts."

Yi-Han explained that Professor Beavle was crazy and that the artifact was cursed, but Rowena, although convinced, couldn't let go of her regret.

"Then it would have been better if I had worn them instead..."

Ctran looked at Rowena once, then at Gainando lying on the floor far away, and shook his head. Then he moved his lips and spoke to Yi-Han.

-I don't know why she's so loyal. They all seem crazy.-

-Isn't she your tower friend?-

-...Don't talk as if it's someone else's business. Wardanaz, you're the babysitter of all four towers.-

"...What nonsense is that?"

Yi-Han, who was also moving his lips, blurted out in surprise at Ctran's absurd words.

Rowena apologized in embarrassment.

"I, I'm sorry. Was it too rude of me to say I would wear them?"

"That's not it... Rather, Rowena. Do the White Tiger Tower guys call me a babysitter?"

Rowena felt a threatening tone in Yi-Han's voice and hesitated.

"I... I don't know... Ah! Princess! Princess! Over here!"

Rowena spotted Adenart and hurriedly called her. Yi-Han thought to himself.

'Is her loyalty weaker than I thought?'

Without realizing that her loyalty as a knight was being doubted, Rowena gestured to the Princess. Adenart was holding a plate for snacks and was dragged over without knowing why.

"I will fill the plate for you."

"She has hands and feet, so why bother? Just let her eat what she likes..."

Whether Yi-Han spoke or not, Rowena hurriedly took the plate and moved.

Ctran, who was next to him, snatched the plate like lightning and also got up.

He keenly grasped that if he stayed here, he would have to face the angry Wardanaz alone. He wasn't a knight for nothing.

'Hmm. This is awkward.'

Yi-Han thought about calling Gainando, who was lying on the floor.

Even among friends, there were some who were more comfortable and some who were awkward because they hadn't talked much.

The Princess was a typical example of the latter.

"Did you have a good break?"

Nod.

The Princess lightly nodded her head and opened her mouth.

"This time..."

'Basilisk? Valer family? King of Ghouls? Undead Chimera? Crimson Lotus Forest knights?'

For a moment, Yi-Han anticipated what the Princess would ask and fell into self-loathing.

"...I heard you had a meal with His Highness Gainando."

"Pardon?"

At the completely unexpected words, Yi-Han paused for a moment.

'What? Is she trying to keep me in check, thinking I'm part of Gainando's faction?'

If that was the case, Yi-Han was planning to say, 'I'm not part of Gainando's faction, haha, feel free to fight with Gainando as you please, I won't care.'

However, instead of speaking, Adenart threw a gaze filled with subtle emotions in her blue eyes.

Yi-Han felt like he had seen that look somewhere before.

To be precise, when Gainando had a pile of assignments, he would look at Yi-Han with pitiful eyes, unable to say it out loud...

'No way. It can't be.'

Yi-Han wondered what he was thinking. The Princess wasn't someone who would ask for help because she couldn't do her assignments. Comparing her to Gainando was an insult.

"I brought it."

Rowena returned with a plate filled with snacks.

Yi-Han was puzzled by the sight of the healthy plate filled with vibrant green.

"Uh... Is this for the Princess to eat?"

"This is the plate, isn't it?"

"..."

Yi-Han could clearly see the Princess making a dejected expression for a moment.