Despite the skull principal's words, Yi-Han started to worry about his friends in the Blue Dragon Tower.
It had been about two weeks, but were these friends eating properly?
'Wait. If I go to the Immortal Phoenix Tower, I can't do business.'
Realizing that fact, Yi-Hans anger toward the King of Ghouls erupted once more.
Of course, he could sell food to students from other towers, but doing business with the same tower was the most profitable.
To cut that off.
"That King of Ghouls is a truly evil bastard. He should be imprisoned forever for the peace of the Empire!"
"Why all of a sudden...? I've already completely imprisoned him without you saying that."
The skull principal was puzzled when Yi-Han suddenly shouted in rage.
The King of Ghouls was already in the skull principal's grasp.
As a powerful undead, he was struggling to escape, but once properly trapped like this, it had to be considered impossible.
If he continued to resist and finally succumbed, he would be reborn as the skull principal's servant.
"But if you think about it, student Yi-Han was the one who captured the King of Ghouls, so shouldnt you give him a reward?"
"Gasp. Is that so? I didn't know. If you give one, I'll gratefully accept it."
"..."
The skull principal blinked his eyes in annoyance, looking at the mentor and disciple.
'A leave pass...'
Yi-Han was lost in thought over the leave pass inside the skull principal's carriage.
For other students, a leave pass would have been a huge reward worth risking their lives for, but for Yi-Han, it wasn't that big of a reward.
The escape route, no, the leave route he had made in the 1st semester was still there.
The path to escape through the sky using the stable at the spire.
This was a path that even the skull principal hadn't noticed yet. Even the skull principal probably didn't expect that Yi-Han would have gone outside in such a short time with the cooperation of outsiders.
'But I still have to use the leave pass.'
Yi-Han calculated coldly.
If the skull principal saw that Yi-Han was still using resources abundantly without even using the leave pass?
He would definitely notice, 'That guy is going out!'
Someone like Gainando might say, 'Why do you have to pay attention to that?' but Yi-Han was different.
The devil is in the details.
The moment he made a mistake in a trivial part, the devil would come to put Yi-Han in the punishment room.
"What are you thinking about so amusingly?"
"Ah. I was so happy thinking about the lectures I'll take in the 2nd semester that I couldn't contain my excitement."
"Right? I felt the same way."
"It's a time to have fun."
"..."
Yi-Han got goosebumps at the sight of the two professors accepting his bullshit so naturally.
Am I the only sane person in this carriage?
"We're here."
As the carriage passed over the walls of Einroguard, Ogoldos's body next to him became transparent and disappeared from Yi-Han's sight.
"..."
While Yi-Han was watching it with mixed feelings, the skull principal stopped the carriage in front of the tower.
"Go in and bring out the rest of your luggage. No, it would be better to go together."
"Huh? Are there traps inside or something?"
"The ironheads of the Blue Dragon Tower might grab you and not let you out."
"...They're not that kind of friends. Probably."
-It can't be! It's a lie! It must be a lie spread by those White Tiger Tower bastards!-
Denial.
-Gainando, you bastard! You should have gone in, why!-
-I tried to go in too, but I couldn't! It's Professor Mortum's fault!-
-Didn't the White Tiger Tower bastards hide and ambush him?-
Anger.
-Fi, fine. If Yi-Han comes back now, I'll forgive the professor.-
-Me, me too.-
-If he just comes back within this week, I'll donate to the Empire's dark mages. I'll donate, so...!-
Bargaining.
-Why do these things only happen to us? Is God jealous of our bloodline?-
-It's because of those White Tiger Tower bastards.-
Depression.
"They're repeating the following process."
At the skull principal's words, Yi-Han made an expression that was hard to describe.
'If I go in, will I really not be able to come out?'
The skull principal seemed to think the same, so instead of sending Yi-Han in, he cast a spell.
Yi-Han's luggage in his room flew out one by one through the tower window.
"This should be all, right?"
"Ah, yes. Roughly..."
"Okay. Then... Ironheads!!!"
The skull principal shouted in a resounding voice.
At that, the 1st-year students of the Blue Dragon Tower were startled and stood in front of the window.
Seeing that, Yi-Han clicked his tongue in pity.
'They immediately stick their faces out when the principal calls. Even after being treated like that.'
If it were Yi-Han, he would have first checked if there were any traps outside the window before sticking his face out.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family has returned!"
"!!!!"
"Re, really?!"
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Over here!!!"
His friends opened the window and waved their hands. They all looked haggard and worn out.
"Principal, thank you! I knew you would save him!"
"Of course. It took a bit long, but who am I?"
For the first time in a long while, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower started cheering, calling the skull principal's name.
It was unimaginable how long it had been since the skull principal received such voluntary praise mixed with respect.
But there was one more surprising fact.
"Did Yi-Han bring in chocolate cake?"
"Wardanaz currently needs treatment until the evil energy disappears."
"Oh, no!"
"Dark magic is really...!"
Gainando cursed dark magic, fuming.
"So it seems he will stay in the Immortal Phoenix Tower during this semester. Then, goodbye! Have a good evening, everyone!"
The skull principal grabbed Yi-Han and flew away.
"???"
"??????"
"??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
A scream that even the demons of hell would have a hard time making erupted from the back tower.
"Please take good care of me, everyone."
Yi-Han was surprised by the quiet atmosphere when he opened the door and entered the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
While the places in the Blue Dragon Tower gave a luxurious and splendid feeling, the Immortal Phoenix Tower gave a serene and solemn feeling.
In fact, the students inside greeted Yi-Han but didn't raise their voices very loudly.
"Welcome, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"We were worried that you came late."
Perhaps because they were from a priestly background, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower didn't bother Yi-Han further after greeting him.
It meant that anything more than that could be bothersome after hearing the explanation.
Each of them sat in their seats, reading books, praying, or talking about doctrines with other students.
Yi-Han was touched by that sight.
'This is what students should be like.'
What kind of students are obsessed with chess or mage cards and play around? Seeing the diligence of the Immortal Phoenix Tower students, he was touched for no reason.
"Priestess Tijiling."
"Yes. Please speak."
Priestess Tijiling, who was preparing to pray next to him, turned her head.
"Can you tell me about the rules of the Immortal Phoenix Tower?"
Although Yi-Han was acquainted with most of the priests here and quite close with a few of them, he was a student who came to the Immortal Phoenix Tower midway.
If he didn't know in advance, there were definitely parts where he could make mistakes unintentionally.
"Of course. However, the rules are not that strict..."
"I'd appreciate it if you could tell me comfortably."
According to Priestess Tijiling, the rules of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were basically focused on respecting and helping each other.
If someone is doing a difficult task, help them. If someone is stuck on an assignment, help them. If someone is sick, find a way together...
Yi-Han, who had seen his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower grabbing each other's collars over a single card played wrong, shook his head bitterly.
'My friends should see this and learn.'
"...Prayer times are as follows, and dinner time is... Oh my. It's almost dinner time."
"There won't be many ingredients since I came in a hurry, but I'll do my best to make it."
"There's no need for that."
"Huh?"
"We prepare it together here."
Not only the priests sitting in the lounge but also the priests in their rooms came out and started gathering the ingredients they each had.
There weren't many ingredients, but the priests washed the vegetables and peeled the skins with a serious face as if they didn't mind.
Yi-Han took out the seasonings and spices he had brought. Two priests came to ask about the recipe and took them, saying they would do it instead.
"Do you always prepare together like this? Uh... the amount of food each person has will be different, right?"
"Yes. It may be different, but if you give, you can receive it again someday."
"..."
"Here, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I've peeled all the potatoes."
"You must be tired from the long journey, so wouldn't it be better to rest a bit?"
Yi-Han suddenly started to feel very comfortable in the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
'What is this? This comfort?'
"Yi-Han must be feeling lonely by now."
"...?"
The weekend ended, and a new week's morning dawned.
Yonaire tilted her head at Gainando's words, but the other students reacted intensely as if they sympathized greatly.
"Of course he would be! He went to another tower!"
"The principal isn't evil for nothing. How could he do such a ridiculous thing?"
Even the princess was nodding her head. Yonaire doubted her eyes when she saw that.
"Let's all go and greet Wardanaz! He must be lonely in the Immortal Phoenix Tower."
"That's a good idea!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower headed to the Immortal Phoenix Tower to soothe Yi-Han's homesickness.
Even when trapped in another tower and feeling lonely, true friendship helps overcome it.
If they conveyed that Yi-Han's friends from the Blue Dragon Tower hadn't forgotten him, Yi-Han would also feel a bit better.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz!!"
"We're here! Wardanaz!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower shouted loudly as they climbed the hill below the tower.
However, the sight that entered their eyes was different from what they expected.
Yi-Han was laughing and having breakfast with the priests in the courtyard in front of the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
"You're really amazing, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family!"
"It's nothing. It's not that great."
"No, it is. To make such a soup with just these simple ingredients."
"Please have some more cheese, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Shall I pour you some more soup?"
"..."
"..."
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower stared at the breakfast scene with a greatly betrayed look on their faces.
Tears welled up in the eyes of some students.
"Can, can priests do that? Can priests be so vile like that??"
"Hey, don't curse at the priests... Damn it. That's not what's important right now. This is too much."
"Just you wait...!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower gritted their teeth and turned around.
They were determined to let the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower know which tower Wardanaz originally belonged to.
Just you wait!
"That was a really good meal."
"No, it seems we are indebted to you."
While the students of the Blue Dragon Tower indulged in luxury with food from outside in the 1st semester, and the White Tiger Tower and Black Tortoise Tower gathered ingredients within the school, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower showed the knack for using the received food frugally.
The frugality of boiling and dissolving hard bread or cold rice balls to make them more filling.
Seeing them trying to give more, Yi-Han made a firm resolution.
'I must make sure they eat their fill.'
"By the way, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Hm?"
"I apologize if this is rude, but do you have a religious order that you believe in?"
It might have been his imagination, but for a moment, Yi-Han felt the air among the priests, who had been soft and kind, burning with a sense of competition.