That crazy bastard!

'That's quite a compliment.'

The death knight thought inwardly.

It was a rare compliment for the skull principal to say that.

He's roaming the school in such a filthy way!

'Even such high praise?'

Certainly, he deserved such praise.

In a situation like this, the safest place would be the library where Einroguard's collection of books was stored.

Even during the flood ten years ago, some clever students used to do their assignments in the library.

...Of course, there was no one who packed their luggage and came to live there...

Yi-Han mobilized all the rafts and boats he had made in advance to move the students from the four towers.

It looked like a fleet migrating to find a new island.

"Wardanaz. I respect your judgment, but..."

Salko carefully brought up the topic.

Salko was originally a bold character who didn't care about Yi-Han's mood, but today was different.

-Water! The water is rising!!-

-Don't worry, I scooped it out!-

-There's a hole in the boat...!-

-Don't worry, I blocked it!-

-The boat capsized in the waves!!-

-I'm launching an ice boat now! Switch over right away!-

Sailors tend to respect the captain after going through a storm.

Even Salko had no choice but to acknowledge the favor of this incident.

"...Is staying in the library really a good idea?"

"Even if it's not the best choice, let's at least avoid the worst for now."

Actually, Yi-Han was also anxious.

Choosing the library as the safest place from water was not wrong.

But the library was not that easy of a place either.

Since the interior geography changed periodically, if they were unlucky...

'We're alive!'

Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.

As they entered the library, a familiar sight caught his eye.

A cozy lounge full of chairs, sofas, and tables, and a long corridor extending behind it.

It didn't seem like they were being dragged into the wilderness right away like last time.

"The rain stopped!"

"Wardanaz! We're alive! We survived!"

The students who found a new home were moved to tears, kissing the floor and lighting fires. Gainando tried to pull out a book from the shelf to use as firewood, but was attacked by the book and screamed.

"This is not the time."

"You're right. It's a dry place without a hint of moisture, but we can't just sleep on the floor. We need to make quarters..."

"No. Salko. That's urgent too, but there's something more urgent."

Yi-Han gathered the students from the four towers. The students who were trying to light a fire and boil something grumbled and ran over.

"Tables, desks, bookshelves... Be careful with the bookshelves. There will be magic to protect the books. Anyway, gather anything useful around and set up a barricade first. We need to build a fortress."

"..."

"...Uh, why?"

A friend who hadn't fully grasped the situation asked in confusion.

"You idiot. The principal might attack, you know."

"Right. The lounge has a fixed entrance, but this place is wide open and difficult to defend."

"Aha. So..."

Yi-Han cut off his friends' words as if it was absurd.

"No. It's not because of the principal, but there were originally a lot of monsters in the library, remember?"

"Ah..."

"Wait a minute, Wardanaz. Wasn't that because we wandered into the wilderness and deep areas last time? This is the lounge area, so shouldn't it be fine?"

Yi-Han and Yonaire shook their heads at the same time.

"Monsters sometimes appear in the lounge area too."

"Last time, they attacked while I was studying."

"..."

"Come on. Everyone must be tired, but let's just do this work. Otherwise, we might have to keep waking up at night."

"Wardanaz. I think it would be good to dig deep trenches on the outside as well. Can I work with the Black Tortoise Tower friends?"

At Salko's words, Yi-Han readily accepted.

The Black Tortoise Tower friends, who suddenly had more work, glared at Salko. It was a very rare sight.

"But it seems difficult with just you guys. We should ask the White Tiger Tower to help too."

The White Tiger Tower friends, who suddenly had more work, glared at Yi-Han. Of course, it was common, so Yi-Han didn't mind.

The princess, who was sitting among her followers, immediately stood up.

This time, she was going to show something.

"Oh, by the way. I'll go out for a bit. There's something I need to bring."

"Be careful."

"Can you go alone? Should I go with you?"

"Gainando. Please don't talk nonsense and stay here. Don't make it harder for Wardanaz."

"...Is, is it such a wrong thing to say I'll help???"

An hour later.

Yi-Han returned carefully holding a large egg.

The friends who were working looked at the egg with curiosity.

"What kind of egg is that?"

"A basilisk egg."

The friends all burst into laughter at Yi-Han's joke.

Nothing was funnier than a friend who usually didn't joke well making a joke.

"Let's get back to work."

"A basilisk egg... Hahaha!"

"..."

Yonaire thought about what to say, but decided to just let it go.

It seemed there was nothing good about friends knowing the truth.

Tremble tremble-

The basilisk egg trembled and clung to Yi-Han. Yi-Han, who had to work, said as if it was troublesome.

"I have to work..."

Tremble tremble tremble!

"Okay. Okay."

Yi-Han soothed the egg, wrapped it tightly in cloth, and carried it on his back.

It was understandable that it was scared, given how much the cabin was flooded.

"Wardanaz! Our side! Our side is urgent!"

"These guys are talking nonsense... Digging the ground is something you guys can do if you work a little harder! Wardanaz! We need to build the barricade here first! This is more urgent!"

"You're all wrong! Wardanaz. You know your talent well too. You know my family is a chef family, right? You should help with meal preparation!"

"..."

Before he could take a single step, his friends rushed over and tried to drag him away, leaving Yi-Han at a loss for words.

The basilisk egg on his back rattled as if dumbfounded.

It seemed to be saying, what kind of guys are they?

Evening.

The friends who had finished migrating built a fairly solid fortress in the lounge area at the entrance of the library.

Of course, the reading rooms had all disappeared, but instead, sturdy barricades and trenches were created to protect the students.

"Here, take it."

"Hmph. Not bad."

"Just eat it, you bastard."

Even the students from other towers who used to tear each other apart whenever they met didn't fight today and showed consideration for each other.

In the face of overwhelming crisis, even those who had bad relationships and growled at each other tended to unite.

The great flood covering the outside had brought a sense of crisis to the 1st year students that they needed to unite.

Yi-Han wiped the bottom of the wooden bowl with a piece of bread, scooping up the remaining tomato soup in one go (Salko, who made eye contact, gave a thumbs up), and checked his surroundings.

'Not bad for coming in a hurry.'

They had wasted the weekend, but it was still impressive that they had settled like this.

The food that was swept away by the water seemed to be roughly replaceable with what they brought from outside...

'Important reagents and books were all distributed and stored in individual rooms, and the books that need to be read now were brought to the library, so it should be fine.'

Yi-Han untied the bundle again and checked the books needed for studying.

Gainando, who was checking mage cards next to him, looked at Yi-Han with disgust.

Crackle-

"The red-haired swordsman shouted, Skull Principal, your end has come! Here is the sword that will defeat you! Tempered with the tears of students and sharpened with quills..."

Other students were also lying loosely on blankets around bonfires, singing parody songs (originally a song about a swordsman who defeated an evil dragon), or talking about the events of the day.

"So you're saying that when you went outside, the anti-magic extremists attacked, and that Wardanaz guy caught their leader??"

"It may be hard to believe, but it's true!"

"What did I say? That Wardanaz guy has mastered all the evil divination magic of the Wardanaz family even before entering the academy..."

"Are you going to keep spreading unconfirmed rumors? Do you know how much I got beaten up for asking Wardanaz about that?"

"Ha! Someday you'll know that I was right!"

Yi-Han, who was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, felt strangely uneasy for some reason.

"Did I forget something?"

"The horn of the devouring-ship fish? Didn't we say we'd try using it when the flood starts?"

"I was thinking of preparing it and trying it out as soon as the day breaks tomorrow."

"Then it seems you didn't forget anything?"

Even at Yonaire's words, Yi-Han was lost in thought.

And finally, he realized.

"...Yonaire. Isn't the midterm exam next week?"

"...Ah!"

Morning of the new week.

The students walked to the entrance of the library with dark faces.

No one had the delusion of 'Will they postpone the exam for a week since the flood is like this?'

That was something only a newly admitted amateur would think.

"Those going to the <Basic Imperial Literature in Depth> lecture, this way!"

"Hey! That guy is the one who capsized the boat yesterday! How can you trust him to be the helmsman!"

"Friends taking the <Geometry in Depth> lecture on Monday! Come this way! Wait. Where did everyone go?!"

"I'll take the Wednesday lecture. I think it's safer to move with Wardanaz!"

The front of the library had become a temporary dock.

The students boarded boats divided according to the lectures they had to attend. There was also a phenomenon where students refused to board boats with a helmsman they didn't like.

"Yi-Han. What are you doing?"

"Preparing for summoning."

"What kind?"

"Devouring-ship fish."

"What's that?"

"Gainando. I'm a bit busy right now, so go over there for a moment."

"!!!"

Gainando was shocked and ran to the Blue Dragon Tower friends.

And then he tattled.

"Those priests...! Those priests!!"

"What are you talking about?"

The friends usually ignored Gainando's words, but this time it was a bit different.

They clearly saw Yi-Han preparing for summoning together with the priests.

"Gainando is right about that. That's something we can help with too."

"Right?! They pushed me away..."

"Even if Gainando is not helpful, we can be helpful."

"Right. Right."

"..."

Ignoring the glaring Gainando, the Blue Dragon Tower students crept closer.

"Wardanaz. We can help too."

"No... it's okay."

Yi-Han declined.

This devouring-ship fish summoning ritual had already been practiced several times with the priests, so there was no need to receive help from the Blue Dragon Tower friends.

"Gi, give me a chance! A chance to prove myself!"

"???"

Yi-Han was puzzled by his friends' nonsense.

'Did they have a bad breakfast?'

Why are they talking nonsense after eating well?

"Proving or whatever, this is just about preparing reagents as determined and putting in mana... Ah. Wait. Where did Priestess Siana go?"

"Right now, Priestess Siana is preparing drinking water..."

"Right. I forgot. One person is free. Princess. Can you help?"

Yi-Han noticed the princess and called her.

Since she was also well-versed in alchemy, he could trust and entrust her even without Priestess Siana.

"Understood."

Adenart nodded calmly and ran over.

And before the other Blue Dragon Tower friends could react, she joined the summoning team.

"..."

"..."

The Blue Dragon Tower friends looked at the princess with eyes full of betrayal.

Only by herself...!

"I humbly pray to the one who devours ships, we intend to summon you with the following offerings. Sea shadow sand, eight-layered water..."

Yi-Han began to chant the spell in a clear voice.

The devouring-ship fish summoning ritual was quite simple except for the fact that the reagents were very difficult to obtain and it consumed a lot of mana.

The priests scattered the ingredients into the magic circle as determined. The mana swirled violently, and suddenly the flow of the surrounding water became faster.

"The horn of the devouring-ship fish, a piece of the keel of an eighty-eight-year-old sunken ship..."

"It's coming!!!!"

The students screamed.

The sea, no, the water that had risen in the school was splitting in half, and a huge being was rising.

With the sound of the water gurgling, a huge whale-like being opened its mouth.

Every time it uttered a word, it felt like it was splashing and swaying.

-Thank you... for calling me back... to the sea-

'It's not the sea.'

'Should I point that out?'