“Stop! This person is royalty. I won’t forgive you if you touch Prince Jowurin carelessly!”

“?”

When her junior drew his staff and shouted, Princess Yukbeltire looked around in surprise.

She thought someone might be trying to attack her.

But there was no one there.

“Who are you talking to?”

“...You, Senior?”

“Why?”

“...Because you called Prince Jowurin?”

“Dragons are an exceptionally intelligent species. They tend to display remarkable ability in advanced mathematics and geometry. I thought it would be useful for the second-year students here to hear Prince Jowurin’s perspective.”

Lee Han nodded at Princess Yukbeltire’s flawless logic.

When his friend had once said, “Senior Yukbeltire actually teaches properly,” he had wondered what that meant. Now he understood.

She really did teach properly.

“I see. In that case, please forget what I just shouted.”

Lee Han said this and sat down.

Naturally, Princess Yukbeltire did not let it go.

“Wait.”

Damn it.

Lee Han realized his mistake and looked up.

Should he claim that he had shouted out of concern for Princess Yukbeltire, who was also royalty?

“Junior of House Wardanaz.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“What is that staff?”

“...”

***

Lee Han explained himself with great sincerity.

Admittedly, most of the explanation sounded less like excuses and more like complaints about Professor Verdus, but they were still excuses.

Diret, who had been hiding in the back, also came out and earnestly supported his junior.

“Professor Verdus forced him...!”

“Professor Verdus really...!”

“In any case, Professor Verdus...!”

“Professor Verdus is truly...!”

Not only the students in the lecture hall, but even Jowurin nodded and spoke.

Professor Verdus really is a bad person!

“Yes.”

If Professor Garcia had been there, some sort of defense might have been offered on Professor Verdus’s behalf.

Unfortunately, only Professor Voladi Bagreg was nearby.

And Professor Voladi Bagreg was not very generous toward mages with a history of tormenting his disciple several times.

After Professor Verdus had been cursed hundreds of times, Diret glanced at Princess Yukbeltire’s expression.

Her face was so expressionless and cold that it was hard to tell what she was thinking.

“...You aren’t angry, are you, Yukbeltire?”

“Diret. You have had a bad habit of making absurd accusations against me for a long time. Emotional agitation of that sort has nothing to do with me. Understood?”

What do you mean, when you sulked so much just because I didn’t help with your research that one time?

Diret grumbled inwardly.

Previously, Princess Yukbeltire had asked for help with research, saying, “It is fine if you do not help.” Diret had taken her at her word and replied, “Ah, sorry. I’m busy right now, so I’ll help next time.”

After that, Princess Yukbeltire disappeared. When Diret went looking for her, she was in her workshop, staging a hunger strike.

She insisted with her own mouth that she had “simply forgotten to eat because she was busy,” but from Diret’s perspective, it was absolutely sulking because the research request had been refused.

But I have to endure it now.

If it were only Diret, that would be one thing. But he couldn’t let Princess Yukbeltire sulk at his junior too.

That would be too petty.

“Of course, I did configure the form to suit the unusual properties of obsidian as a staff material. I also prepared several spells and essences in advance. The fact that Professor Verdus completed what I had intended to finish myself does not disturb me in the slightest. Understood?”

“...Yes...”

Lee Han felt slightly guilty.

Under other circumstances, even if Princess Yukbeltire had thrown a tantrum on the floor like Professor Verdus, he would have thought, So what?

But when it came to this staff, he really had received help from her.

“Lee Han. Senior seems angry.”

“I thought so too.”

His friends all seemed to share the same opinion.

Anyone could see she was angry.

Even Adenart, her own sister, agreed.

“That does seem like anger...”

“On what basis are you saying that? Unbelievable. Adenart. Can you still call yourself a mage after saying such a thing? At what minute, what hour, what second did you observe evidence of anger?”

“Eek.”

Adenart flinched at her sister’s anger, which she was seeing for the first time.

Princess Yukbeltire was not usually like this, but whatever Wardanaz had done, it seemed to have dealt her an enormous shock.

“...Should I help with the artificial dimension artifact research?”

Princess Yukbeltire’s hand, which had been clenched [N O V E L I G H T] tight in anger at the world, relaxed slightly.

“Why? Didn’t you say you were not particularly interested?”

“After thinking about it carefully, I realized it really is excellent research. Come to think of it, it’s remarkable. While someone else wastes a life trying to make some strange airship... my goodness. That person should look at this and learn.”

Princess Yukbeltire’s hand relaxed a little more.

“If your thoughts have changed, I may consider allowing your participation.”

“Ah. Senior.”

“What?”

“I think I’ll be busy during the semester, so would it be all right if I help during vacation?”

“...”

Princess Yukbeltire’s fingertips began to tremble again.

***

In the end, however, Princess Yukbeltire could not harshly scold the impudent junior and chase him away.

He was too valuable a talent for that.

“Then let us begin the lecture. Adenart. You can see the positions of two dark planets marked on the coordinate plane. Express the distance between them in coordinates and prove the formula.”

“...”

Adenart froze at the immediate revenge.

“I... I don’t know.”

“I see. Next. Gainando. On the coordinate plane—”

“I don’t know!”

“Listen to the full question before answering. On the coordinate plane now drawn—”

Princess Yukbeltire concentrated her questions on the juniors who had said she was angry.

Her pettiness was so obvious that even the students listening to the lecture began whispering.

Diret covered face with wings in embarrassment.

At this rate, it would become impossible to admit they were friends anywhere in the future.

Amazing!

Lee Han was impressed.

The most surprising part was that Princess Yukbeltire herself had no idea she was sulking and taking revenge.

The juniors she had just happened to pick were simply the ones who had called her angry earlier!

Sorry. Even I find this a little scary.

Lee Han had boldly confronted Princess Yukbeltire many times before, but this was different.

A senior standing behind the podium possessed a different sort of authority.

He had no choice but to endure quietly. There was no telling what might happen if he provoked her carelessly.

Jowurin! Jowurin will answer! First, you need to bring in an absolute inequality...!

Unable to hold back any longer, Jowurin raised a front paw high and shouted.

Since Jowurin knew the answer, staying silent was difficult.

Fortunately, Princess Yukbeltire did not stop the dragon and gave permission to answer.

“Please explain, Your Majesty.”

Jowurin excitedly wagged wings and tail while explaining.

Of course, Jowurin’s enthusiastic explanation did not mean the students’ intelligence rose along with it.

Most of the students were either dozing off or staring blankly with their mouths open.

Servant. Servant! You understood Jowurin’s explanation, right?

“...Ah. Me?”

Gainando, who had been wondering who was being called, belatedly understood.

Behind him, he could hear the White Tiger Tower students whispering.

“A servant?”

“That bastard prince...”

Gainando’s face flushed red.

What kind of humiliation was this because of his wicked half-sister?

“I’m jealous. That bastard gets to do something like that all by himself.”

“It’s probably because of his bloodline. Hmph! I’m not jealous at all.”

“?”

Gainando doubted his ears.

No way. Are the White Tiger Tower guys jealous that I’m a servant? Why?

True to their nasty and strange nature, they apparently found all sorts of things to envy.

Gainando was dumbfounded.

Poke, poke.

“Gainando, Gainando!”

“Huh? What?”

When his friends poked him and called his name, Gainando turned around.

“Say you understood everything!”

“What? I didn’t understand, so how can I say that?”

“Ask Wardanaz to tell you the answer!”

It was not simply that Jowurin might be disappointed.

The dragon might think all second-year students at Einroguard were idiots.

In a sense, this was a matter of pride for Einroguard’s second years.

“I understood! ...Lee Han! Lee Han!”

Ah. Wait!

Jowurin padded over with great strides, scooped Lee Han up with a front paw, and carried him back to the front of the podium.

Then Jowurin asked Gainando again.

Good! Tell Jowurin what Jowurin just explained!

“...!”

Lee Han was amazed.

Whether it was the lecture content or something else entirely, Jowurin really did seem born with intelligence as a racial trait.

Of course, Lee Han’s amazement was nothing compared to Gainando’s shock.

That... that wicked dragon really...!

Gainando trembled.

Once he got back, he would sabotage things so Jowurin could never come to Einroguard again!

“But Senior.”

Captured by Jowurin, Lee Han called out to Princess Yukbeltire, who was standing nearby.

“?”

“What happened to Professor Knighton?”

Einroguard professors were divided into diligent professors and Professor Verdus.

Professor Knighton, fitting a background as a high-ranking imperial official, naturally belonged to the diligent category.

For someone like that not to appear for a lecture, Lee Han couldn’t help worrying about natural disasters.

Like being kidnapped by a mad ancient projection.

“The Principal called for Professor Knighton.”

“...The Principal? Why?”

Princess Yukbeltire gave a small shrug and shook her head.

That meant she did not know that much either.

In fact, if Professor Knighton had not mentioned it before leaving, she would not even have known this much. Princess Yukbeltire was about as uninterested in others as Professor Verdus.

Hmm! Gonadaltes is busy working in the capital right now. Professor Knighton is probably helping with that too!

When a topic came up that Jowurin knew about, the dragon excitedly explained it to Lee Han.

Naturally, Lee Han was not excited at all.

The mere fact that the Skull Principal was not at school felt ominous and dangerous.

“...What kind of work?”

Hm?

Jowurin hesitated, not knowing the details. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Well... this and that... getting permission... getting annoyed...?

“??”

...Jowurin is sorry...

“No. That was very helpful. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Lee Han comforted Jowurin while wondering inwardly.

What kind of permission is he trying to get that would make him annoyed? Is he expanding the school? Or acquiring and merging with Valdrogard?

The only person the Skull Principal would need permission from was someone on the Emperor’s level, and it definitely would not be for a trivial matter.

He had even called Professor Knighton to the capital.

Lee Han couldn’t even guess what kind of issue it might be.

Getting a larger budget to expand Einroguard’s buildings, getting a larger budget to expand its territory, getting permission to destroy Valdrogard...

“Senior. What do you think the Principal is trying to get permission for?”

“Expanded fifth-year research support?”

I shouldn’t have asked.

Lee Han regretted asking Princess Yukbeltire.

Meanwhile, Princess Yukbeltire called Diret over and said,

“I need to escort Prince Jowurin, and I think I will need assistance. I will help as well.”

“Ah. Uh. That. Yes. Mm.”

“?”

“Well... that...”

When Diret could not bring it up because of friendship, Lee Han stepped forward.

This was exactly the sort of dirty work juniors were supposed to handle.

“Senior. Prince Jowurin is carrying powerful reagents. Don’t you find them tempting?”

“Coveting a dragon’s body merely because it contains powerful reagents is idiotic. I don’t know what you are talking about, junior of House Wardanaz.”

Though the world misunderstood Princess Yukbeltire as a little Professor Verdus, she fundamentally possessed far more social intelligence than Professor Verdus.

Even if someone were tempted enough to touch a dragon’s body, all that waited at the end was terrible retaliation.

A mere mage could not possibly prevent a dragon’s revenge.

“...Exactly! I don’t understand why people don’t know that!”

“That is correct. Dragons never give parts of themselves to others. Remember that well.”

Oh.

Jowurin, who had been listening from the side, froze.

Was that how it worked?