Sensing that something had gone wrong, Jowrin instinctively folded her wings inward.

But she genuinely couldn’t understand why.

She had magnificently defeated an evil monster with a magnificent breath attack and a magnificent finishing blow, so why was she being scolded?

This is unfair!

“The professor would have handled it himself, so why did you fire your breath in the first place? And after that, why did you make yourself the enemy’s top priority?”

But we won...

“What was that?”

Ah, no. Nothing. Jowrin said nothing at all.

Lee Han’s voice was unusually severe.

Jowrin, who had been about to argue that they had won in the end anyway, immediately sensed the atmosphere with a dragon’s instinctive awareness and shut her mouth.

It was a completely different level of evasive ability from Gainando, who inevitably got punched every single time because he failed to read the room and always added one sentence too many.

“Fine. Let’s say you used your breath attack. Then you should’ve kept your distance and finished it safely. Why in the world did you suddenly dive into close combat?”

That... that looked cooler...

“...”

...I was wrong...

Realizing no excuse would work, Jowrin sniffled pitifully and reflected on her actions.

But Lee Han, genuinely furious this time, showed no mercy. He repeatedly tapped the ground with his staff while lecturing her.

“Now then. Repeat after me. When you encounter a strong enemy!”

When you encounter a strong enemy...

“Leave it to the Death Knight!”

Leave it to the Death Knight...

“Next!”

When you encounter a strong enemy, call the professors!

Forced to repeat the words over and over, Jowrin reflected deeply.

So this is what happens when you get excited and recklessly fire your breath!

Reality truly was different from fairy tales.

In legends, Azirmo blew apart castle walls and buried enemies beneath them.

The real Azirmo probably spent the aftermath apologizing to the city residents for destroying the walls.

“Truly astonishing. I never imagined I’d witness something like this in my lifetime.”

A knight from the 【Fire Watch】 approached, trying to calm the excitement trembling through his voice.

Oh no.

Lee Han, who had been busy scolding Jowrin, belatedly came back to his senses.

Now wasn’t the time to lecture her about dangerous behavior.

Should I have just hidden my face and run away immediately?

Though realistically, it didn’t feel like that would have solved anything either...

“A student chosen by a dragon! I’m genuinely moved. Professor Ingledel. To be honest, I thought you were worrying too much over a single student.”

“...”

“...”

Both Professor Ingledel and Lee Han stared blankly at the knight’s words.

Of course, for entirely different reasons.

“But seeing this, I realize I underestimated the situation instead. I knew Einroguard’s mages were extraordinary, but to think one would even be acknowledged by a dragon. This belongs in legends!”

“I agree. Professor, was this the reason you called us here?”

“No. I didn’t know about this either.”

“Are you denying it out of modesty?”

“Didn’t I just say I didn’t know?”

Professor Ingledel replied flatly.

He was so stunned that even his usual politeness had disappeared. The other knights coughed awkwardly at their friend’s reaction.

“I-I see. So even Ingledel didn’t know.”

“Then you must have been even more shocked...”

“Excuse me.”

After rapidly sorting through countless thoughts, Lee Han finally made a decision and spoke up.

There were many things he wanted to ask, but the most urgent matters came first.

“Please, speak freely, young mage acknowledged by a dragon.”

“What exactly does ‘acknowledged by a dragon’ mean?”

“?”

“??”

The knights looked at one another.

Why would someone acknowledged by a dragon ask that?

Shouldn’t he know better than anyone?

Still, the knights were fundamentally kind people. Explaining a bit of dragon lore to the contractor and dragon who had just obliterated a powerful demon wasn’t difficult.

“The great dragon race does not allow just anyone onto their backs.”

“Wait. I have a question.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“If someone rides a dragon during a performance or play, does that count too?”

“Uh...”

Confronted with a question even more bewildering than fighting an Archduke-class demon, the knights hesitated.

They were devotees of swords, honor, and tradition—not scholars of obscure dragon customs.

“Would... would it count?”

“Hmm. Probably not? That’s more like playing around. Simply getting onto a dragon’s back isn’t enough. If someone tosses a ball onto a dragon’s back, that doesn’t suddenly make the ball a contractor...”

“You’re quite clever!”

Having finally organized their thoughts, the knights answered again.

“That probably wouldn’t count.”

“I see. Thank you. Please continue.”

Lee Han listened with absolute concentration, desperately searching for loopholes.

Dragons, by nature, did not permit ordinary people onto their backs.

The act itself signified acknowledgment and support.

Even when an Imperial noble house publicly supported a minor prince, it created enormous political ripples. How much greater would the impact be when the supporter was a race as rare as dragons?

Naturally, people couldn’t help assuming the person in question was worthy of a dragon’s recognition.

...This is burdensome, but not quite as catastrophic as I expected.

Lee Han felt slightly relieved.

Of course, being called someone acknowledged by a dragon was still an absurdly heavy title.

It would’ve been one thing if he had truly earned Jowrin’s acknowledgment through his own worth and accomplishments, but in reality she had simply grabbed him and forced him onto her back.

Even Jowrin herself hadn’t fully understood the implications.

Still, after spending so much time at Einroguard, Lee Han had developed a certain degree of emotional resignation—no, growth.

Rumors were already spreading that he had confronted the Ghoul King, a basilisk, a sea serpent, anti-magic extremists, magical criminals, the Frost Giant King, the Skull Principal, and countless other disasters.

Compared to all that, he had become strangely numb.

If dragon-recognized contractor had been added from nowhere, it would’ve been unbearable.

But after all the other titles...

Well, I suppose one more...

Wait. Am I looking at this too optimistically? Maybe I’m in shock and my judgment’s deteriorating.

Come to think of it, the Skull Principal had somehow ended up mixed # Nоvеlight # into that list of monsters and disasters.

Lee Han hadn’t even noticed when that happened.

“Dragons value their own kind precisely because their numbers are few. If one dragon acknowledges someone, other dragons will acknowledge that person as well.”

“That is how powerful a dragon’s endorsement is. If the mage they support commits a grave crime, the dragon who supported them will also bear responsibility.”

Because dragons were so few, their relationships with one another tended to run deep.

If Lee Han one day became a terrifying magical criminal who drenched the continent in blood, other dragons would hold Jowrin accountable as well.

Jowrin trusts Lee Han completely! Lee Han would never become that kind of mage!

Jowrin declared proudly.

She wasn’t shaken in the slightest by the warning. Because she trusted Lee Han wholeheartedly, she boldly proclaimed her determination.

If Lee Han commits crimes, Jowrin will take responsibility too!

The knights were moved all over again.

This was exactly the kind of bond spoken of in legends.

Lee Han, however, remained the cold and practical mage forged by Einroguard.

“Wait. I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“You said that if I commit a grave crime, Prince Jowrin would also be punished. Then if Prince Jowrin commits a crime, would the dragons punish me as well?”

“...Probably?”

“...”

Lee Han slowly turned to stare at Jowrin.

Flustered, Jowrin hurriedly shouted.

J-Jowrin would never commit crimes!

“But just this week alone, Your Majesty has already used breath attacks twice without authorization...”

Th-those were special circumstances...!

This is deeply concerning.

Even as Jowrin tearfully appealed to him, Lee Han remained cold.

His Majesty is at the height of adolescence. This is dangerous.

People didn’t call it a turbulent growth period for nothing. Anyone in the middle of adolescence was prone to impulsive behavior and reckless troublemaking.

Jowrin had already caused this much chaos after only a few months at Einroguard. At this rate, burning down a castle within the next year felt entirely possible.

Lee Han suddenly envisioned himself standing trial before a gathering of dragons.

Does the defendant, Lee Han of House Wardanaz, acknowledge responsibility for the castle walls burned down by Jowrin?

The more he thought about it, the more unfair this relationship seemed.

Since Lee Han himself would never commit crimes, Jowrin effectively carried no burden at all!

Could this be why the Skull Principal originally tried to stop His Majesty from attending Einroguard?

If the Skull Principal had foreseen even this much, then he truly was a sage.

Lee Han shuddered with reverence toward his absent master.

Hiiing...

Instead of reassuring Jowrin with something like Haha, I trust Your Majesty too, Lee Han continued silently brooding to himself.

Jowrin gradually looked close to tears.

She had trusted him completely!

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I was simply worried that if I attacked the professors in the future, Your Majesty might also be punished.”

So Lee Han wasn’t worried about Jowrin becoming a criminal?

“What are you talking about? How could someone like Your Majesty possibly become a criminal? The very idea is absurd.”

...Lee Han may attack the professors as much as he wants! Jowrin is prepared!

Jowrin grinned brightly and nodded enthusiastically.

Then she suddenly paused.

Wait. But didn’t Lee Han just interrogate Jowrin for using breath attacks twice?

“That was simply confirming the facts, Your Majesty. I never lie.”

Hehe.

“...”

“...”

The watching knights looked faintly unsettled.

...Huh?

This felt less like being acknowledged by a dragon and more like successfully deceiving a dragon...

No, impossible. Dragons aren’t a race that can be tricked. He must be joking.

“...You lot.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Am I the only one bothered by the fact that the boy casually mentioned attacking professors in the future?”

“...”

The knights reflected deeply on themselves.

To overlook something so critically important simply because they were too shocked!

***

After calming Jowrin down, Lee Han explained himself to the knights.

“That was merely a joke. An Einroguard-style joke. You could think of it as expressing one’s determination to surpass one’s teacher.”

“Excellent!”

The knights were deeply impressed by the humor displayed by the young mage of House Wardanaz.

Immediately inspired, they began trying to make jokes themselves.

“May I try telling one as well?”

“I’ll listen carefully.”

“Do you know the difference between riding a dragon while defeating monsters from hell, and facing the combined assault of all the knights gathered here?”

“Uh... well. Both sound difficult.”

“One of them is your midterm exam, and the other is what you did today!”

The knights burst into laughter, thoroughly pleased by their companion’s excellent joke.

Meanwhile, Lee Han’s face turned pale.

“...My midterm is fighting all of you at once?”

“Hmm? No. Ah, you misunderstood the joke. The joke works because, when I said your midterm exam, you naturally assumed it referred to riding a dragon while fighting monsters from hell. But the actual exam is merely facing our combined assault. That contrast is the funny part.”

“That’s not funny at all.”

“Hmm? Then I’ll explain it again. The reason it’s funny is—”

Unable to watch any longer, Professor Ingledel finally stepped in.

“Wardanaz. There’s no need to worry. Defeating the monster is sufficient for the test.”

“Professor!”

Lee Han looked genuinely moved.

“The idea about everyone attacking together was merely a suggestion that came up while discussing the exam. There’s no need to panic.”

“...Professor!”

Lee Han looked genuinely horrified.

That had actually been proposed seriously?!