Lee Han didn’t know it, but inside the fierce beast, Sharkhan was currently rampaging like mad.

When the fierce beast attempted to simply refuse the contract and end the matter there, Sharkhan’s fury exploded.

Realizing that the will of this ungrateful projection was much stronger than expected, the fierce beast had no choice but to compromise.

Otherwise, there was a high chance another disgraceful scene like the one from before would happen again...

At least that previous humiliation had only been witnessed by mages. If other beings of the Undead Realm happened to see such a sight, the fierce beast’s authority and dignity would suffer tremendous damage.

-Mage. You may summon this fierce beast only on the longest night of the year... No. I will ease the conditions somewhat.

“????”

‘Has it gone mad? I heard it was badly injured.’

As the other party kept saying one thing, then immediately taking it back, Lee Han only grew more bewildered.

According to Professor Mortum, the other party had been gravely wounded. It wouldn’t be strange if madness or memory loss had developed during the recovery process.

If the injury had been serious enough to afflict a powerful being from another dimension, then its severity must have been extraordinary.

“Um. Senior. I don’t think the other party is quite right in the head.”

“I think so too. We should be even more careful.”

Once even Diret agreed, Lee Han became certain.

The other party was definitely somewhat insane!

‘Why are all the beings I contract with strange?’

Thinking something that would have enraged the other party if it knew, Lee Han answered.

“Then what are the conditions?”

-Only in battles destined for destruction and slaughter... No. I will ease the conditions further.

‘It may be crazier than I thought.’

The fierce beast changed its words several more times before finally settling on the conditions.

It would answer Lee Han’s summons, in exchange for mana, only when Lee Han encountered a formidable enemy difficult to handle.

Then the fierce beast roared loudly.

-Will you stop that, you stupid beast! No matter how young you may be, you are still a projection of the fierce beast! Do you think I would accept such humiliating submission?!

“Excuse me?”

-It is nothing.

“The madness really does seem severe. Junior. Never let your guard down, even when summoning it.”

The two mages whispered as they observed the fierce beast.

Unaware of the sinister conversation taking place beyond the door, the fierce beast exhaled a long breath of darkness.

For the sake of its dignity, it wanted to destroy everything. But doing so would not erase the humiliation it had already suffered.

The fierce beast decided it would vent its anger later by tearing apart other enemies in the Undead Realm. Otherwise, it would be difficult to calm itself.

-The contract is complete. Now get lost. ...Then what am I supposed to do? Treat those who did not even come in person as guests?

“Who are you talking to...”

-Get lost!

‘It has a worse temper than Perkuntra.’

Lee Han decided it was time to gradually retreat.

He had confirmed Sharkhan’s condition and received a new contract sigil, so there was no need to provoke the other party any further.

Now that Sharkhan had merged with its true body, Lee Han wouldn’t be able to summon it casually for odd jobs like before. Still, Sharkhan had grown stronger, so it wasn’t entirely bad.

‘Ah. Right.’

“May I ask one more thing?”

-What is it?

Surprisingly, the fierce beast answered obediently instead of getting angry.

It only meant to answer quickly and send them away, but Lee Han had no way of knowing that.

“Do you happen to know anything about undead that recently contracted with evil god worshippers? I heard they use powers of corruption and decay...”

Even as he asked, Lee Han didn’t have high expectations.

Judging by the other party’s personality, it probably didn’t have many friends in the Undead Realm.

Besides, since it had only recently recovered from fatal injuries, it was unlikely to know much about the surrounding situation...

-I know. That one is the Blasphemer.

“?!!”

“!”

Lee Han and Diret were both greatly surprised.

They hadn’t expected to obtain information this easily.

“The Blasphemer?”

-A powerful and disgusting undead. It recently received tribute and formed contracts with mages. Thanks to that, its minions are gathering their forces...

The fierce beast was skilled at infiltration and reconnaissance, befitting its title of death and darkness.

How long had it even been since it recovered its strength? Yet it had already grasped information about powerful enemies in the Undead Realm.

That was not something just anyone could do.

The undead called the Blasphemer was, like the fierce beast, a powerful undead that ruled over a region of the realm.

This leader’s corrupted and fallen subordinates were notorious for rotting every enemy they faced and thoroughly contaminating enemy territory once war began.

Diret’s brow furrowed slightly.

After hearing that the enemy used powers of corruption and decay, Diret had hoped that wasn’t the case. But they really had completed a contract with a powerful undead.

And from what the fierce beast was saying now, that power wasn’t the end of it. There was a high possibility that additional forces would be summoned.

“This is more... troublesome than expected. I didn’t know things had progressed this far.”

“Indeed. If it looks like the Blasphemer’s subordinates are going to be summoned, could you warn me in advance?”

-Mage. I will tear you into ten thousand pieces... I will do it. This is truly the last time!

“Ah. Thank you!”

Lee Han had expected a refusal, but when the other party changed its mind again, he expressed his sincere gratitude.

Although it was mad, the fierce beast seemed to have a surprisingly generous side as well.

***

As the weekend drew to a close, the second-year common room of Blue Dragon Tower was bustling.

“Buy this for me when you go out. I’ll pay double.”

“Am I your servant? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Since club outings would begin on the coming weekdays, students were asking those who could leave to run errands outside.

Upperclassmen had several ways to receive goods from outside, but such tricks were still beyond second-years.

Of course, the Blue Dragon Tower students did not easily agree to run errands.

They were busy buying their own things, and above all, as nobles, they weren’t going to run around for a few silver coins. It was a matter of pride.

“What? Then I’ll do it.”

“Wardanaz!”

“Double the price? Really? Is that all right?”

Thanks to that, Lee Han was able to monopolize the market.

As he wrote down his friends’ generous errand requests one by one, Lee Han smiled contentedly.

‘All requests in the Empire should be this easy.’

“...Damn it. I could do it too.”

Watching Lee Han record every request, Asan felt a pang of conscience.

His friend was taking courses from every school and still helping other friends with their requests, while Asan had refused because of pride and busyness.

“I’ll help too, Wardanaz.”

‘This despicable bastard!’

Lee Han looked at the back of Asan’s head with subtle contempt and anger.

The friend who had just refused was suddenly stepping forward.

Clearly, after seeing Lee Han profit from monopolizing the work, Asan had changed his mind.

Indeed, now that his friends were second-years, they had grown much wiser. They were slowly beginning to understand the importance of silver coins.

“Finish quickly. If you don’t complete it by tomorrow, you won’t be able to go out!”

“I know!”

In one corner, students could be seen hastily brewing magic potions.

Thanks to club activities, they could legitimately skip lectures. Technically, they could skip even without club activities, but still.

That didn’t mean the work students had to do simply disappeared.

If there was ongoing work or something already in progress, they had to finish it beforehand.

Thanks to that, Lee Han also had to complete a week’s worth of work in advance over the weekend.

The animals and plants under his care, the vegetable garden, the secret base, assignments he could finish early...

“Yonair. Are you really not going to escape?”

“...”

When his red-haired friend’s expression turned complicated at the casual question, Lee Han became slightly flustered.

“You don’t have to escape. I was just asking.”

“Well...”

The Drama Club was under especially strict surveillance because the Skull Principal despised it so much.

It was enough to make Lee Han give up on joining after hearing the explanation...

Of course, even without that, Lee Han had already joined far too many clubs.

In any case, Einroguard students were reckless and fearless by nature.

Even within the Drama Club, students had started saying things like, “Let’s escape midway, get what we need, and come back.”

‘That’s ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) only natural.’

Lee Han nodded.

If one was human, one was naturally meant to struggle for freedom. It was far too obvious that Einroguard students sent outside would attempt to escape.

“...Won’t it be difficult?”

Yonair was negative.

Being realistic by nature, Yonair sensed the danger in the current situation more accurately than anyone.

When a dragon was waiting below with its mouth wide open, there was no need to jump down.

“But Meikin. If we don’t use this opportunity, it’ll be hard to replenish the supplies we need during the semester.”

When Adenart quietly joined in from behind, Lee Han was inwardly surprised.

‘Wait. The Imperial Princess is in the Drama Club too?’

“That’s right, Meikin. According to my calculations, it’s worth trying. Either we get caught or we don’t. Fifty-fifty.”

‘Even Asan?!’

Lee Han was greatly shocked by the high number of Blue Dragon Tower students in the Drama Club.

‘These bastards. Instead of joining difficult clubs, they joined a club where they can just play around.’

Of course, just because Lee Han had been forced into difficult clubs didn’t mean his friends needed to suffer the same fate. Still, it was human nature to feel somewhat wronged.

Instead of pointing out Asan’s absurd forced calculation, Lee Han nodded along.

“Asan’s calculation is certainly persuasive. Either you get caught or you don’t. Fifty-fifty.”

“...”

Gainando stared at the back of Lee Han’s head as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Whenever Gainando made calculations like that, Lee Han got furious!

“Wardanaz. What do you think?”

“You’re the biggest expert here, so you judge, Wardanaz.”

“I don’t know what you mean by expert, but... I believe in your abilities.”

Lee Han encouraged his friends with sincere eyes.

Neither Adenart nor Asan was the type to charge into a hopeless battle like Gainando. If they were saying this much, they probably had some kind of plan.

And even if they got caught, so what?

That would also be good experience.

“Yonair. You should believe in your friends too.”

“You’re not saying that just because you’re not escaping with us, are you?”

“What nonsense!”

***

‘Hmm. Maybe Yonair wasn’t completely wrong.’

In the early dawn, before the sun had fully risen, Lee Han thought to himself as he walked to meet Senior Sebius.

Because of the nature of its requests, the Club was the first to depart from school, and its meeting time was also the earliest.

‘If I were participating, I might have been a bit more cautious.’

Certainly, if Lee Han had been a member of the Drama Club, he might have been more careful about the escape plan.

But Lee Han had his own defense.

There was nothing wrong with believing in his friends’ abilities.

Of course, the Drama Club was somewhat irritating, and he didn’t particularly care if its members ended up in the punishment cells for a while. But he hadn’t encouraged his friends without any basis.

‘No one has the right to stop the struggle for freedom.’

“You’re here.”

“Yes, Senior. When do we leave?”

“In thirty minutes. Oh, right. One more request was added.”

“Is it Professor Verdus again?”

Lee Han spoke in a listless voice, as if he already knew the answer without hearing it.

Who else would add retrieval items this urgently?

“No. This time, it’s not a professor.”

“??”

“I received gold coins from the Drama Club president. The request is to help with an escape midway.”

“...”

Lee Han deeply reflected on himself.

Even after learning necromancy, he still had not mastered the art of having a kind heart!