The mercenaries cursed as they retreated down the stairs.

Despite leaving some behind, the remaining mercenaries were in rough shape. Some bore burns, while others were bleeding from cuts where their armor had torn.

A well-prepared mage, even an amateur, could be deadly. And with a group of mages, it was all the more formidable.

“Damn it, ambushed by a bunch of mages…”

“They’re coming after us! Block them!”

*Clang!*

A wolf-kin mercenary with a long scar on his cheek threw a metallic seed.

With a burst, iron thorn vines spread across the space connecting the corridor and the staircase.

Despite being pushed back by force, the experienced mercenaries still managed to use their wits in unfavorable circumstances.

It wasn’t an exceptionally powerful magic item, but it could be extremely useful depending on how it was used.

The students chasing them halted for a moment when their path was blocked. Taking advantage of the pause, the wolf-kin mercenary growled.

“Listen up, spellcasters! If you don’t want to die, don’t even think about sticking your heads in here! Do you know who I am? I’m Gardam the ‘Bloody Hand’! I’ve torn countless little mages like you to pieces!”

“Huh!”

The mercenaries flaunted their infamy, hoping to intimidate the young mages and buy time to retreat.

Considering how young the mages appeared, the threat of violence might just work.

There’s no one more vulnerable than a mage whose concentration is broken or who loses their composure.

Clearly, these mercenaries were prepared for dealing with mages.

But they had chosen the wrong opponents.

“They really are criminals!”

“Wardanas was right...!”

“I knew it all along. Didn’t you guys believe in Wardanas?”

“I believed him too! I did!”

“...???”

Hearing the carefree exchange from above, the mercenaries were baffled.

It wasn’t fear or hesitation they heard.

Gardam gritted his teeth. These lackeys of that mad archmage had nerves of steel.

“Fall back! Get out of their range!”

The mercenaries retreated around the wall to escape the mages’ line of sight, reloading crossbows and drawing hidden weapons.

Their plan was to take the mages by surprise as soon as they came down the stairs.

“Hold your position.”

Despite their initial victory, I-han didn’t rush down the stairs.

“Sharcan.”

A panther roared and leaped forward. As bolts and hidden blades flew through the air, Gardam shouted in frustration.

“You idiots! Aim before you shoot!”

“Now.”

The skeletal warriors advanced down the stairs again. Gardam, barely containing his anger, ordered another retreat.

“That one in the lead… he’s no ordinary mage.”

“If we keep falling back like this…”

“I know!”

The mansion was vast and expansive, but if they kept retreating, they would eventually be cornered.

And after the pounding they’d already taken, they knew that a direct confrontation would be suicidal.

“Use the Devil’s Tongue!”

“Now??”

“Do you want to die and then use it?”

“Damn it! Fine!”

The Devil’s Tongue was an expensive magical item, a lifeline for mercenaries that they usually hesitated to use.

But the overwhelming pressure made them disregard their losses.

*Fwoosh!*

A dark flame engulfed the skeletons descending the stairs, cutting through them like a blade.

“Rise.”

I-han summoned a massive blob of water from thin air.

The mercenary who had thrown the Devil’s Tongue cursed under his breath.

“You think water will stop it? This flame…”

*Sploosh!*

“Rise, rise, rise, rise.”

In less than a second, the area above the stairs was flooded with water.

Seeing such a large amount of water conjured in a place with no rivers or streams, the mercenaries froze in shock.

*Sizzle…*

The dark flames hissed and eventually extinguished under the relentless water.

I-han quickly drew bone fragments and summoned five more black skeleton warriors.

As the last trace of the precious magic item vanished without a trace, the mercenary blinked in disbelief.

“Gather, spin.”

The remaining water gathered and began to whirl.

A mercenary hurriedly raised his shield to block the approaching water projectile, a mistake he soon regretted.

Unlike typical water elemental magic used on the battlefield, the Water Core Shot had a unique, devastating power.

*Crunch!*

With a sickening crack, the mercenary who had used the Devil’s Tongue fell to the ground, defeated.

“...”

“...”

“W-what do we do now, Gardam?”

Though they thought they’d seen it all, Gardam realized just how narrow his view of the world had been.

The Death Knights had been telling the truth all along.

*I’ve only ever faced fake mages until now!*

“There they are! Catch the criminals!”

“We’ve blocked the other side too!”

“!!”

As they processed the situation, they noticed more mages approaching from the opposite corridor.

While they’d stalled for time, the students had split their numbers to encircle them.

“Fall back! Retreat!”

---

“Tell the others to hold their positions and wait for an update.”

I-han sent word to his friends waiting at the academy and focused on the pursuit.

He didn’t know why these criminals were in the villa, but he had a good guess.

*The Skull Principal must have kept them here to use during the final exams.*

It was a high likelihood and...

Whatever the reason, the mercenaries needed to be taken down quickly.

The commotion was already greater than anticipated, and if it escalated further, the Death Knights might intervene, ending their night out.

*We’ll capture them quickly and get out!*

“Surrender, mercenaries! We’ll be lenient!”

“Go to hell, you cursed spell-slingers!”

“Are you not ashamed to lick the boots of that necromancer?”

The mercenaries responded vehemently.

I-han couldn’t help but feel amused.

*What did we even do?*

They had fought fair and square; if they lost, they should accept defeat, not throw insults.

The other students were enraged, huffing and fuming.

“Spell-slingers?”

“Necromancer? Do I look like a necromancer? Oh, Wardanas, I didn’t mean you.”

“...Forget it. Let’s go. Follow me.”

Even though they had nearly won, I-han remained vigilant.

He led the students systematically through the villa, checking each room.

Those mercenaries who had hidden away, hoping to survive alone, were dragged out unceremoniously.

“N-no! Mercy!”

“Call me a spell-slinger one more time, you criminal!”

“Get your friends! If you don’t, we’ll drag you to the Punishment Room…”

“Hey, that only applies to us, right?”

“Is that so?”

“Knock them out and bring them along! We need to finish this quickly!”

At I-han’s shout, a priest from Phoenix Tower nodded and swung her staff.

“Knockout magic…”

*Thwack!*

I-han swung his own staff, knocking a mercenary out cold. The mercenary slumped over, unconscious.

“Let’s go!”

“Ah, no…”

“Now *that’s* real knockout magic!”

The students from Black Tortoise Tower and White Tiger Tower were impressed as they followed I-han.

No matter what, Wardanas’ magic was always something to behold.

---

“They’re heading for the main entrance!”

After knocking out the last hiding mercenary, a scream echoed from behind.

A few remaining mercenaries were making a desperate run for the front entrance.

*What’s this?*

I-han’s face grew serious.

*Do they have a way out? Why are they so determined?*

Naturally, I-han hadn’t thought the mercenaries would have any means to escape.

The Skull Principal wasn’t a fool; there had to be a reason these mercenaries were trapped here.

But seeing them run so desperately sparked a sense of urgency.

Could they have some other escape plan he didn’t know about?

“After them! Don’t let them escape!”

I-han fired a Water Core Shot in their direction without aiming. The ground shattered, and the main entrance shook.

“Flash forth…”

As his desperation grew, a lightning spear began forming at the end of his staff.

I-han drew his Morning Star in his other hand and charged explosively.

“He’s insane!”

Gardam, surprised to see the young mage charging, threw himself to the side.

The lightning spear struck the main door, and the Morning Star sliced through the air.

“Moradi!”

Behind him, Giselle, wielding twin swords, slashed Gardam’s weapon from his grasp, causing him to scream in pain.

“What kind of freakish mages are you?!”

“Surrender!”

“Shut up. I’d rather die here than be tortured by undead!”

“You… damn it.”

The mercenaries were pointlessly stubborn. Realizing he didn’t have time to reason, I-han swung his weapon again.

Gardam leapt backward, drawing a dagger. The remaining mercenaries backed up against each other, brandishing their weapons.

“Wardanas, be careful. They’re not pushovers.”

“I know!”

Their fighting style wasn’t refined, but their strikes were fierce and explosive.

And the ones who had survived to this point were the toughest of the mercenaries.

If they slipped up, they could end up losing after cornering them, so both of them approached cautiously.

*Crackle!*

“!”

As the lightning around I-h

an’s staff intensified, the mercenaries grit their teeth and dodged.

“Guh!”

“Agh!”

But the lightning spread, striking the mercenaries. The electric current coursing through them elicited groans.

Taking advantage of the moment, Giselle simultaneously sliced through the leg and wrist of one, subduing him.

“One more time!”

“Got it!”

When the mercenaries focused on the lightning spear, I-han canceled it and switched to his next spell.

“Strike, Perkuntra’s thunderbolt!”

A thick bolt of lightning struck a mercenary from an unexpected angle, piercing him.

It also blasted through the front door.

*Creak, slam!*

The main door swung open with a harsh metallic sound.

I-han and Giselle froze in place.

The mercenaries froze too.

“…Move!”

This time, Gardam was the first to act. Shoving his companions aside, he sprinted for the exit, using every magical item in his possession.

A swirl of complex effects—mist, sand, and poison clouds—briefly filled the air.

As Giselle subdued the mercenaries left behind, I-han looked at his friend, speaking seriously.

“For the record, you were the one who told me to go all out, Moradi.”

“…Did you seriously just say that?!!!”

Giselle’s scream slipped out.

“Let’s go after him.”

“Chase him! If we let him get away, we’re all going to the Punishment Room!”

I-han and Giselle gritted their teeth and took off after him.

They had to capture that last mercenary as quickly as possible.

“Salco, get the others changed and moving as planned! We’ll handle this guy!”

“Got it! Wardanas, Moradi, good luck!”

---

Meanwhile, Einroguard official Yi-unrade bowed slyly before his superior.

“Another fine day for you, Lord Hodrong! I’m sure Lord Gonadaltes is eagerly awaiting your arrival!”

“Enough of your nonsense, Yi-unrade. There’s no way the lord would enjoy a visit from an auditor like me.”

Hodrong sipped his coffee uncomfortably as he sat in a city café.

He wasn’t looking forward to his visit to Einroguard.

What ridiculous excuses would he have to endure once he entered Einroguard again?

-“My research notes were eaten by a dog! Please forgive the dog, though. Isn’t he adorable?”

-“There’s a misunderstanding about me burning the entire farm. Yes, a fire did happen, but first we need to define what ‘entire’ means, don’t we?”

“I understand that as an Einroguard alum, you may be biased.”

“Oh, no, not at all, sir! Never.”

“But personal feelings have no place in this matter. If you want to persuade me, bring solid evidence.”

“Well… magic sometimes… fails...”

“If the results of your magic aren’t impressive, then at least bring me proof that Einroguard mages have contributed to the empire. Show me they’ve served the citizens well. Then maybe I’ll feel justified asking for more funding.”

*That seems… unlikely.*

Yi-unrade quickly abandoned hope internally.

Expecting his juniors to serve the citizens was about as realistic as expecting another archmage to emerge.

-“They caught a criminal!”

-“An Einroguard student caught a wanted fugitive!”

“Pffft!”

Yi-unrade spat his coffee all over his superior’s face.