Episode 309

Episode 309

“Let’s eat.”

Soup was bubbling in the pot set over the campfire. After frying the fresh vegetables and meat they’d brought, they poured in water, opened a can and seasoned the soup, making for a pretty decent meal.

Of course, Lee Han had cooked it.

“??”

“????”

Gubon and Vizidek missed the timing to ask, ‘Why are you doing this?’

They just quietly received their wooden bowls.

The White Tiger Tower students ate incredibly naturally.

“Wardanaz’s skills are the same as ever.”

“He’s as good at cooking as he is at magic.”

“But Mr. Gubon, do most adventurers eat like this?”

Deorgyu, apparently curious, posed the question. Gubon, wondering how to explain, scratched his head and replied.

“Usually, when you’re working nearby, or on the first or second day of a job, you do eat well…”

For requests that were nearby or seemed like they’d finish quickly, even adventurers would ensure the quality of their food.

But for long-range expeditions, large-scale ruins, or entering a dungeon, it was a different story.

It was all about efficiency and compression. You never knew when you’d go hungry, so nobody was crazy enough to be picky about taste.

“I see. For a request like today’s, it’s correct to eat like this, then.”

“I always thought adventurers just ate dried jerky.”

“That must be something of an exaggeration.”

“…No, even if we eat well, usually not as well as this…”

Gubon replied, bewildered.

‘Eating well’ meant eating any fresh fruit, bread, or rice cakes before they spoiled—not putting on a spread like this.

Even getting water for cooking, let alone using fuel for hot meals, used plenty of resources. It was rare for adventurers to expend so much effort and energy on a single meal.

“Do you not eat like this?”

“No… Both water and fire take a lot of effort.”

“I see.”

Lee Han nodded and glanced at his friends. The White Tiger Tower students shielded their soup bowls with their hands as was their Einrogard-born habit.

“I’m… I’m not giving it back.”

“I wasn’t going to take it. It’s already cooked anyway. Really, without magic, all this is work.”

Even Lee Han thought that without magic, this would’ve taken a fair amount of time and energy.

“Then next time, should we go with simple preserved adventurer rations…”

“There’s no need to decide so hastily, Wardanaz.”

“That’s right. Didn’t Mr. Gubon say to eat well when you can?”

Angrago and Raphadael desperately tried to persuade Lee Han.

Frankly, it tasted better than the food at the Knights’ Hall lodgings.

Gubon’s companion, Vizidek, tilted his head.

“This soup is really surprisingly delicious.”

“Isn’t it because the ingredients are good?”

“I watched while helping to cook, but the ingredients weren’t particularly special… Is the water special?”

“Water? What’s up with the water?”

“It’s water summoned by you, Mage.”

“Oh. I see. Maybe that’s it.”

While the two adventurers talked, Angrago scraped his bowl and then scraped the pot with the ladle, so Lee Han whacked him.

“Don’t eat it all. The others need to eat too.”

“A… no… It’d be a waste if there were any left…”

• * *

When the time came, Lee Han quietly got up.

The two adventurers insisted on keeping watch themselves, but Lee Han refused.

If they developed lazy habits, things could become troublesome when adventurers weren’t around later.

‘Anyway, the guild really recommended diligent people.’

Every time he tried to do something, they insisted on doing it themselves, which left a strong impression on Lee Han.

He had heard that among adventurers, there were many with poor character, but it seemed the guild had really recommended trustworthy folk.

“Eyes, pierce the darkness.”

There was no need to be bored while keeping watch.

Lee Han cast dark vision magic and began reading his grimoire. Other White Tiger Tower students would have shuddered at such dreadful madness.

-Ancient Basic Necromancy – On True Undead Summoning-

A true Necromancer must not mind the opinion of the undead of other worlds; with pure will alone, the dead must be moved. Here, the commands of the skeleton are…

While other necromancers conveniently contracted and summoned undead from the undead realm, Lee Han, thanks to the headmaster’s insistence to ‘master orthodox ancient necromancy,’ had to assemble bones and create skeletons by hand with old-fashioned black magic, but that wasn’t without benefits.

If there really were no advantages, Lee Han wouldn’t have done it no matter how insistent the headmaster was.

‘I hope by this vacation, the attacks of the skeleton warriors are perfected.’

Currently, summoning skeleton warriors was possible, but their movements were still severely limited and there were many failures.

Just getting the skeleton warriors to attack enemies on their own would make facing Bol… no, facing enemies a lot easier.

Shashasha—

“?”

Lee Han looked up. Somewhere, it sounded like something was brushing through the underbrush.

‘An animal?’

Paht!

Before his thoughts finished, a burst of light exploded from below. The intruder warding magic he’d set, just in case, was triggered.

It wasn’t offensive, but it was enough to startle invaders and give him time to respond.

As a trained Einrogard student, Lee Han moved without the slightest waste.

Thunk!

“Get up! We’re under attack!”

“Is it… the headmaster!?”

As he kicked his friends’ backs, the White Tiger Tower students scrambled to their feet.

“It’s not the headmaster!”

“Thank… thank goodness.”

“That’s not good! Everyone, pick up your weapons!”

The experienced Gubon and Vizidek were extremely tense.

The students were skilled, but in such surprise attacks and mêlées, composure mattered just as much as skill.

Of all times, why did intruders show up now, when he was out on a job with students?

‘Let this be nothing!’

Gubon and Vizidek prayed that the intruders were just wandering shepherds, travelers, or lost adventurers.

“Raise your shields and lower your heads.”

“Protect Wardanaz!”

“!?”

But the students’ movements exceeded the two adventurers’ expectations.

The moment the light flashed, they got up, grabbed weapons and shields, and took formation with skill far from ordinary.

‘As expected from knight family scions!’

It wasn’t actually because they were from knight families, but the two adventurers’ misunderstanding deepened.

“What the hell are you doing here!”

A rough voice shouted from below. It was clear the flash had messed up their vision.

‘If we’re going to attack, now’s the time…’

Gubon deliberated. If it were an aggressive adventurer party, they’d attack first no matter what.

But all the students here were of knightly lineage. They probably wouldn’t choose such a cowardly move.

“We’re adventurers from Granden City, here to handle the task at Fireburn Hill. Identify yourselves, or we’ll attack!”

“We got to Fireburn Hill two days ago. Get lost!”

The White Tiger Tower students were flustered at the voices from below.

They still didn’t know much about the customary rules of adventurers.

“Should we withdraw?”

“No! While it’s customary for the later party to withdraw, it’s not absolute, and it’s too much to make demands without proof…”

“Understood. We’ll withdraw!”

“!”

At Lee Han’s shout, both friends and adventurers were surprised, but no one objected.

They respected Lee Han’s authority.

“Grr… There’s no need to show such consideration to people like that.”

“Bear with it. Getting into a scuffle with people like that is even more disgraceful.”

As Angrago and Raphadael expressed regret, Lee Han spoke again.

“While we’re retreating, I want confirmation that you won’t attack. Show yourselves!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How do I know your guy won’t attack?”

“Let’s have one person from each side step out and confirm. How about it?”

“…Fine.”

Lee Han said to Raphadael.

“I’m counting on you.”

“Sure. Wait… hold on.”

Raphadael squinted, recalling the time he’d gone to the undead realm with Lee Han.

“Don’t tell me you’re…”

“Stop thinking weird things and get moving. Speak up if anything is off.”

“……”

• * *

The mercenary Buldahak strode out with a frown.

When he saw Raphadael, Buldahak’s brow furrowed even deeper.

‘What? A kid…?’

Buldahak had no taste for pointless bloodshed, but this changed things.

For a kid, he was pretty well equipped.

Usually, rookie adventurers wobbled around without armor or a proper weapon, but this one was just the opposite.

He had probably used family treasures or his fortune to gear up.

‘If there’s a kid like that in their party, they probably aren’t all that great.’

Buldahak’s fingers twitched unconsciously. He was strongly tempted to signal his men to attack.

“Flash.”

With a small incantation, a sharp bolt of lightning struck Buldahak from behind.

Crackk!

“Guh… huh!?”

The utterly unexpected attack made Buldahak’s limbs stiffen and his weapon drop.

It was so unexpected that even Raphadael was surprised.

“Wa… Wardanaz!?”

“Flash, flash. Flash.”

Bolts of lightning struck again as the mercenaries hiding in the nearby bushes screamed and tumbled out.

“It’s a mage! There’s a mage!”

“Find the mage… Gyaah!”

The remaining mercenaries finally got a grip and looked around, but couldn’t see anything.

“Light a torch!”

“We have no target…”

“You fool! Mages can see through darkness! Light up, now!”

‘I’d better stop using lightning magic.’

Lee Han thought as he shifted position.

The whole point of saying he’d retreat and sending Raphadael forward was to buy time and figure out their numbers.

Once that was done, he struck from behind right away.

With pinpoint lightning magic, he took down the biggest threats first.

He was invisible, but using too much lightning in the same spot would reveal his position and open him to counterattack.

Not that he couldn’t use magic, of course.

“Spring forth.”

The water spheres split rapidly, each moving in a different direction.

It was an attack whose origin was impossible to track.

Thunk!

“I’ve used too much magic already! The mage can’t possibly… Gah.”

As the shouting mercenary fell and a water orb smashed another in the jaw, the remaining mercenaries cowered.

“We surrender!”

“We surrender, Mage! We surrender!”

Only then did Gubon come to his senses and shout.

“Drop your weapons and raise your hands! If you move even a little, we’ll attack! Vizidek! Go tie them up!”

“We’ll help too.”

The White Tiger Tower students and Vizidek tightly bound the fallen and surrendered mercenaries.

“This guy… Buldahak! It’s Buldahak!”

Vizidek shouted in surprise.

“Who’s that?”

“He’s a criminal with an imperial bounty on his head!”

“Oh. How much is the bounty?”

Lee Han released his invisibility and revealed himself from behind.

Gubon asked in amazement,

“How did you know this was Buldahak?”

“I didn’t.”

“Pardon?”

“If we were going to fight, getting in the first attack is always advantageous.”

The White Tiger Tower students all nodded in agreement at Lee Han’s words.

“As expected of Wardanaz.”

“He never lets his guard down. We need to learn from that.”

“……”