Episode 820

Lagesa, being a seasoned and experienced pirate (and an acquaintance of the Skull Principal), knew plenty about Einrogard’s education system.

Even when she visited 17, 29, and 37 years ago, Einrogard was much the same.

37 years ago.

-Why don’t you have a staff?

-I traded it for a loaf of bread.

-…I see. Why don’t you have a cloak? Did you trade that for bread, too?

-No.

-Then why?

-I traded it for half a loaf…

-……

29 years ago.

-Still, you have a staff!

-Yes. We found the kitchen yesterday! We cleaned out the food in the kitchen and ransomed back our staffs and cloaks with it.

-Hehehe, good for you! At least you got food with your own hands! But what’s with those chains on your ankles?

-The kitchen master caught me. They asked if I wanted the punishment room or kitchen chores… I picked chores. Now I have to do ten hours of kitchen work every day.

-I don’t know much about teaching magic, but can you still learn if you do kitchen work ten hours each day?

17 years ago.

-Amazing, you caught quite a beast!

-Thank you.

-But why are the others lying down, not eating?

-They tried to beat me up and take it, so we fought a little…

-Tsk tsk! Not your fault. It’s stupid to try to mug a troll half-blood.

-I said I’d share, but they tried a sneak attack… sniff…

-Tsk tsk. You can’t reason with the thicker ones—not for a week straight, anyway. Rule them by force. Use those fists of yours.

-But I don’t like violence. If you hate violence, you need even greater violence. Grip your fist tight! The ones who’ve been starving for a week will give up after a few punches, but the ones who’ve starved for two weeks won’t give up even after a beating.

“I don’t think anything’s changed.”

After her reflection, Lagesa finished with conviction.

No matter how you looked at it, Einrogard would remain a place of pain and struggle, at least until there was a change in leadership.

No wonder Lagesa often lectured her crew, “Don’t complain just because you’re at sea all year! At least you’re not in Einrogard…”

“I remember that as a first-year, we were all hungry but we still got three meals.”

“Really?? Did you go to Baldrogard or something?”

“Lagesa!”

Lee Han snapped, and Lagesa cackled.

There was no word better than “Baldrogard” for teasing a fellow magic school student.

‘Wait. Is it because of Eandurde?’

A sudden thought made Lee Han flinch.

Currently in Black Turtle Tower, Eandurde was battle-hardened and liked fighting. Last time, in Voladi’s class, he’d said, ‘I steal food from the other towers.’

Lee Han had given him a bundle of food and told him to share with the others, but honestly, Lee Han doubted he really shared it.

Because if he’d gotten food that way himself, he wouldn’t have shared either.

‘If it were me… I’d have hid it away in my stash.’

Even if told to share, actually giving food even to those who would attack you wasn’t easy. Why go out of your way for that?

“I think I might have an idea.”

“What?”

“I’ve got a junior like that…”

Lee Han briefly explained about Eandurde.

But Lagesa was indifferent.

“How much can one kid really steal? And they’re all mages. Hard to steal, but easy to hide for them.”

“No, Eandurde’s ruthless if he wants to take something.”

‘Does he dislike that kid?’

When Lee Han sounded so serious, Lagesa, for a moment, thought this was about a hated underclassman.

“Then I’ll go check. You follow invisibly.”

Lagesa strode off.

The first-year students, ravenously devouring big hunks of cheese, bread, rice cakes, and fruit from the basket, startled when they realized someone was approaching.

“Wh-who are you?!”

“Settle down! Even if all you brats came at me, you couldn’t lay a finger on Torgard’s daughter. I own that food basket!”

“…W-we’ll never give it back!”

“……”

“……”

Both Lagesa and Lee Han felt embarrassed by the juniors’ fierce reaction.

“…I’m not here to take it. Would I have lost a basket like that? I tossed it there for you to eat.”

“Th-thank you…!”

At Lagesa’s words, the first-years started crying with gratitude.

Quickly warming to her, they answered all her questions without suspicion; they’d have spilled Einrogard’s secrets if asked.

“Why are you starving so much?”

“The portions are too small… And a lot disappears along the way.”

“With such a big domain, don’t you go forage food?”

“We try, but usually fail…”

Gathering or hunting meant starvation if you failed—especially for novice first-years at Einrogard.

Wandering the halls inside the castle was even more dangerous. You could hit the jackpot, or end up in the punishment room.

“Oh dear. Is it because this Eandurde steals all the food?”

“Eandurde? No.”

“In fact, Eandurde shared food with us last time. It’s Priest Carre who steals everything.”

“No way!”

Lee Han shouted, shocked.

So were the first-years, hearing a ghostly voice from midair.

“What was that?”

“Don’t mind it. That’s my ghost pirate follower. Anyway, so it’s not Eandurde?”

The juniors nodded and explained.

These were White Tiger Tower students, and had clashed with Black Turtle Tower’s Eandurde before.

-Hah, turtles. You lot think you can beat us, trained from childhood? Ow! I surrender! I surrender!

-Stomp him! Smash him! Win!

-Agh! I’m sorry! I said I’m sorry!

White Tiger Tower, Blue Dragon Tower, and sometimes even Phoenix Tower priests would get thrashed by Eandurde (especially Priest Carre, who got it most). Eandurde was a point of pride for first-years of Black Turtle Tower.

To stop Eandurde, White Tiger Tower would need someone like Ulgarn from the northern mountains and Blue Dragon Tower would need a prodigy like Alhidle of the Pengerine family.

But Ulgarn mostly roamed the mountains and didn’t get into tower fights, and Pengerine always said, ‘I’ve a long way to go, why waste time with childish fights?’—so in these battles, Eandurde stood out.

“So it is because of Eandurde, isn’t it?”

The first-years answered awkwardly to the disembodied voice.

“So… Eandurde won’t attack unless you strike first.”

“And if he’s full, he doesn’t take any more food.”

‘Is he a wild beast?’

Lee Han regretted not explaining the importance of stockpiling food to his junior.

“And last time he brought a bundle of rations and shared them. He said he got it from a senior whose name he couldn’t reveal…”

“I see.”

After hearing this, Lee Han felt very sorry toward Eandurde.

His junior had loyally followed his advice, but Lee Han hadn’t trusted him.

Lagesa, listening in, grew curious.

“What’s this about Priest Carre stealing everything?”

A priest usually wouldn’t steal, so it caught her interest.

“Priest Carre is from the Bildockal Order…”

“Oh, Bildockal! That’s a true imperial order!”

Lagesa clapped with delight like a true pirate. The first-years looked overwhelmed.

“I see. From the Bildockal Order.”

“Should priests be stealing?”

Seeing Lagesa enjoying herself, the first-years of White Tiger Tower grumbled.

But Lagesa just snorted at them.

“And how do you knights beg? You lot fed better than a beggar just now!”

“……”

“When you’re hungry, stealing and taking is fair. The fool is the one who gets robbed.”

“We didn’t know a priest could steal!”

“That’s the way! Hehehe!”

Fearing the kids would guess Lagesa’s real identity, Lee Han stepped in and pulled out some rations.

“Here, take some extra food.”

“Th-thank you, ghost pirate!”

“I’d start with the canned food. And don’t just sear the corned beef, even if you’re starving. Put it in a pot, boil it with the bread. Even if it’s hard, boiling is best.”

White Tiger Tower’s first-years gazed up in awe at the invisible ghost pirate.

Certainly, her experience showed.

After watching the first-years rush off with food, Lee Han began to wonder.

“Wait. If it’s not Eandurde, why are they starving?”

“I told you, that’s just normal for Einrogard. Know why they don’t have staffs?”

“Why?”

“Do you really not know?! They traded them for bread! Are you sure you’re even an Einrogard student?!”

“…?!”

Lee Han was deeply confused by Lagesa’s words.

“That never happened in my year. Unless you count Gainando trading books for snacks in secret…”

“Strange, then. Was there a place you could reliably get food?”

“For me, I’d regularly go out and tend my garden and gather rations that way.”

“……”

Lagesa looked at Lee Han like she’d found the dumbest mage in the empire.

“It’s all your fault!!!”

• * *

“I see…”

“It boggles the mind! To think there were Einrogard students living comfortably for a whole year!”

“We had our hardships, too.”

Lagesa just sneered at Lee Han’s response.

If you’d never experienced being staffless and unable to use magic, you weren’t a real Einrogard student.

“Well, Lagesa, I’d better get to class.”

“I’ll tag along. Might as well sightsee. Any students who come up will just be ones who think I’m the idiot who threw money at Bible.”

“It might be boring—it’s a healing magic class.”

“Healing magic? Boring, I guess.”

“Maybe somewhere else would be better…”

“Nah, nah. With a sprout like you, something’s bound to happen. That’ll be enough fun.”

‘That’s awfully harsh…’

Lee Han muttered inwardly.

It’s not like he got into trouble wherever he went…

Anyone listening would get the wrong idea.

Last time the corridor was destroyed during Lagesa’s lesson, it was because Lagesa herself taught the magic weirdly, not Lee Han’s fault.

He had taken a lot—well, a few—classes where nothing happened.

“Wait. Lagesa, have you seen Yukveltire senior’s research? If not yet—”

“That cocky kid looked down on me the most.”

“……”

Lee Han was just amazed that someone could have such an amazing bronze golem and still fail to win sponsorship.