Episode 849

However, Garal did not voice his thoughts right away.

If he were still at the Northern Snowflake Tower, he would have said it boldly, but after three failed research projects, five accidents, and one attempted sponsor assassination (or rather, an incident mistaken for an assassination attempt), Garal had matured a lot.

No matter how unlucky, one had to watch their mouth in front of their employer.

“Amazing. I’ve never heard of a Baldrogard student being close to an Einrogard student.”

“Certainly, Einrogard students are one of the twin engines driving the Empire forward, but they’re said to be a bit lacking in refinement. I understand why close friendships with us Baldrogard students are rare.”

Crack!

Garal had to grit his teeth.

It was as if the Baldrogard student was casting illusion magic with just a few words.

To manipulate someone’s emotions so easily?

‘I have to endure.’

“But there are always exceptions.”

Jandanni continued explaining, oblivious to Garal’s clenched teeth.

His senior’s senior, who had built the improved space-expansion backpack with an Einrogard student, was quite renowned even within Baldrogard.

“They were practically legendary. So great that after graduating, they received invitations everywhere…”

“……”

Garal’s lips twitched again.

No Baldrogard student was going to get invitations that eagerly from the Empire’s towers or mage guilds.

“So how did you get this gift?”

“Ah, there’s a moving story there.”

According to Jandanni, a Baldrogard and Einrogard student had worked together, pouring their efforts into researching the space-expansion backpack.

Then, one day, the Einrogard student had to suddenly leave for personal reasons in the middle of research…

… and the Baldrogard student kept the backpack left behind by their friend as a token of friendship, passing it down to juniors.

‘Good grief. Not even a Toberiz Detective story would be this suspicious.’

Garal was appalled.

In such a short story, there were countless dubious points.

First off, that an Einrogard student would suddenly abandon research due to personal circumstances was strange.

Among all the Empire’s magic schools, Einrogard especially was known for its strict evaluation of achievement. Those students wouldn’t just up and leave a research project.

‘An Einrogard student would join research even as a disembodied soul after being decapitated. Off, very off.’

But Garal was dealing with employers, so he refrained from pointing out the flaw, and changed the subject instead.

“I see. It’s a good backpack.”

There were many items offering interior spaces bigger than the exterior, but their quality varied wildly.

From items with just double or triple expansion, to things offering tent-sized interiors.

But it wasn’t just the size.

How would you lessen the internal weight, and how would you secure necessary magic power?

If you moved, items inside would inevitably jiggle about—how would you stabilize that expanded space against disruption?

With so many factors, nothing could be perfect. Some features were just incompatible.

In the end, an outstanding space-expansion item had to be crafted as meticulously and as close to perfection as possible, even if not truly perfect.

In that sense, this bag was indeed excellent.

Not only did it lack any special drawbacks anywhere, but above all…

‘It’s not heavy, and it doesn’t shake when you move. The space is firmly fixed. Wait… is it not an expanded interior, but rather a separate space that’s connected!?

Instead of inflating the interior, they’d made a separate space and linked it in.

Garal was amazed.

The former method was used in small bags or backpacks, the latter in tents and canopies.

Stretching or enlarging an existing space took less magic power and required a lot less effort.

But creating a whole new subspace and linking it required much more effort—no wonder it was mostly used for large tents.

Yet they’d used that method for a backpack.

“You linked a separate subspace!? Did you know that?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“…Ha, it’s nothing.”

Garal let it slide at Jandanni’s reaction.

He’d need to be paid ten times as much to explain the differences in space-expansion methodology to a Baldrogard student.

“Can you change the internal space in this bag?”

“Oh! How did you know? The bag’s name is also -Bag of Six Directions-.”

Jandanni happily explained the bag’s performance.

It contained six spaces inside, accessed by rotating the lock’s engraved emblem to the desired space.

He kept good wine in compartment one, a chess set and chairs of boxwood in two, a cashmere frock coat and tailcoat, southern silk vest and hat in three, famous Imperial books including the Toberiz Detective series in four, and polo gear in five…

‘Not a single magic-related thing…’

Garal cursed internally.

If at least it had been an alchemy student, they could have kept a cauldron or flask.

“Wait. If you can access six spaces, why only five?”

“The sixth is locked. It was like that when I got it.”

“Why?”

“Not sure. I don’t really know.”

“…Weren’t you curious?”

Normally a mage who got an artifact with one locked space would be dying of curiosity to open it.

Jandanni clapped his palm and nodded.

“Hearing it like that, maybe I am curious.”

Garal forced his lips into a smile. Getting angry would only hurt himself.

“I guess it was unfinished.”

“That’s right.”

“May I try opening it?”

“I’d appreciate it! Please do.”

“Alright. I’ll take a rest and then have a look.”

Garal stood and exited.

The -Visitor Housing- village was a cozy place of brick and wood houses built in a circle.

Where the sky should’ve been was the high Einrogard main ceiling, shining with lights like stars, and on the horizon thick mist enveloped the village.

Feeling the stillness in his heart, Garal took a deep breath.

‘As I’ve felt before, this place doesn’t seem like Einrogard. So peaceful.’

“Hands up.”

“Don’t move. I have no grudge against you, but your safety can’t be guaranteed.”

“……”

Feeling the cold touch of a staff on his back and neck, Garal deeply regretted his carelessness.

No matter how peaceful, one should never let down their guard in Einrogard.

• * *

After using spatial overlap to reach the lodge village, Lee Han applied the illusion spells he’d just learned to slip past the Death Knights guarding the place.

It was easy enough to find the house where the Baldrogard guests were staying. It was the one with the most dazzling lights and loudest music.

-Hey, what’s this poured on the earth here?

-It’s wine.

-Why is there wine spilled here?

-The Baldrogard punks brought it but didn’t like the taste, so they threw it out here. Arrogant brats.

-…I’ll kill them!

-C-calm down.

There were some minor commotions, but Lee Han and Sevius successfully approached the front of the house.

As they wondered how to get inside, the magician who made up 98% of Baldrogard’s fighting power walked out with a sigh.

The two exchanged glances.

-Great. Luck is with us.

-The heavens must be angry at the Baldrogard punks’ attitude.

-…Uh, right.

Swoosh!

“Hands up.”

“Don’t move. I have no grudge against you, but your safety can’t be guaranteed.”

“!!!”

A magician was weaker than expected when caught off guard.

Garal, who never imagined he’d be attacked at the visitor housing, was completely unprepared and fell victim without any defense.

“Drop the staff. Hand over your reagents.”

“Sorry, Garal.”

“You! Are you a sixth-year of the Wardanaz family?!”

“…I don’t know what you mean.”

Lee Han, his face covered, feigned ignorance. Sevius looked at his junior in disbelief.

-What did you do that he mistook you for a sixth-year?

-I didn’t do anything. He just got that idea because I used a little magic.

-Ah. In that case, it makes sense. That’s reasonable.

Sevius understood instantly.

His junior’s magic skills could give even Sevius chills, so an outsider might very well think he was a disguised sixth-year.

Just a moment ago, he’d mastered two spells and then learned another in the extra time—something highly unusual…

‘Anyone would believe he was a disguised mad sixth-year rather than a genius second-year. Understandable.’

Sevius indulged in thoughts Lee Han would have jumped at if he knew.

Having lost his staff, reagents, and other equipment, Garal sighed and asked,

“What did Einrogard students come for? Revenge?”

“We don’t waste emotions on such petty matters.”

“Then what?”

“We’re here to recover a senior’s treasure that Baldrogard students stole using underhanded means.”

“You mean the space-expansion backpack?”

“!?”

Lee Han was taken aback. Even Sevius asked in surprise.

“How did you know?”

“Earlier, one of the Baldrogard students was bragging about their bag. It’s so well-made I thought it might be the one in question.”

“That alone doesn’t explain it.”

Sevius probed strictly.

It might seem petty, but things like this needed to be certain.

It could be a trap.

“No matter how well made, you couldn’t guess it was stolen goods.”

“They said it was a token of friendship from a joint research project with an Einrogard student. That sounded suspicious to me.”

“……”

They both accepted that logic.

In that case, it made sense to suspect.

“What, so they actually called it a symbol of friendship while carrying it around? Shameless scum!”

As Lee Han growled, Garal shrank back a little. He clearly remembered this Wardanaz boy had summoned Black Crown.

“I get that you’re angry at the Baldrogard students, but couldn’t you show mercy as the strong one?”

“…Why am I the strong one?!”

‘You totally are…’

Sevius thought privately.

To take on this junior for real, you’d probably need several Einrogard fourth-years or above.

“Fine. I’ll be merciful. We don’t want to fight Baldrogard students over nothing. We just want the bag.”

“In that case, I know a good way.”

“What is it?”

“Just go in and take it.”

“……”

Lee Han looked at him like he was crazy.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Are you telling us to just go in, beat them up and take it?”

Was that supposed to be “mercy”—just finishing it all in one blow?

But Garal shook his head.

“You misunderstood. I mean, really just go in and grab it. They’re all asleep right now.”

“Huh? Asleep already? No way.”

“If you sleep early, you’ll get a good rest—it’s healthier for magicians. That’s their—urk, ah, ouch.”

As Lee Han gripped his staff tightly, Garal coughed, feeling choked.

“S-sorry. I squeezed a bit without thinking.”

“……”