Episode 946

Episode 946

Without noticing that Rowena was looking at him as if he were a weirdo, Lee Han called for Nillia.

“Nillia. Can you ask the spirits if they’re lacking any fire energy?”

“Alright.”

Nillia nodded and politely requested the spirits. She asked them to check the essence of fire inside the cauldron.

The spirits who received the request trudged over and checked the heat inside the cauldron. Then, shocked, they scurried away.

“…They didn’t run because of me, right? It’s because of the cauldron’s energy?”

“I don’t think that’s the important part right now…!”

Rowena was bewildered by Lee Han’s obsession with completely trivial details.

“They said it’s not because of you. …It’s not, right? Really? They’re not saying that out of fear, right? Umm. They said the fire energy was just so strong that they had to back away.”

“I see.”

If it were weak, that would be a problem, but there was nothing wrong with it being strong. Still, just in case, Lee Han called for Adenart.

“Your Highness. Could you please ask the spirit one more time?”

Adenart quietly nodded as if to say she understood.

After a brief exchange with the spirit, she said,

“…I apologize, Wardanaz. The spirit is afraid to approach.”

“……”

Lee Han realized it wasn’t good for summoned spirits to get along too well with each other.

They shared information among themselves in no time at all.

“Oh. Then I should summon my fire sparrow spirit.”

“No, I’ll try to calm it down.”

Nillia managed to soothe the spirit Adenart had summoned, then made the request.

After some hesitation, the spirit eventually tottered over to the cauldron and checked the heat.

“They said there’s nothing wrong besides the fire energy being very strong?”

“Okay…”

Lee Han’s voice sounded a bit downcast. Rowena was puzzled inside.

It worked out fine, so why?

• * *

Arian, who had been checking the quality of newly arrived tea leaves and inspecting the embroidery on silk with the staff, widened her eyes as she saw the students walk out.

“What brings you all here?”

“Ms. Arian. We’ve restored the discarded flame root. Please accept it.”

“What? That can be restored?”

Hearing that they’d restored the reagent that was discarded due to a transport mishap, Arian was even more surprised.

Despite having traveled to many places for the company’s work, she had never heard of anyone restoring such discarded reagents.

‘Is this some secret method handed down only in Einrogard?’

Surprised, Arian was nonetheless able to accept it for now.

It was none other than Einrogard, after all. It wouldn’t be strange if a special magic handed down only within existed.

“We can’t accept this again. Besides, we gave it to you because it was a discarded reagent in the first place. As you wish… Oh!”

Arian was startled upon lifting the lid of the wooden box containing the roots.

The appearance of the flame root was completely different from what she expected.

The color was several times more crimson and deep, and the air nearby was so saturated with fire energy that sparks crackled.

‘…Was this grown under molten lava, basking in a red dragon’s breath???’

Arian, startled by the reagent’s aura, which was several times more powerful than what she knew, asked,

“Is this really flame root?”

“Yes? It is. Look, the shape, the color, the energy, the properties. They all match.”

‘The color and energy seem different though…’

Arian had a staff member bring a small magnifier artifact and carefully checked.

Amazingly, it was indeed flame root.

It was just far stronger in essence.

“Young master of the Wardanaz family. I knew your magic was impressive, but I had no idea it was to this extent. To not only restore but enhance a discarded reagent like this… I can’t even guess what sort of secret technique this might be.”

“It’s not all that difficult. I just condensed fire in the alchemical equipment until it could withstand it, then soaked the flame root.”

At Lee Han’s words, Arian smiled broadly.

Unlike other members of the Wardanaz family, this boy seemed to truly enjoy pleasant jokes.

To deflect with such poise, saying he couldn’t divulge Einrogard’s secret methods.

“I suppose so. In any case, we can’t accept this. Would you and your friends like to try selling it yourselves?”

“What?”

At the unexpected suggestion, Lee Han and his friends murmured among themselves. Arian pointed to the tea leaves and silk behind her.

“Those were also sold by Einrogard students.”

The pictures and embroidered patterns set on the jet-black silk, woven with gold and silver thread, were the Imperial high-class cloth known as Azirmo.

The revelation that their seniors made those stunned Lee Han.

“The seniors made that high-grade silk?”

“It’s not the highest grade.”

“!”

Upon hearing that, Lee Han noticed the sense of incongruity.

“I see…! I don’t feel that distinctive aura you get from expensive luxury goods!”

“…Is there such an aura?”

Nillia, embarrassed, asked her friends. They shook their heads.

Even Adenart, who had the most experience with luxury items, had never felt such an aura.

“Then what is this?”

“It’s a product made by dyeing cheap silk and replacing the threads with fake gold and silver. It could be called an imitation, but it still goes for quite a price.”

Einrogard students didn’t have the leisure to use expensive ingredients for high markups.

Selling cheaply made goods for high prices using magic—that was what Einrogard students did.

“Don’t tell me those tea leaves are fake too…?”

“Those are real tea leaves. I heard they were quickly grown in the students’ greenhouse.”

The second-year students were already starting to notice, but by third year, the needed reagents and items increased exponentially.

Finding time in their packed schedules to take on commissions wasn’t just for fun. Upperclassmen in Einrogard were always pressed for time and gold coins.

Signing contracts with outside merchants, supplying goods, and getting paid was comparatively easy, so quite a few students did it.

But now, Lee Han and his friends were in a position outside the school with a fairly wide network.

With no restrictions, selling directly was the most profitable.

“I see. Thank you for the advice.”

Lee Han nodded at her reasonable words.

There was no reason to refuse if they could maximize their profit.

“Wait a moment!”

“?”

Just as Lee Han’s group was about to turn, Arian called them back.

Arian spoke with an awkward expression.

“Could I buy just one box of flame root right now? The supply in the city is quite low…”

Thinking again, she needed a box of flame root for the upcoming city alchemist meeting.

She’d wanted to end the conversation gracefully out of respect, but Arian was a merchant.

She would never miss a chance to acquire a good item!

• * *

“This should do, right?”

The students finished repackaging the goods in the box. Salko spoke up with a suggestion.

“Wait. We need to be careful. If we say we’re Einrogard students selling this now, it could get traced.”

“That’s true. Hmm. We should use assumed names as well.”

In addition to disguises, they needed to use different names.

After a brief thought, Lee Han wrote -Nago Family- on the box.

“What’s the Nago Family?”

“A fictional family I made up. That’s the family identity I used when rescuing you guys last time. By the way, you all should memorize it, too.”

“?”

Angrago blinked, wondering what needed to be memorized.

“Alright. Stedal of the Nago Family is a noble who was captured by southern Imperial pirates and then rescued by Torgard’s daughter Lagessa, who leads the privateer fleet…”

“……”

Thirty minutes later.

Angrago nodded, eyes glazed and dazed.

“I-I think I’ve memorized it now.”

“Good. Well done. We must be thorough in our preparation.”

‘But why did we have to memorize how he gathered wealth during the investment wave?’

Angrago was curious, but he held back, thinking if he asked now, he’d get another hour-long lesson on supplementary identities.

“Oh, right. I forgot something important in the treasure map wealth story.”

‘No!’

“Hold on, Lee Han.”

Angrago let out a sigh of relief as Yoner intervened, interrupting the lecture.

‘Thank you, Meikin!’

“The family name is good, but you need a crest. Without a crest and just a name, it might look awkward.”

“Ah… You’re right.”

At the suggestion, Lee Han pondered for about ten seconds.

To think up a suitable symbol for the family.

No need to think any longer. It was just for an alias anyway.

Scratch scratch scratch—

“How’s this?”

“…Is that an upside-down hanging skull?”

“Yeah.”

“Seems a bit provocative… Nah. If we get caught, we’ll end up in the punishment room anyway. Should we just go with this?”

Yoner wondered if there was a need to provoke the skull headmaster, but figured his friend knew what he was doing.

Maybe it was even a show of respect from a disciple.

“Family name done, crest done… We can say we’re from the Nago Family and then deliver it. Oh. Yoner. How about Yoanen’s atelier?”

Lee Han mentioned the name of the first alchemy atelier that came to mind.

If it was Yoanen, the outstanding alchemist, she’d surely know the value of this flame root.

“That won’t work.”

“Why?”

Surprised by the unexpected response, Lee Han was a little taken aback.

He didn’t expect Yoner to object.

Did something happen with Yoanen?

“Yoanen unni is really strict when it comes to buying reagents—she’ll point out every flaw and drive the price down. If we want to sell it for a high price, somewhere else would be better.”

“I see…!”

Lee Han looked at his friend with admiration at her thoroughness that spared no one, even family.

With such wise friends, he felt certain they could make a big profit.

“Guys. We can do it. We’ll become Granden City’s top merchant!”

“T-That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

• * *

“Tell Lady Meikin I’m not here if she comes!”

An alchemist rushed into the atelier shouting.

But surprisingly, there was already no one in the atelier. The alchemist, startled, took a step back and bumped into something.

Tap—

“W-What was that? Who’s there? Has someone drunk an invisibility potion?”

“Shh. Quiet.”

“Pahuseok?! What are you doing?”

“I was going to tell them I’m not here if Lady Meikin comes.”

“……”

The alchemists who arrived late finally realized that all their colleagues were hiding throughout the atelier after drinking invisibility potions.

Their colleagues were one step ahead.

“Did everyone fail to get flame root? Odd, it’s not even that rare a reagent!”

“The Bark family’s transport ship sank by bad luck… It’ll take at least a month for the next batch to arrive.”

“A month? In that time, Lady Meikin could dry us all up and still have twenty-nine days to spare!”

The reason for the alchemists’ behavior was simple.

They couldn’t get the reagent necessary for their atelier work.

All of them!

Yoanen Meikin of the Meikin family wasn’t a violent person, but she was a wildly eccentric magician. Without the required reagent, the atelier’s alchemists might have to work twenty-five hours a day.

Clunk—

At the sound of the door opening, an alchemist, terrified, threw an invisibility potion at himself.

Yoanen Meikin, the owner of the atelier with amethyst glasses, entered.

Tap!

Yoanen pulled a small stone piece from her pocket and tossed it, absorbing all the invisibility effects in the atelier.

The alchemists hiding in the ceiling, closet, and cauldrons walked out in silence.

“Lady Meikin. If you give us just a little more time, we’ll definitely bring you the reagent. Please calm down.”

“Ah. The situation has changed a little.”

Yoanen took out a small reagent pouch with a face full of intense interest.

She skillfully untied the string with her gloved fingers and took out the reagent inside.

‘Flame root? No, this is too strong. Is it a special reagent made from flame root?’

“I got this flame root from an alchemist I know.”

“This is flame root?!”

“That’s right. Fascinating, isn’t it? And even more fascinating, that alchemist got it as a gift from a merchant, and I heard that this flame root will soon be circulating in the city.”

“……”

“……”

“If we don’t find and buy this ourselves, we’ll gladly work twenty-six hours a day!”

The alchemists spoke with eyes burning more fiercely than the heat of the flame root.