Episode 1138
by CristaeAt the boss’s fierce roar, his subordinates hurriedly nodded, pulled a lever on the wall, and dashed into a passage connected to the underground sewers.
With those insane knights prowling about outside, if they wanted to alert their fellow city dwellers, they had to use secret passages.
- Off to deliver the word? Hurry up. Don’t forget to give the full report, got it?
“……”
“……”
The thieves were utterly horrified to see Death Knights nonchalantly chatting in a secret sewer that no one should’ve known about.
They talked like bored guards on patrol, which was even scarier.
- Not going to answer?
“…Y-yes, sir, we’ll do it.”
-Good. Be quick! We’re busy, and so is the Heir. If you can’t find them, we can’t even predict what he’ll do next!
‘Mad magician bastards! Mad evil god worshipper bastards!’
The thieves cursed the world as they ran through the damp tunnels.
Why couldn’t these guys just fight each other outside, instead of bringing this to their city!
The nightmare in Bephaim City didn’t end with the tavern.
If even one person was caught, they couldn’t go free without revealing all the city’s shady spots. As a result…
Countless honest, hard-working citizens engaged in illicit business in Bephaim City were hit by catastrophe.
“Is it here?”
“Yes! Yes! Please, just let me go!”
“I can’t let you go until I check. If there’s no one suspicious here, you’re coming with me to Einrogard.”
“……”
The smuggler seriously considered whether it would be better to down a vial of poison right now.
Long ago, a few colleagues had been taken to Einrogard by force and were never heard from again.
“Tell everyone inside to come out.”
When Lee Han ordered this, the apothecary naturally protested loudly.
This shop, marked by a brass mortar-and-pestle sign, dealt not only in various reagents but also illegal goods. Unlike the tavern, the situation was a bit different.
Located downtown, such a place was protected and patronized by nobles or wealthy people.
The apothecary invoked the name of the noble patron to whom he gave the most money.
“Are you insane?! Do you know where this is? Baron Waltaha—”
“You heard? Please fetch him for us.”
- Yes, yes.
The knights answered, and shuffled off as if picking products off a shelf.
The apothecary froze as if struck by an ice spell.
That scene, more than any threat or curse, terrified him.
“S-stop pretending. There’s no way you can just grab the baron like that in Bephaim City. Do you have any idea who he is?!”
“I’m just going back to Einrogard afterwards, so I don’t really care.”
Lee Han replied flatly.
He’d realized lately that one’s Einrogard status was very handy.
Especially, if you caused a ruckus and then returned to Einrogard, not even the law of the Empire could do much to you.
Of course, an angry skull headmaster would punish him under Einrogard’s rules, but that was better than punishment outside.
‘Is this why the seniors always caused trouble when traveling…?’
While Lee Han had this dangerous realization, the apothecary was growing desperate.
He figured, no matter what, no one would drag Baron Waltaha out in the middle of the night. But if this guy really was from Einrogard, maybe he was a true madman.
If he really did bring the baron here…
‘…This could be bad.’
If word got to Baron Waltaha, he would want to kill the apothecary before complaining to Einrogard.
To think a little bribe would end with dragging himself into this mess.
“Wardanaz. While we wait, should we check for illicit reagents inside?”
“Great idea. Please do.”
“Wardanaz?!”
The apothecary’s eyes widened at the name.
“A mage of House Wardanaz is a dedicated servant of the Empire’s good people, isn’t he?!”
“You’ve been listening to the wrong rumors.”
- Not all wrong, actually.
As Lee Han retorted gruffly, the knights interjected.
Though they were currently upending the shop, the knights still wanted to insist that good rumors about the Heir were true.
- Do you know how much Student Wardanaz has done? Why are you yapping about some baron? People like him aren’t worth a mention.
- Who saved famine-stricken Bephaim? You ungrateful wretch. Have you no shame?
“……”
Despite the knights’ criticism, the apothecary was simply stunned.
How could such a great and virtuous wizard be the one doing this in the middle of the night?
-We brought him!
With the sound of hooves, the knights appeared with the baron in tow. The baron, still in his pajamas, was pale as a ghost.
“His face looks odd, did you threaten him?”
“Shh. Keep quiet, Priest Siana.”
Nigisor hastily stopped his friend’s muttering. Locals were gathering and watching.
“He’s probably just cold being out this late. Also, being around undead knights gives everything a chill.”
Tijilling quickly chimed in. Onlookers nodded in agreement—it sounded so plausible coming from a priest with such an earnest image.
In truth, Siana wasn’t fooled. She was just amazed.
‘Priest Tijilling can lie like that…!’
“Baron! Help m— Argh!”
“You lunatic! What evil demon is in your heart that you’d drag me into this?!”
The baron’s rage boiled over as he smacked the apothecary with his pajama cap.
Not the sight you’d expect from a cultured city noble, but Baron Waltaha couldn’t help it.
Abducted in the dead of night, threatened fiercely for struggling, all because this apothecary had dragged him down too.
“You should have gone by yourself!”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Gut punch delivered, the apothecary confessed everything: not only all the hidden ledgers, but the identities of every suspicious person he’d recently seen.
Unfortunately, none of them were evil god worshippers—just smugglers and thieves who’d snuck in amid the chaos.
- Oh, what a pity.
- What a shame. I really thought he’d be a worshipper this time.
- Why’s that? His face is scary?
- No. Just seemed suspicious—he’s a criminal but keeps a regular schedule.
- That makes sense!
As the knights chatted, Baron Waltaha cleared his throat.
His pajamas didn’t lend much authority, but the baron summoned every ounce of dignity he had.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
- Wah… Walt… um, Baron, sir, what is it?
The knight, tripping over the name, quickly changed the subject. Better to deflect than get the name wrong.
“Now that this wicked apothecary’s business is done, may I return home?”
- Of course! Let’s go together.
“You’re offering to escort me?”
- Escort, yes? Ah… yes. We’ll guard you on the way, and also inspect your mansion.
“……”
The baron froze in mid-stride.
Did they say… inspect my mansion?
“M-maybe I misheard… why are you searching my home?”
“Because you took money from the apothecary. There could be an evil god worshipper hiding in your house.”
Lee Han answered for them. The baron bristled.
“That’s nonsense! Do you have any proof?!”
“He said he gave you money.”
“There are dozens in town who’ve been paid by the apothecary!”
“Then tell us who they are.”
“……”
The baron was stunned, as if talking to a brick wall.
What is wrong with this guy?
“I absolutely will not allow it!”
-…And what will you do if you don’t allow it?
The knight who’d fetched the baron asked quietly. He froze again.
He recalled the threats he’d heard on the way over.
- By the way, Baron, do you know where Bephaim’s relief goods came from? From Count Buyong’s mansion.
“The baron might misunderstand. To be precise, we didn’t rob them—Count Buyong embezzled the goods…”
Lee Han tried to explain, but the baron wasn’t listening.
-Baron, we don’t usually warn twice. In fact, this is the third warning. Are we just imperial puppet knights to you?
While it was rare nowadays, these knights were once brutal heralds of destruction and ruin under the Skull Headmaster’s orders.
Recalling old news stories from his childhood, the baron unconsciously swallowed hard.
“No. Absolutely not.”
-Watch your step from now on.
The Death Knights let their ghostly light flash. Lee Han consoled him:
“If you cooperate, nothing else will happen.”
“……”
Honestly, the baron found the magician scarier than the knights.
For someone to command these insane undead as if it were nothing…!
Morning dawned, and a storm of protest letters began to pour in.
Of course, those raided overnight couldn’t manage letters, so the ones who hadn’t been hit yet led the charge.
Not knowing when the blade might fall, they couldn’t just sit still.
Their first step was to contact the bishops of the church. Since disaster had struck Bephaim, the bishops had already gathered nearby.
“Bishop! Please hear our plea! Even if they’re here for good, how can they act lawlessly and trample imperial law and morality? There must be proper procedures!”
The city’s scoundrels even invoked laws and rules they never followed themselves.
They were that terrified.
A mad magician leading Death Knights was raiding the city…
But the bishops’ response was completely unexpected.
“If it’s a Wardanaz mage, isn’t he the one who’s spared nothing to support us through this disaster?”
“If this is all to slander the young mage for the Count Buyong affair, the church will have nothing to do with it.”
“W-wait, it has nothing to do with Count Buyong…! We’re honestly…!”
The local bishops and priests were at maximum favorability—a smear campaign wouldn’t work.
One bishop even scolded the scoundrels for “spreading such evil rumors.”
Driven off in frustration, the rogues turned to their next option: other imperial magic school graduates.
They were a bit less certain, but a magic school was a magic school…
“O great archmages of Baldrogard! Please, see the tyranny of—”
“Hmph! We know your type. Trying to stir up trouble between Baldrogard and Einrogard! So what if Wardanaz’s methods were a bit extreme; you think that’ll work on us?!”
‘A bit?’
Jandanni’s junior thought critically, but unfortunately, the one in charge of the Baldrogard students was this very senior.
Nothing worked—not persuasion, not reports—so the rogues left weeping bloody tears.
“Does the Empire have no law anymore?!”
At last, the scoundrels made the choice they least wanted.
Reporting to the authorities.
There was an inspector on site ahead of the bishops due to the disaster.
The imperial inspector, drawn and haggard from overwork, was inspecting a devastated field when this crowd came rushing over. He frowned.
He recognized a few of them as shady business operators.
“What is it?”
“Your Excellency! Please look into our grievances!”
No one in the empire hated Einrogard mages more than imperial officials—especially senior officials.
No matter how righteous, if they heard that Skull Headmaster’s flunkies were trampling around lawlessly, they’d usually dash off a furious report.
“Wardanaz? You said Wardanaz?”
“Yes! He’s from House Wardanaz at Einrogard, absolutely!”
“I see. Very well. I’ll write a letter to His Majesty the Emperor myself. Now, off you go.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
As the rabble left rejoicing, the inspector tossed the sheet he’d just pretended to write, straight into the fire.
If it had been one of the evil archmages themselves, he’d have reported right away. But if it was the boy from House Wardanaz, it was different.
Would the Emperor—or even any lower official—really report a smear from the likes of those against a young mage everyone adored?
‘Those little punks probably caused the trouble themselves.’
If the Skull Headmaster saw this, he’d faint with jealousy.