Episode 1147
by Cristae“Architecture?”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Catten cleared his throat.
People like Yukveltire or the skeletal headmaster, who were cold-hearted, often said Catten knew no shame, but contrary to appearances, Catten was much more polite and easily embarrassed than people thought.
Except when it came to learning magic.
Even now, that was the case.
As a senior, he couldn’t possibly force a junior to ask him to participate in a request first.
“More importantly—evil god worshipers… I see, junior.”
Catten nodded knowingly.
The crazed Prahgal Order’s followers had often clashed with the Wardanaz junior in the past.
Since these skirmishes had happened several times, it was no wonder each considered the other a personal foe.
“The corrupt followers of Prahgal must have threatened and provoked you. These blasphemous and excessive ones must be burned down to the last tentacle!”
“Ah, it’s not Prahgal.”
Catten, who was getting impassioned, paused.
“…It wasn’t? Then perhaps Krasaksarigol?”
“It’s not Krasaksarigol either…”
As Lee Han explained, he became puzzled.
How did this senior know he’d clashed with Krasaksarigol recently?
“This must stay secret.”
“I have no one to tell anyway.”
“…It’s the Saenggwiros Order. It’s a sect that was destroyed before, but apparently they’re regaining power these days.”
Lee Han explained what had happened along with his description.
He’d gone out on an external request, but was attacked by these evil ones—Professor Voladi was now missing…
“Professor Baegrek was kidnapped?!”
Catten was horrified.
So much so his fur stood on end.
For an Einrogard professor to be kidnapped—this could not be overlooked.
It was a direct challenge to the authority guaranteed by the Empire’s name.
They needed to mobilize the Imperial army immediately…
“Oh. He wasn’t actually kidnapped.”
“???”
“The professor got angry and disappeared to attack the cultists.”
“……”
Catten had the strongest mental fortitude among fifth-years. It was only natural, since he’d come through such different ordeals from other students.
So even after hearing something like that, Catten received it calmly, neither shrieking nor flabbergasted.
“Hmm… That could happen. It could… happen.”
Honestly, he didn’t really believe it, but he nodded for now.
Can that really be called “missing”?
“I’m really surprised Professor Baegrek disappeared.”
“Wait, you didn’t know the professor was gone?”
Catten nodded again. Lee Han muttered in disbelief.
“Ah, I guess since you don’t have anyone to talk to, you hadn’t heard, Senior Catten.”
“……”
Catten was a bit nettled.
He knew his circle was smaller than other students’, but he still kept up with needed rumors and information.
The reason he didn’t know about Professor Baegrek’s disappearance was just that the professor had few pupils, not because Catten had no friends.
“Anyway, I want to preemptively strike at and root out these evil guys. That would also help the professor, right?”
“I doubt Professor Baegrek really needs that help… but I understand your intention.”
Catten let go of his irritation. His junior’s sincerity got through to this fifth-year senior.
And cutting down evil god worshipers was an excellent way to train oneself. Where else would you get experience like that?
“If you ever need help, just ask. I’ll join in.”
“Thank you, Senior!”
Lee Han was delighted at Catten’s cheerful acceptance.
He already knew this fifth-year was more warlike than he seemed, and never turned down a fight, but gratitude was gratitude.
With this monstrous combat strength at his side, Lee Han would be massively helped in fighting the cultists.
“Hmm. Hmm.”
After accepting, Catten coughed again, a little self-conscious, and cast another subtle look.
‘Heh heh.’
Lee Han immediately understood. In this world, there was no such thing as a favor without a return.
“Here, please accept this.”
Inside the wooden box Lee Han brought were magic books he had personally annotated and explained in detail.
They were written much more simply than the original books, making them a huge help for a magic-hungry Catten.
In fact, Catten was so delighted he leapt into the air.
“Junior, these… You must be short on time, but thank you so much!”
“It’s nothing. Please ask me any time.”
Catten, overcome with delight, expressed his gratitude over and over while personally seeing off his junior.
Only after Lee Han had vanished into the distance did he realize:
‘Oh.’
The architecture request…!
“Puhuhu. Even the Iron Shoes? That’s really something.”
Falkrius was amused to see a fellow student from the same year—it had been a while.
Not just Falkrius, but other juniors, too, were surprised.
“Is that guy really an Einrogard student? I’ve never seen him before.”
“He’s a real Einrogard student… just spends all his time underground. Among the students who explore down there, he’s pretty well known.”
“Is he a Baldrogard spy?”
“……”
Jarun glared with a spiteful look. The juniors who met his eyes quickly looked away.
“Hmph!”
“Iron Shoes, don’t be like that since it’s been so long. Have a bowl of soup.”
“Trying to rob a dwarf’s blood and sweat with your tricks again!”
Jarun leapt, agitated.
He’d been burned a few times by the cooking club’s food sales and was now doubly wary.
He remembered times like this.
-Iron Shoes! Iron Shoes! Oh no, he’s lost his strength and collapsed. Drink this. Meat broth will bring you back.
-Ugh… What happened?
-Probably fainted from hunger. Here. One gold coin.
-…What?! I never bought this…
-Puhuhu. Still, you ate it, didn’t you? By the way, don’t even THINK of not paying. My cooking club colleagues have surrounded you.
-…You thieves! You crooks!
Just thinking about that made him so upset he almost cried. Jarun swung his hammer as if to ward everyone off.
“Puhuhu. Iron Shoes, it’s a misunderstanding. This soup is free, really. I can even swear on the name of the one I believe in. The new Inspector is providing ingredients.”
“……”
At that, Jarun slightly relaxed and accepted the wooden bowl.
Seeing pieces of vegetable and meat floating in the watery soup, Jarun was a little surprised.
The new Inspector seemed ridiculously generous. To hand this out for free…
“Gaak!”
A single sip, and Jarun was shocked at the bitterness.
How could a soup like this be so bitter??
“Puhuhu. Feels energizing, right? It’s a tonic soup made with the Inspector’s secret recipe.”
“L-loathsome wretch… tricked me again…!”
“It’s not a trick. It’s good for you.”
But despite Falkrius’s reassurance, Jarun already closed himself off again.
Muttering in the corner, he ignored everyone and replied to nothing with a mere ‘Hmph.’
“See? Western dwarves really are eccentric.”
“Puhuhu. Don’t say that. There are lively ones among the western dwarves and crotchety ones among the eastern, too.”
“That’s right, Professor Thunderstep is eastern, isn’t he?”
“…Ah—I didn’t mean that as an insult to Professor Thunderstep…”
While Falkrius was flustered by the juniors’ words, Lee Han appeared.
Next to him were Yukveltire and the Enchanter School students like Anpagone.
“That’s some odd company. Why are those guys together?”
“They’re from the same school. Enchanters.”
“What?! They’re from the same school?!”
“……”
Some students were shocked to learn Lee Han’s group were all in the same discipline.
They’d never seen them together before.
As Lee Han walked, he was deep in serious discussion with Yukveltire. The gravity of their expressions prompted a junior to ask Falkrius,
“Senior, what do you think they’re talking about?”
“Puhuhu. It’s probably because it’s not an easy request—they must have a lot to figure out.”
Finishing the building within Einrogard before moving it was no simple task.
Even Wardanaz, with all his ability, must know it—so he’d gathered all the enchanter seniors available.
And Wardanaz had declared that this request would be finished in just four days.
Given his own schedule and his seniors’ schedules, he figured any longer and it would be impossible to match up.
A bold decision, but that raised the difficulty even more.
Even now, they were probably having such a serious conversation to try and save every bit of time.
“Senior, Direte’s signature doesn’t count if he doesn’t come in person.”
“Why don’t you trust it? Direte wrote the signature himself. Wardanaz, you’re just being unreasonable now.”
“You’re the unreasonable one. With this kind of document, anyone could rewrite the circumstances however they want.”
The reason for their argument was simple.
Junior, stop my errands and take the job instead.
Direte
Yukveltire had brought the building’s design document—along with another, signed and written with feathers from her own wings to prevent counterfeiting.
But Lee Han didn’t let it slide. With a signature alone, the context could be twisted however one wanted.
“I bet he said something like: ‘If the junior was cursed and dying unless he took the job, what would you do, Direte?’”
Yukveltire had no chance in these battles—she hadn’t trained in verbal fencing.
On the brink of exasperation and anger, Yukveltire made a choice she’d never normally make.
She called her juniors for help.
“What’s with this utter nonsense… Anpagone! Shigunting!”
“Yes?”
“Judge the validity of this matter!”
Hearing such a request from a respected senior, Anpagone and Shigunting replied coolly,
“Of course Wardanaz is right. Please stop bullying the junior.”
“I’ll agree with Wardanaz.”
“…What low-class rubbish you are…!”
Yukveltire regretted not bringing Direte along.
In a place full of such low-class juniors, sometimes lies become truth.
Before an enraged Yukveltire could run off, Lee Han quickly grabbed the design draft.
With that secure, it no longer mattered if his senior tried to escape.
“Oh, seniors, look here. You’ve used transformation magic to deal with corrosion effects on the lighthouse.”
“Incredible. You’re making the surface into a thin, primitive artificial lifeform. Wait. Doesn’t that use a ton of mana?”
Anpagone admired Yukveltire’s idea, but was also dubious.
“I guess she wants me to use my mana to cast it.”
“Of course. Wait—even so, isn’t that too much? The rapid-current mitigation spell, the ship guidance spell… How many are there?”
Anpagone and Shigunting clicked their tongues at their senior’s ruthless design.
No matter how much mana the junior had, it wouldn’t be easy to run things so pitilessly.
“She’s insane, I’m telling you.”
“Maybe not insane, but definitely daring.”
Lee Han answered the two with a somewhat sheepish expression.
“I wrote that part myself.”
“……”
“……”