Episode 147

Lee Han’s face hardened.
He immediately guessed the thief’s identity.
‘Anti-magicists’
Just like the ones who attacked Professor Garcia last time, it was clear they had taken the opportunity of the spring festival to infiltrate the school.
“Be careful, Yonere”
“Uh… uh?”
Yonere, who was also tense, paused at Lee Han’s words.
It was a bit strange to call the thief in front of them an anti-magicist.
Normally, anti-magicists were noisy and made a big fuss.
Because they had their own beliefs and pride, they wouldn’t sneak in at night dressed like some common thief.
‘A hired thief?’
“Out of the way, brats”
Realizing that Lee Han and Yonere were freshmen, the thief drew a shortsword and tried to threaten them fiercely.
But before the thief could even fully draw the shortsword, Lee Han’s spell was complete.
“Flash”
With a fierce shout, lightning exploded.
It was a speed that exceeded the thief’s expectations.
“Wh… urk”

• * *
  In fact, not all intruders who entered the magic school were anti-magicists.
  Rather, anti-magicists were among the hardest intruders to get into the magic school.
  Since they would cause major incidents if they got in, the magic school managed things as strictly as possible.
  The most common type of intruder in the magic school was, surprisingly, mercenaries or adventurers.
  The Empire’s magic school was not just a place of education, but a place where the Empire’s best mages gathered to research magic.
  Anything researched inside, no matter how trivial or failed, would increase in value dozens or hundreds of times if taken outside.
  Among outside mages, there were many who would pay a fortune just to hear that something came from the magic school.
  Today’s thief was just such a case.
  -Thanks to the spring festival, I heard Einrogard is accepting outsiders.
  -Really?
  -Yeah. Let’s go in and grab anything valuable we can find.
  -But… getting involved with high-level mages is scary…
  -Of course, I know there are some monster-like mages among them. But there aren’t that many. If we just blend in with the guests and swipe something, would those monsters really get involved? They won’t even care. There are so many people. As long as we don’t get caught. As long as we don’t get caught.
  -Hmm That’s true…
  -When it comes to breaking into magically protected buildings, no one can beat you. Remember that time, what was his name, that mercenary mage? You even broke through the magic he set up.
  -That’s true.
  With some experience dealing with mages and a bit of greed, the thief forged his identity and entered Einrogard.
  Because of the spring festival, getting into the magic school wasn’t that hard. As long as you had a reasonable excuse, you could get through.
  But…
  -Isn’t this supposed to be the main building??
  -There should be a main building here, right?
  The thieves underestimated the magic school.
  The difference between the 1st or 2nd circle mercenary mages you usually meet outside and the mages of the magic school was on a whole different level.
  The unprepared thieves fell victim to the school’s defensive and illusion magic and couldn’t even find the right location.
  After wandering and wandering, the thieves finally managed to find a building.
  -Fou… found it
  -It’s a stable…?
  -It’s the magic school’s stable
  -R-right
  The thieves, having found a stable located in a remote area, hurriedly opened the door and went inside.
  But all they saw inside were ordinary horses.
  -Damn it
  -Should we at least take a horse?
  -What nonsense… Do you think we came in here to steal a horse? And how are we supposed to get a horse out? Unless it’s a small one, it’s hard to take out
  There was a griffon right in front of them, but unfortunately, the thieves didn’t notice.
  Sadly, their misfortune didn’t end there.
  As they opened the stable door to leave, they ran into freshmen.
  “……”
  “…That’s not Ratford… Yonere”
  The thief was very flustered to see a student shouting, but soon regained composure.
  There was no one else around, and the opponents looked like freshmen. That was enough to subdue them and get away.
  “Be careful, Yonere”
  “?”
  The thief was flustered by the ridiculous misunderstanding.
  Anti-magicist?
  What a preposterous misunderstanding.
  He had just come in to grab something valuable…
  ‘Damn, this isn’t the time’
  The thief realized he couldn’t waste time. Someone else might come if they heard the noise.
  “Out of the way, brats”
  The thief tried to sharply draw his shortsword.
  Of course, he had no intention of actually hurting the students.
  Stealing an item or two from the magic school and hurting a student were on completely different levels.
  He didn’t want to spend his life being hunted by the school’s monsters just for a bit of money.
  …But the thief didn’t know.
  That the freshman in front of him was also one of the magic school’s monsters.
  “Flash”
  With a flash of lightning, the pain of seared muscles burned the thief’s brain.
  ‘Ugh…?’
  Beyond the pain, the thief couldn’t understand the situation.
  Having faced mages a few times outside, the thief knew it took some time for mages to chant and cast spells.
  In fact, magic was surprisingly tricky to use in combat.
  You had to chant long spells and swing your staff without wavering or losing focus.
  There weren’t many people who could do that on a battlefield full of murderous shouts and flying weapons.
  Let alone a freshman.
  Even mercenary mages took quite a while to chant without mistakes, so a magic school rookie who hadn’t learned magic for long should take even longer…?
  “Graaaah”
  “Flash, flash, flash”
  ‘Stop it’
  The thief convulsed on the ground, screaming inside.
  His throat wouldn’t work because of the electrocution. If he hadn’t been wearing armor with magic resistance, he would have passed out already.
  In the midst of the pain, the thief realized he had underestimated the magic school.
  ‘This is no joke…’
  He didn’t know what kind of training they received, but the magic school’s freshmen were on a different level.
  The thief resolved that if he survived, he would avoid magic school graduates at all costs, even their shadows.
  ‘H-Help me, you bastard…’
  The thief looked at his companion still inside the stable and thought.
  The companion who came in with him was frozen, unable to come out after seeing the one-sided violence happening outside.
  He understood the feeling, but being electrocuted made him curse.
  ‘Help… me…’
  Meanwhile, Lee Han, while firing lightning, floated a water orb.
  He had luckily gained the upper hand, but Lee Han was not careless.
  If they were anti-magicists, this could be a trick.
  “Yonere. Step back.”
  “Uh… huh? He looks subdued, though?”
  Yonere wasn’t a combat expert, but she could tell the opponent was foaming at the mouth.
  “No. It could be an anti-magicist trick.”
  “R-right?”
  Yonere stepped back as Lee Han said.
  The opponent looked like he was foaming at the mouth, but Lee Han was never wrong about these things…
  Whoosh
  The water orb flew and struck the fallen thief. It was a relief that the thief lost consciousness.
  “…Looks like I took him down.”
  ‘Actually, I think he was down earlier.’
  Even though the opponent was down, Lee Han didn’t let his guard down.
  He cast various spells and floated more water orbs.
  Anti-magicists never traveled alone. It wouldn’t be strange if there were companions nearby.
  “Light”
  Lee Han shot a huge sphere of light into the sky.
  With a sphere this bright, other professors would come running.
  “Professors will be here soon. We just have to hold out until then.”
  “Yeah…”
  Yonere glanced at the fallen thief.
  Judging by the thief’s condition, it was a bit unclear who was supposed to be holding out until the professors arrived…
  Creeeak—
  “”
  Lee Han turned his gaze. With a creaking sound, the door inside the stable slowly opened.
  Lee Han aimed his staff.
  He was ready to fire all his prepared spells the moment an enemy appeared.
  “Pl… please spare me”
  But what came out was a thief covered in tears and snot.
  Having seen his companion beaten by magic in the stable, the thief was completely terrified. He raised both arms and pleaded desperately.
  “I’m not an anti-magicist Please, just spare my life…”
  “Flash”
  “Argh”
  Lee Han swung his staff mercilessly. The thief, struck by lightning, collapsed forward.
  Seeing this, Lee Han muttered quietly.
  “Hmm… Maybe they’re really not anti-magicists.”
  “……”
  ‘I’m really glad we’re in the same tower.’
• * *
  The first to arrive was the Skull Headmaster.
  One of the advantages of being a lich was not needing sleep at night. Having heard about the commotion, the Skull Headmaster ran over excitedly, thinking someone might be trying to escape.
  What is this… just a thief.
  The Skull Headmaster spoke with a disappointed look as soon as he arrived.
  Lee Han asked in a surprised voice.
  “They’re not anti-magicists?”
  Did you think it was them? Those guys can’t get in that easily. And they’re not this weak, either.
  The Skull Headmaster looked over the thieves as he spoke.
  He said they were weak, but the thieves’ equipment was quite high-quality. There were signs they had prepared for fighting mages.
  It was clear they had experience breaking into other mages’ workshops or bases.
  That experience and arrogance had brought about their downfall this time…
  Even the Skull Headmaster could see that Lee Han had subdued the thieves very thoroughly. He must have kept beating them, thinking they were disguised anti-magicists.
  ‘They got beaten more because of those anti-magicist bastards.’
  “So they just came in to steal?”
  There are more of those types. With so many valuables in this school, of course there are thieves like that.
  “But is it okay to hold a festival like this?”
  At Lee Han’s question, the Skull Headmaster snorted.
  Not holding a festival because of fear of thieves would be a blow to a mage’s pride.
  “I see…”
  It made sense.
  If the Empire’s greatest magic school acted cautiously out of fear of mere thieves, that would be laughable in its own way.
  And sometimes, if you blame things on thieves, you can get more budget…
  “……”
  “……”
  Lee Han and Yonere pretended not to hear.
  To think they’d hear the financial secrets of the magic school’s administration here…
  Anyway, well done. Catching these thieves like this. I’ll take care of them.
  “By the way, can I get a permit to go out as a reward?”
  For catching these worthless guys who aren’t even anti-magicists? Are you a lich or something, to have no conscience?
  “……”
  If you catch someone more valuable, I’ll think about it.
  “Still, isn’t it unfair to get no reward at all for catching thieves like this?”
  Yonere protested, as if it made no sense.
  Unlike Lee Han, Yonere still had a tiny bit of faith and expectation left for the Skull Headmaster.
  That’s a fair point. Fine I’ll think of something suitable.
  As the Skull Headmaster agreed readily, Lee Han felt uneasy for some reason.
  It was only natural to get a reward, so why did he feel so uneasy?
  Oh, right. Since it can’t be just these thieves who got in, I’ll have to make the students stand guard too.
  The Skull Headmaster spoke as if he had a great idea.
  Lee Han didn’t understand.
  “But don’t you have summoned creatures, Headmaster?”
  Oh, but even undead need to rest.