Episode 161

Episode 161

‘Was the distance to the main gate always this far?’

One of the Black Turtle Tower students thought to himself.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, so the surroundings were dim. Maybe that’s why he felt even more tense and scared.

“Wait. Stay put while I get ready.”

If nothing else, one thing was certain.

That boy from the Wardanaz Family…

When he was on your side, he was truly reassuring!

Casting all sorts of enhancement spells on the students, holding potions suited to the situation, and even summoning familiars, then calmly taking down monsters one by one—his actions were awe-inspiring.

“All done. Let’s go.”

After finishing his check, Lee Han returned to the gathered students.

Behind him, dawn began to break. A faint light shone from behind Lee Han’s head.

The Black Turtle Tower student was momentarily overwhelmed by the sacred sight.

“The… the sun…”

“Of course the sun’s going to rise. Let’s go.”

“……”

“Want a beating before you go? Or just go?”

“I-I’m going.”

When Lee Han raised his staff and aimed, the Black Turtle Tower student snapped out of his reverie.

I must have lost my mind for a moment!

• * *

The Skull Principal was floating in front of the main gate, waiting for the students. The excitement in his soul felt like waiting for a first love.

How many do you think have collapsed?

“I’m not sure.”

How boring. Still, at least a third must have collapsed. Did you put the Sleepcatcher at the very front?

“Yes.”

The Storekeeper’s answer satisfied the Skull Principal.

For unsuspecting students, the Sleepcatcher was a very deadly monster. By now, some must have gone off to dreamland.

And the Shadow Monster?

“Yes.”

Excellent. The sunlight is still weak, so it’ll be hard for the students to deal with.

Unless they prepared in advance, the Shadow Monster was a tough opponent for students.

The Skull Principal waited in anticipation.

And then his expression immediately turned serious.

…Why are there so many of them?

“It seems the freshmen are quite skilled.”

The Storekeeper’s reasonable answer left the Skull Principal dumbfounded.

No matter how skilled they are, there’s no way not a single Ironhead dropped out before reaching the main gate!

“Looks like they joined forces.”

……

At those words, the Skull Principal turned his gaze.

And looked at Lee Han among the students.

Lee Han put on an innocent expression, but the Skull Principal had already figured out the situation.

…Come here for a moment.

The Skull Principal called Lee Han aside. And asked,

Do you have a problem with my educational philosophy?

“What do you mean… How could I?”

Lee Han answered with a startled expression.

Of course, he was thinking something else inside.

‘How did he know?’

Now, look. You’re playing by the river. But one of your friends falls into the river and is floundering. What do you do?

“Normally, you’d save him, wouldn’t you?”

Right. Let’s say you saved him. I think that’s a very foolish and stupid thing to do, but let’s say you did! But then another friend falls into the river and is floundering.

“Oh dear…”

Is the river’s name Einrogard, by any chance?

You look around and there’s another one, and another one… Friends are falling into the river everywhere! Now, think about it. Can you save all these friends?

“It seems impossible.”

Exactly! It’s realistically impossible. So you have to teach your friends how to get out of the river themselves…

“Wouldn’t it be better to figure out why the friends keep falling in and stop that?”

……

The Skull Principal was at a loss for words, having been caught off guard.

‘Oops.’

Lee Han immediately regretted it.

He should have just listened quietly, but his tongue slipped…

…Just you wait! Someday, the friends you’ve helped will betray you!

The sulking Skull Principal grumbled as he left.

‘He’s misunderstanding something.’

Lee Han didn’t care much about the Skull Principal’s curse.

Because…

He hadn’t done all this to save his friends.

He had teamed up with his friends because he was afraid of being attacked if he went alone, not to save them from the river.

Maybe because he was so wicked himself, the Skull Principal always seemed to think Lee Han was excessively kind.

“Angrago. Are you okay?”

“Uh… Uh-huh? I’m okay?”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

Lee Han patted Angrago on the shoulder. Angrago looked even more flustered.

‘Why… why is he acting like this?’

It was really strange, but Angrago actually felt more at ease when Wardanaz was being prickly.

A kind Wardanaz was several times scarier than a prickly Wardanaz.

Lee Han looked at Angrago with an expectant expression.

‘How will he get caught?’

Pass.

“…?!”

But, unexpectedly, the dejected Skull Principal opened the main gate without properly checking the outing pass.

The students cheered as they exited the main gate.

“We’re out! We’re out, Wardanaz! Thank you! You genius!!”

Among them, Angrago’s joy was the greatest.

He had passed through the main gate with a fake outing pass, not even a real one.

“……”

Lee Han’s expression hardened.

‘This guy. Useless.’

He’d wanted to see what kind of magic the Skull Principal used to check the outing pass…

“What’s wrong?”

“Yeah. Good for you.”

Lee Han turned away abruptly.

The White Tiger Tower students were bewildered by Lee Han’s sudden change.

“What’s with him?”

“Maybe he’s embarrassed because you thanked him so much?”

“That Wardanaz guy… He’s acting weird.”

When Lee Han returned, Gainando spoke in an excited voice.

“Lee Han! Should we go to the card shop first? Or the café?”

“Gainando.”

“?”

“Do you even have any money?”

“…!”

• * *

After passing through the main gate, the students split up and headed to the nearest Pillone Village.

But none of the students realized the most important problem.

…They had no money!

Gainando looked dazed at the sudden reality.

“…Can’t I just say I’ll pay later?”

“Gainando. There’s no need for that.”

Ahsan said confidently.

“There will definitely be family members waiting in Pillone Village.”

“Oh!”

Of course, not just the Dalkard Family, but all the students’ families here would have prepared mansions in Pillone Village and be waiting.

For a great noble family of the empire, that was only natural.

But Lee Han looked at Ahsan with a pitying expression.

He would soon learn the truth.

Ten minutes later.

“……”

“……”

Ahsan and Gainando stared at each other blankly.

“W-why aren’t they here?”

“I told you, they went to Granden City…”

“Why??”

“I don’t know. Isn’t it normal for magicians to do weird things?”

The villagers shrugged and walked away.

The shock the two felt was like hearing the sky had fallen.

“I-I have a good idea.”

Gainando said urgently.

“What idea?”

“Let’s go to a rich person in the village, give our family name, and borrow money.”

“Are you a beggar!?”

Ahsan was appalled at Gainando’s words.

Calling it borrowing money, but wasn’t that just dragging the family’s honor through the mud for a few coins?

To think an imperial noble would do such a disgraceful thing.

“……”

Lee Han was dumbfounded inside.

‘You can borrow money, idiot…’

If a noble has no money, he should borrow it. What, starve to death?

“Everyone, stop. I have money.”

“Huh? Where did you get it?”

“I pawned something and borrowed it.”

“As expected of Wardanaz.”

“……”

At Ahsan’s sudden praise, Gainando glared at him as if to kill.

“Hey… When I suggested borrowing, you called me a beggar…!”

“It’s different to borrow with your family name and to pawn something, Gainando.”

Ahsan looked at Gainando as if wondering what he was talking about.

‘This guy…’

Gainando vowed to crush Ahsan with a new card set from the shop, and started walking.

‘Wait? What did Lee Han pawn?’

• * *

“Aren’t you the warehouse porter from last time!”

The shop owner jumped up from his seat as soon as he saw Lee Han.

He looked as delighted as if he’d met an angel in hell.

“Why is he so happy to see you?”

“Yeah, really?”

The friends soon found out why.

“The story of you buying several weeks’ worth of goods at once and carrying them off is still famous.”

“Please, don’t call me the warehouse porter. It’s embarrassing.”

“Why not? It’s an honorable title…”

The shop owner didn’t understand Lee Han’s reaction.

Wasn’t it an honorable title symbolizing a big spender in the shopping district?

“Hey, Dalkard. Look. It’s the new card set!”

“Oh.”

“Wow…! The Principal is in it too!”

“Then buy it.”

Ahsan replied absentmindedly. Gainando looked serious.

“No. The Principal card has too many penalties to use properly, so it’s a trash card.”

“R-right.”

While Gainando and Ahsan played in the toy section, Lee Han and Yoner had a serious conversation.

“I don’t think we need fabric yet. Let’s focus on food supplies.”

“We’re running low on sugar… We’re still okay on canned goods, but snacks and candy are already gone.”

“It can’t be helped. Still, it’s much better than last time.”

“It’s a bit of a late question, but… how did you carry all that last time?”

Lee Han didn’t answer.

Thinking about it now, it was a pretty reckless thing to do.

‘This time, I’ll definitely split it up and carry it.’

There were still supplies left, and there were more people, so it would definitely be easier than last time.

“This should be enough. We have plenty of time as long as we buy before sunset.”

“Lee Han. Can I buy this?”

Gainando came running over with a card set. Lee Han nodded. It was Gainando’s money anyway.

“The problem is the midterms. I need to buy a book on geometry. I just can’t find one in the library.”

“Lee Han. Can I buy this too?”

Gainando came running over with a toy set that moved on its own. Lee Han nodded.

“I think I’ll need an alchemy book too.”

“That’s true. It’s really hard to find books on ingredients in the library.”

What kind of school doesn’t even provide the necessary books, so students have to buy them outside…

But Lee Han and Yoner no longer complained about such things.

‘Yeah. Maybe libraries are places that don’t give books to people without skill.’

A systematically organized library is the odd one, and maybe a library that’s a jumbled labyrinth is the norm…

“Lee Han. Can I buy thi—”

“Ah! Just buy whatever you want!”

When Yoner shouted, Gainando was startled.

“Y-you don’t have to get so mad…”

“Wait.”

Lee Han spotted a familiar face outside the shop window.

It was Baldororn, the excellent illusion magician who had taught Lee Han the basics of breaking illusion magic last time.

“Do you know him?”

“He’s the great magician who taught me magic last time. Baldororn! Baldororn!”

Baldororn, who was passing by, turned his head in surprise when someone called him.

The first-year from Einrogard he’d met last time had shown up in the village again.

And this time, he’d even brought friends!

‘No way… How is a first-year coming out so often??’

Did the rules change?

While Baldororn hesitated in confusion, Lee Han led his friends over.

“This is Baldororn. He’s an excellent illusion magician. Thanks to what he taught me, I was able to break illusion magic. Oh, Baldororn. Thanks to your teaching last time, I was able to handle another illusion magician safely.”

“Who did you meet?”

Baldororn, still flustered, asked without thinking.

Would a first-year even have a chance to face another illusion magician?

“I think his name was Ogonin…”

“…What???????”