Episode 330

Watching Lee Han break yet another bracelet, Professor Verdus asked curiously.

“Can’t you just break them instead of dispelling from now on? That seems faster.”

“No.”

Lee Han answered firmly, cleaning up the remains.

‘I should save these for when it’s really important.’

He carefully kept the remaining two.

He was planning to use them if there was an important exam, or if Professor Voladi pulled out a knife and threatened, ‘If you don’t master rotational attributes by today, I’ll kill you.’

• * *

Baisada, a hunter from the Shadow Patrol, waited for Nillia by appointment in front of the Meikin family residence.

As a fellow Shadow Patrol hunter, he wanted to cheer on a student admitted to Einrogard, deliver gifts requested by colleagues, and…

‘Is it okay to ask how she got into the Meikin family residence???’

With a baffled expression, Baisada gazed up at the mansion.

He had no idea what kind of trick she’d used to be living inside.

Did she threaten them with arrows??

“How on earth are you staying in there?”

Guesse, a hunter from the Wasteland Star-Catchers, answered as if it were obvious.

“Doesn’t she have a friend in the Meikin family?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would stuck-up nobles hang out with guys like us?”

“Sometimes, a noble is born with the soul of a hunter.”

“What? Is there such a thing? Never seen it.”

“Uh, um…!”

Some kids passing by shyly spoke up.

The two hunters looked at them as if to ask what was going on.

“T-that outfit… Are you by any chance Wasteland Star-Catchers??”

“That’s right.”

Guesse nodded. Baisada felt a deep pang of jealousy at the sight.

Leaving aside the reputation of the Wasteland Star-Catchers, whatever Guesse did he always strangely exuded a brooding profundity.

‘Is it about the angle?’

While Baisada tried to check his own posture in confusion, the kids asked Guesse for an autograph.

“Please write ‘Wasteland Star-Catchers!’”

“Here too! And here!”

“There, there. Calm down. I’m not going anywhere.”

“……”

Baisada glanced sideways at the kids from time to time.

But it didn’t seem like the kids could recall anything from Baisada’s outfit.

‘Grrrk.’

“Thank you!”

When the kids left, Guesse spoke as if a little tired.

“I’m grateful the name of Wasteland Star-Catchers is known, but they expect so much of someone like me with so many flaws. It weighs on my heart.”

“That sounds rough as hell.”

Baisada muttered. Guesse looked puzzled.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. I just envy the Wasteland Star-Catchers.”

“Do you? I’m more envious of the Shadow Patrol.”

“……”

For a moment, Baisada considered grabbing him by the collar.

Is this guy messing with me right now…?

“The Shadow Patrol don’t care about empty fame and quietly guard the northern mountains. Compared to us… I understand the stance from up top, but there are too many unnecessary visitors here.”

“I… I see.”

Baisada was happy at the praise yet envious.

Couldn’t they just switch places?

“Besides, the Shadow Patrol even had a student admitted to Einrogard. That just shows how many young hunters with great talent you have.”

“H-hmph.”

Baisada tried his best to keep his expression in check.

Still, it didn’t feel bad to be appreciated like that.

“Have you been waiting long?”

Nillia came running out from inside the main gate. As fellow Shadow Patrol members, they recognized each other immediately. Baisada shook his head.

“Not long at all. You’re Nillia, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Here, take this first. This is a gift Pulam asked me to give you. This one’s a gift Banda wanted to send. And this… was it Aiyar?”

“Th-thank you.”

Nillia was deeply moved by the homely gifts from other Shadow Patrol members.

“And this is?”

“This is Guesse, from the Wasteland Star-Catchers.”

“Huh???”

Nillia shot a ‘why are you hanging out with him?’ look. Baisada hurriedly explained.

“He’s a good, upright guy. We worked on something together recently.”

“Ah. Okay…”

Nillia nodded, still a little unconvinced. Baisada decided to change the subject.

“But how are you staying here?”

“My friend invited me to stay together.”

“A Meikin family member?!”

“Yes.”

‘No way!’

Baisada was utterly astonished.

He never imagined there’d be a Shadow Patrol hunter with such skills.

He always thought the Shadow Patrol was full of people lacking social skills, unable to adapt to imperial society!

“Amazing…!”

‘Is the era changing?’

Baisada began to hope that when the era of young hunters arrived, perhaps the Shadow Patrol would become as famous as the Wasteland Star-Catchers.

Frankly, what did they lack compared to the Wasteland Star-Catchers!

“Anyway, you received all the gifts, right? Checked everything? Then we’ll be off.”

“Ah, please wait. Are you leaving so soon…?”

“We don’t suit the city.”

At Baisada’s words, Guesse nodded too.

A city crowded with soaring spires, crammed with people wherever you turn, was just too much for hunters.

Every time someone suddenly popped out from the side, their hands instinctively reached for their bows.

“But at least…”

“Thanks for the thought. But we’re fine, really. It’s not like there’s anything we want to do here.”

“Ah, wait. If you’re lucky, there’s a place where you can get useful artifacts.”

Nillia remembered the Prisinga Order’s event that Lee Han had told her about.

She was thinking of going today anyway, and seeing the two hunters, she thought it was just the right time.

Even for hunters with little interest in cities, if they could get a useful artifact, that was a different story.

Sure enough, the two showed immediate interest.

“Really? There’s such a place?”

“Y-yes, it’s called the Prisinga Order…”

“Oh. They dispel the curse on artifacts and give them away?”

“That’s a great idea.”

“But aren’t those artifacts originally the priests’ belongings? Wouldn’t you need to know someone there…?”

“I know someone!”

Nillia shouted, hoping Lee Han was still there.

• * *

“Now you try dispelling this one.”

“No way…”

Lee Han was speechless at Professor Verdus, who just tossed the cursed artifact to him after showing him once.

If there hadn’t been people waiting in line, he might have grabbed the professor by the collar.

‘Hold it in. I can’t get published in the Granden City newspaper as -Einrogard Professor and Student Grab Each Other’s Collars-.’

Like Professor Verdus had done earlier, Lee Han carefully erased the lines from the outer edge of the cursed magic circle, step by step.

By carefully dispelling the magic circle without disturbing the stagnant mana, he could gradually feel the curse weakening.

“It’s done.”

“Thank you!!”

“Well done. Now do this one. I’ll go grab something to eat.”

“……”

As Lee Han seriously considered grabbing him by the collar, some familiar faces showed up.

“Nillia! Wait. Baisada?!”

“Wardanaz!?”

Baisada was also shocked to see Lee Han.

Wasn’t this the student who had put on a monstrous performance among the White Tiger Tower students last time (though he couldn’t remember why he was even there)?

“What are you doing here?”

“I was helping with the Prisinga Order’s work.”

“Ah. So that’s the acquaintance…”

Baisada looked at Lee Han, then at Nillia, then back at Lee Han—and was aghast.

‘How the heck does this kid get along with nobles???’

Even the fastest Shadow Patrol scout, the sharpest marksman, or the most prolific hunter felt insignificant compared to this young scout.

He couldn’t imagine how this kid was so friendly with nobles.

Was it magic?

“How did you get so close?”

Baisada whispered to Nillia. Nillia answered, flustered.

“Uh, just…?”

“Just…!”

At the deeply profound answer, Baisada shuddered.

Once, he had asked a master archer, ‘How do you shoot so well?’

Now that he recalled, that archer had just said, ‘Just like that.’

‘She’s really not ordinary. Amazing. Amazing.’

With a look full of respect, Baisada gazed at Nillia. Guesse also looked at her, interested.

“To be so friendly with nobles. Impressive.”

“You shouldn’t say such things as a Wasteland Star-Catcher.”

“There’s been a misunderstanding. It’s not like we Wasteland Star-Catchers get along well with nobles, either. Nobles are always troublesome to deal with.”

Though Wasteland Star-Catchers were well-known in the Empire, they were hunters in the end.

Of course, rubbing elbows with nobles was unfamiliar.

At that, Baisada felt a sudden sense of kinship.

“But that social skill is fascinating… If you don’t mind, could you share some tips? I’d like to learn to handle people better myself.”

“Ah, no.”

Nillia was flustered.

Why had the topic suddenly turned to ‘let’s learn from Nillia’s outstanding social skills’?

And she didn’t really have any.

“There’s nothing like that. I just put my heart into it…”

“Ooh…!”

“Ooh!”

While those three were talking, Lee Han succeeded at lifting another artifact’s curse and looked up.

‘Was Nillia always so socially skilled?’

Lee Han was puzzled but said nothing for his friend’s honor.

“By the way, Nillia. Did you come to pick up a useful artifact?”

It was a casual remark, but Nillia perked up her ears and was so thankful that her eyes got misty.

Lee Han was rather flustered.

‘Did you need an artifact that badly?’

It’s not even for business, so why?

“Is there anything useful here for the other hunters?”

“Ah, so that’s it… That’s easy. Hold on. Let’s go find something.”

Lee Han got up from his seat.

He went over to where Priest Tijilling and Priest Mehred were.

“Did you mean useful artifacts?”

Normally, they wouldn’t let any get sent outside, but Priest Mehred wasn’t the type to turn down a devoted student like Lee Han.

Besides, the Order valued cursed artifacts, not ones that had already been purified.

“You can pick a few from here and take them.”

“Thank you!”

In the background, the two hunters were whispering to each other, ‘What kind of connections does she have?’ ‘Isn’t she a genius at conversation?’—but Nillia tried hard to stay focused.

“Nillia. What do you think of this?”

Lee Han lifted a leather water flask. He turned it upside down, emptied the water out, then righted it and waited; little by little, water started to fill it again.

It wasn’t insanely fast, but it was more than useful in practice.

In fact, for hunters, such a flask was quite valuable. When wandering the mountains, it was often hard to find water.

Nillia asked in amazement,

“This is nice? What kind of cursed flask is this?”

“I made it.”

“……”

While others worried about turning a page of a magic book, this friend was out catching other school’s magicians, hunting basilisks, defeating the King of Ghouls, taking down undead chimeras, and even making artifacts.

Nillia resolved to reflect on herself.

‘I need to live harder, starting tomorrow…’