Episode 370

People like Direte, who always say “just this once,” inevitably tended to have a soft heart.

Lee Han looked at his senior with pity.

“I brought some snacks, so just ask if you need anything.”

“Chocolate tart? Where’d you get this?”

“I made it myself.”

“…O-oh, really.”

• * *

The necromancers gathered at the city’s main gate and set out in the carriage they’d rented in advance.

It felt just like going on a picnic.

Creak creak creak creak—

That is, if not for the old carriage groaning as if it would fall apart any moment.

“Cough. I should recast some spells.”

“Hold up—stop!”

The seniors stopped the carriage, then rushed out and cast spells in turn on the wheels, axles, and doors.

Seeing this, Lee Han felt an ominous premonition—as if he’d glimpsed an unfortunate future with divination magic.

‘I’d heard necromancers lacked support, but seeing it with my own eyes…’

“That should be good enough.”

“But it’s still creaking?”

“If you try to stabilize it completely, it’s a huge mana drain. You’ll just have to put up with it.”

“Heh. If we dig up some good mushrooms from the Undead Realm this time, we can buy a new carriage. Looking forward to it, right?”

“…Yes!”

Lee Han resolved to learn a spell to silence creaking before the second semester.

As they left the city behind and followed the Imperial highway, the number of settlements dwindled, and soon there was only forest and fields.

Gainando nibbled on a tart, gazing out the carriage window. Raphadael, sitting by the window, shoved Gainando’s head away in annoyance.

“Stop!”

At the end of a quiet road stood armed soldiers and a knight. They eyed the carriage warily and flagged it down.

“What is your purpose here?”

“Cough. We’re mages here to research the current phenomenon.”

Professor Mortum pulled out his permit and handed it to the soldiers.

The knight’s face relaxed at the sight of the sealed document.

“Ah, mages. Understood.”

With the vastness of the Empire, controlling all the mysterious phenomena that occurred was no small matter.

For example, if an Undead Realm convergence wasn’t controlled properly, undead waves could break out everywhere.

Even if discovered and contained early, there was no cause for complete relief.

Given the size of the Empire, there were plenty of madmen, and some would inevitably try to exploit such phenomena.

It was only natural the soldiers and knights stationed in a deserted place like this were on edge.

“Cough. You all work hard.”

“Really… Why did it have to be an Undead Dimension? Talk about bad luck… I wish it had been a Plant Spirit Dimension instead.”

“Plant Spirit Dimensions would’ve caused plenty of damage as well.”

“Still, better than Undead, don’t you think?”

“Well…”

“By the way, which school do you mages…?”

“Cough cough cough.”

Professor Mortum suddenly broke out into a fit of coughing, as if he were choking.

The students beside him patted his back and spoke up.

“Professor, here’s some water!”

“His health isn’t great…”

“Oh, apologies. I’ve detained an ill man too long. All right, let them through.”

When the soldiers stepped aside, the carriage hurried forward.

Professor Mortum stopped coughing and looked up.

“Cough. Are they gone?”

“They’re gone.”

“……”

The first-year students in the carriage stared at Direte in shock.

“…That was a real permit, wasn’t it?”

“I told you it was. Junior! Sure, it looked a bit pitiful, but we wouldn’t risk this with fake or forged permits!”

Direte launched into an explanation.

Whenever such phenomena happened, they stationed forces in surrounding areas to control the passage and keep out nutcases.

They probably organized a perimeter using encampments and small villages.

“And what does that have to do with… what you just did?”

“Let me finish.”

In short, it wasn’t only the soldiers they’d seen—there were quite a lot of people staying in the area!

Not only guards on watch, but people who supported those stationed here—a whole ecosystem had formed, including those who provided food, drink, even delivered magic cards to pass the time.

“??”

Of course, Lee Han didn’t get it.

What did that have to do with “I’m a necromancer”?

“In a situation like this, if it’s revealed we’re necromancers, we’ll be the first suspects if anything happens. So I just avoided answering directly.”

“……”

“……”

The first-year students gave no reply, making the seniors anxious.

“We didn’t lie. He just coughed a bit, that’s all.”

“Right. The permit is real.”

“You juniors aren’t thinking of changing schools over this, are you??”

‘I’ll just tell people I’m a plant elementalist.’

Lee Han glanced at his staff.

Who knew a staff of the wood spirits would come in handy at times like these!

• * *

After getting off the carriage, the students from the necromancy school scattered into the inn they’d reserved.

As Direte had said, the villagers weren’t surprised to see a crowd of travelers arrive. In fact, there were already quite a few outsiders loitering in town.

There were thrill-seekers who’d come on rumors to see the facts for themselves; suspicious mercenaries hired on odd jobs; and some who, from their attire, looked clearly like fire-element mages.

“Cough. Good work, everyone. Rest well tonight, and tomorrow we’ll head in and work. Walk around the village if you like. I’d like some hot green tea.”

“Yes, Mage.”

Because they’d rented the entire inn, only students were on the first floor. The proprietor brought Professor Mortum steaming green tea.

In his demeanor, one could see the respect Imperial people generally held for mages.

“How’s the taste?”

“It’s good.”

“I’m glad. I used fine tea leaves. I’m especially happy a mage is drinking—not just any customer. Really, this latest event’s drawn nothing but shady, unpleasant folk. The Empire will compensate us when this ends, but what a grim mood in the meantime… It would be great if only people like you, Mage, would visit.”

“…Cough cough.”

As Professor Mortum started coughing, the students quickly dropped their things and darted out the door.

If they hung around, he might start asking what magic they did, which could get awkward.

“There’s not much to see in a village like this, but don’t wander too far.”

“No drinking. It’ll affect your magic tomorrow.”

“Don’t talk with suspicious people for too long.”

“Honestly, we look the shadiest. Avoid talking about magic as much as possible. It’s a small village, rumors spread fast.”

The seniors were well-practiced at giving these warnings.

Even dressed like farmers, if you had a staff, people were bound to be curious what kind of mage you were.

“Where are you going, Senior?”

“I’m going to find out what materials are in demand, and what prices are like from the merchants.”

“I’m off to meet the knights. If you get their help, they’ll drive off any suspicious characters.”

Lee Han was impressed. The seniors were more competent than he thought.

“You can go look around if you want.”

“No, I’ll help too.”

Gainando, horrified, grabbed the hem of Lee Han’s clothes.

He wanted to go off and have fun on his own.

“Really, it’s okay…”

“He said it’s fine, Lee Han.”

“I really don’t have anything better to do.”

“What do you mean, you have nothing. Go on, Lee Han.”

“You just go look around over there.”

After sending Gainando off, Lee Han followed Direte and approached the vendors nearby.

“It’s not complicated. Some of the merchants are here to sell, but others are here looking for ingredients.”

Merchants knew rare ingredients appeared during Overlap Phenomena.

The sharpest among them hurried here to wait at the front.

Tired adventurers rarely carried out everything they found.

“It’s useful to know in advance what’s selling high or has a bounty.”

“Will merchants tell you that easily?”

“They tend to be accommodating to mages. You never know when you’ll need each other.”

There was an Imperial proverb: ‘Only a fool makes an enemy of a mage.’

You never knew when you’d need help from a mage.

If a merchant came just to do business, there was no reason to get on a mage’s bad side…

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.”

“…What?”

Direte was perplexed.

Had he been found out as a necromancer?

“Why not?”

“Hmm. Mage, I say this out of respect—it’s just… I already have a contract with an adventurer. The other merchants are probably in the same boat.”

‘Darn.’

Direte clicked his tongue inwardly.

If a merchant sent an adventurer on a commission, it was a different story.

If he gave away info on what’s valuable and someone else snatched it, it would be a hassle for the merchant…

“Is it often like this?”

“No. They rarely hire anyone directly. Sending in one or two parties usually isn’t reliable enough.”

From a merchant’s perspective, it was easier to just buy what people brought out, rather than hiring and risking parties.

If the parties came back empty-handed, they’d have spent their silver for nothing.

“There must be some competition over certain ingredients. I didn’t expect them to invest this much.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Han wanted to help his struggling senior but couldn’t think of a good solution.

It was easy enough to trick knights, but merchants weren’t so simple.

‘Wait. That crest…’

Lee Han noticed a familiar insignia on the merchant’s carriage.

It was the crest of the Richmond Family.

Operators of one of the Empire’s biggest transport guilds, and family of Black Turtle Tower’s Shyles Richmond.

“Are you with the Richmond Family?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“I’m actually very close with Shyles.”

“…Ah, y-you know Master Shyles…”

“Yes. You could even say we’re best friends.”

The merchant hesitated, surprised by the sudden appearance of a family scion’s close friend.

Lee Han used the moment to explain just how close he was with Shyles, recounting tales from their classes.

“There was a sudden blizzard—so we were all stranded. Shyles told us to leave him behind. But I couldn’t do that, so I threw my coat to him. I was given silver, but that wasn’t important—Shyles was so moved, he cried.”

“I… I see.”

The merchant sensed something odd.

Why would there be a blizzard at school…?

“Just as I helped him, Shyles has always said he’d do anything for me.”

“……”

“He’s such a kind friend, isn’t he?”

“……”

“I’ll make sure to mention to Shyles that I met a merchant from the family by chance here…”

“…I’ll tell you both, but please keep this to yourselves. Seriously, don’t let anyone else know.”

“Thank you.”

Direte shook his head with a hand to his forehead as he watched.

If only the other juniors could have seen this themselves…

• * *

“Why are sanhwan mushrooms so popular?”

Having listened to the list, Direte tilted his head.

Sanhwan mushrooms weren’t actually a popular ingredient.

Popular items tended to be useful for health or commonly used by many mages—ingredients with wide utility.

In contrast, sanhwan mushrooms were mainly used by necromancers.

They were ingredients often used for curses or poisons to reduce or sap the opponent’s mana.

“Isn’t the only important thing that they’re expensive?”

“…You’re a first-year, right?”

As they talked, other necromancy students could be seen talking with knights up ahead.

Things weren’t going well; the students were pleading with troubled expressions, but the knights kept shaking their heads.

“Looks like their luck’s not any better.”

“Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“Is there by chance a knight over there with ties to the Choi, Moradi, Alpha, Gral, or Bark Family, or anyone connected to the Beechwood Knights or White Oak Knights?”

“……”