Episode 428

“Is there really something to gain by going this far?”

“What are you talking about, Nigisor Priest? Of course there’s plenty. Where do you think that stew we had for dinner came from? Could you make something like that from the black bread and cold rice balls that Einrogard gives you?”

The priests who had eaten well had nothing to say even with ten mouths.

No matter how frugal and ascetic the priests were, eventually they adapted to warm, greasy meals after eating them regularly.

At first, the priests would say things like, ‘You really shouldn’t do this’, ‘We don’t eat like this’, ‘If you insist, I’ll just have a little bread’, but it naturally changed to responses like ‘Thank you for the meal’, ‘I am always grateful’.

“I-I’m sorry if that was the case. You didn’t have to go to all that trouble…”

“No, there’s no need to feel sorry. I only did it because I wanted to.”

Though he’d already made them feel guilty, Lee Han continued.

“But that isn’t the point I want to make. What I mean is, you have to take action rather than just sitting still. what if Blue Dragon Tower’s Gainando is starving and collapses?”

“I would share my bread.”

“Right. But what if there are two? Three? What if it’s the whole tower?”

Siana Priest, listening from the side, tilted her head.

“What happened at Blue Dragon Tower that all the students are starving to death?”

Lee Han ignored her as if he didn’t hear.

“The important thing is, it’s hard to overcome this kind of situation with just an individual priest’s good intentions.”

If this were Black Turtle Tower or White Tiger Tower, they’d have brushed him off as spouting nonsense, but maybe because priests were kind, they listened with genuine attention.

And after all, it was a relatable topic.

“I see…”

“That makes sense.”

“Right? So what’s the solution to this problem?”

“Uh… Since it’s hard for an individual to solve it, if all the priests band together and share their food a little at a time…”

Unlike his usual confident tone, Nigisor Priest seemed hesitant.

The madness Lee Han had displayed today had left Nigisor Priest somewhat nervous.

“Nope.”

“N-no?”

“That still doesn’t solve anything if the White Tiger Tower or Black Turtle Tower guys are all on the brink of starving to death too.”

“???”

Siana Priest looked more confused than ever.

What on earth could have happened that all the students from three towers were starving to death…?

“Then what?”

“The answer is to empty Einrogard’s storerooms in advance and stockpile supplies from outside. Then, whatever crisis comes, it can be overcome.”

“……”

“……”

The priests looked flustered, but Lee Han continued with complete seriousness. His persuasive voice began to sway their hearts.

“It’s not about robbing the stores or smuggling things for your own luxury. You can rob and smuggle supplies as a way to help your friends.”

“I see… When you put it like that, it does make sense.”

“It’s true, you can’t help much if you have nothing to give. Right now, even making potions to share is hard because of ingredient shortages.”

Nigisor Priest, who leaned on the radical side, and practical Siana Priest were quickly swayed.

Tijilling Priest, looking on from the side, watched the two priests with a very conflicted expression.

Is this really okay…?

“I understand.”

“Let the other priests know, too. It’s not about luxury—you do it for good deeds. It’d be good if everyone prepared in advance.”

“I’ll definitely tell them!”

The three magicians exchanged firm and determined glances.

‘If the Phoenix Tower priests help, the Einrogard black market will really flourish.’

Since they had an advantage for night walks over other tower students, if they actively worked at it the black market would be better stocked, prices would stabilize, and the students would be all smiles.

Of course, the ethical issue of recruiting priests for thievery remained, but Lee Han decided this was fine.

‘It’s self-defense. Even the gods will approve.’

In Einrogard, everything is justified as self-defense!

• * *

Nigisor Priest checked here and there by lighting small fires, Siana Priest poured strong acid on the walls to see if they were real or not (she insisted on checking even after seeing with Truth Light, and Lee Han regretted bringing her out with them because she was so enthusiastic)… After repeated exploration, luck finally struck with Tijilling Priest. Using a cursed artifact she wore, Tijilling Priest checked through the wall and immediately called the others.

“There’s a passage here!”

“Finally, we found one!”

Lee Han, who was keeping an eye from behind so Nigisor and Siana wouldn’t cause trouble, brightened and ran over.

Nigisor Priest regretted,

“Ah… I should have tried setting a fire over there.”

“Ugh. I couldn’t check because I was trying to save my potions.”

“……”

Lee Han ignored this and pushed at the wall.

Clatter—

Fortunately, the wall opened to reveal stairs leading underground, without any complicated mechanisms.

“Eyes, to darkness…”

As Lee Han tried to cast a darkvision spell, Nigisor Priest nodded knowingly.

“That’s that spell, right? The one that greatly boosts all bodily functions, but wrecks your muscles afterward…”

“Oh! That one! I’ve heard about it too!”

At Nigisor and Siana’s comments, Lee Han was flustered.

“That’s not it.”

“…It’s not?”

“That’s a different spell… Wait. How do you two even know about that?”

“I heard White Tiger Tower students talking about it a lot.”

“……”

Lee Han resolved that next time he saw the White Tiger Tower guys, he would grab them by the collar and call them ungrateful blabbermouths.

Even if Gonadaltes’ enhancement magic had some side effects, it was for the benefit of the White Tiger Tower brats, and yet they were bad-mouthing him behind his back!

‘Ungrateful fools. Unforgivable.’

“That’s a body enhancement spell, no need for that now, and anyway the muscle pain is pretty bad.”

“Oh…”

“I was ready for it.”

“……”

Seeing the two priests’ obvious disappointment, Lee Han and Tijilling Priest exchanged glances.

‘Are those two actually excited about this?’

‘…So it seems.’

Whether self-justification was working or not, the two priests who had never done anything like this in their lives were visibly thrilled at the prospect of permanently moving objects.

Lee Han understood.

‘Honestly, it’s kind of fun being a righteous thief.’

Strictly speaking, they were just trying to survive, but it would be a lie to say it wasn’t enjoyable.

The fun of finding the principal’s storeroom and making off with all the useful supplies.

The thrill of feeling you were resisting an evil archmage doubled the fun.

‘Is this why folk heroes show up?’

So thought Lee Han, as he walked on.

Beyond the green light that pierced the darkness, the damp air began to close in.

It was the smell of water.

“…There’s water. Everyone, be careful.”

“No need to worry. We won’t fall in.”

“No, I mean in case monsters appear.”

“!!”

Nigisor Priest tensed up instantaneously.

He had unconsciously let his guard down inside the school, but Lee Han’s words brought him back to his senses.

Tijilling Priest whispered softly.

“Will they really appear? You’re kidding, right?”

“No… they really will.”

“……”

Lee Han worried that Tijilling Priest might come to hate night walks, but he couldn’t hide the truth.

With water of this scale, there was a good chance monsters were lurking.

“A lake…!”

“My word!”

Descending the stairs, the priests gasped in spite of themselves.

At the end of the stairs down into the basement, a vast, dark blue lake spread out in the darkness.

It was so huge they couldn’t guess what lay on the far side.

“Why on earth is this inside the school…?”

‘Oh, now you’re suddenly surprised.’

It really was a bit late for that reaction.

He didn’t know if this was inside or outside Einrogard, or if it was an expanded space or some sort of outer realm, but either way, there was no need to be surprised.

The important thing was what might be in this lake, and where it led beyond.

If it led outside, Lee Han would be overjoyed to tears, but after spending more than half his first year here, he no longer indulged in such hopeless optimism.

‘Maybe there’s a hidden storeroom…’

Siana Priest carefully scooped water from the lake into a potion bottle and checked the quality.

There were no signs of toxins or residual magic.

“The water’s fine…—wait! What are you doing!??!”

“Huh?”

At the sight of Lee Han wading into the water, Siana Priest shrieked in alarm.

“I’m just going in the water…”

“You have to check for poison!! Check the poison first!! What are you doing!!”

“Oh. I checked by dipping my hand in.”

“……”

“……”

All three priests were appalled at the brute response.

Sensing the mood had turned strange, Lee Han quickly made an excuse.

“…Guess I got too used to such crude methods hanging out with the White Tiger Tower guys. I’ll have to be more careful from now on.”

“I… I see.”

In truth, White Tiger Tower was irrelevant, and Lee Han just trusted his own magic, figuring “even if it’s poisoned, I’ll be fine,” but none of those students were here right now.

After casting a water-breathing spell, Lee Han submerged himself in the water.

Bubble bubble—

“Light!”

As a shining orb of light, pulsing with mana, hung from his staff, rays began to pierce through the darkness of the lake water.

Even with darkvision magic, there were many limitations to seeing into such murky water.

‘Wait, you’re telling me there are no monsters?’

Lee Han was surprised.

A place this big, and no monsters?

And then he was surprised again.

‘I’m surprised that there are no monsters…’

Come on, it’s not impossible!

Perhaps he was getting too used to Einrogard.

When Lee Han came up out of the water, Nigisor Priest immediately lit a fire. It wasn’t even a cold night, but now that he’d been in the water, there was a chill.

“I could cast -Latent Heat Bestowal-.”

“No. Let’s conserve mana. You never know what could happen. I’ll—”

“Wait!!”

“Hold on!”

“I’ll just do it myself!”

“……”

Lee Han grumbled as he stopped.

He’d never been so distrusted about magic before.

“If there are no monsters in the bottom of the lake, maybe we can make a boat and go out a bit farther.”

“A b-boat…!”

“A real…!”

Nigisor and Siana Priest’s faces lit up.

Even though they tried to act casual, their eyes couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Should I go get some wood?”

“I saw some reeds near the shore, maybe we could weave them together…!”

Lee Han drew up water from the lake and held it into shape.

Water was one of the elements he was most experienced with, so he could manipulate and solidify it easily with his eyes closed.

Then he cast the frost magic he had learned from Alsicle.

“Freeze!”

The power of a first-circle frost creation spell was limited when it came to freezing a boat-sized volume.

In reality, only the edges of the boat began to freeze.

But Lee Han didn’t let up, and kept casting magic repeatedly without a break. In an instant, the cold stacked up, and an ice boat began to form.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lee Han gave the boat a light tap to test its sturdiness and then nodded.

“This should do. Would you like to get on?”

“…Alright.”

“Hngh.”

“???”

Lee Han was puzzled at the two priests looking so downcast.

“Is it because it’s an ice boat? It’s sturdier than it looks, so you don’t have to worry about safety.”

“That’s not really the issue here…”