Episode 484

“Ha.”

Professor Thunderstep scooped up a spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth, then let out a sigh.

“Hoo.”

Professor Thunderstep chewed on some salted radish and sighed again.

“…Why do you keep sighing? You’re ruining my appetite.”

Professor Lightningstep looked at his nephew with disbelief as he asked.

If you’d worked hard all day, shouldn’t you be eating in good spirits?

The mansion’s chefs had even specially prepared dishes to suit the tastes of someone from the east…

Professor Thunderstep answered with a groan.

“There are so many things I still have to do.”

The students were saying things like, ‘Today was really tough,’ or ‘Professor Thunderstep really enjoys tormenting us like someone close to the headmaster,’ but Professor Thunderstep also had his own struggles as a professor.

For the students, it was enough just to do what they were told, but Professor Thunderstep had to manage the overall schedule and make sure the commission was completed within the period.

What if he didn’t finish within the set period?

-Professor Thunderstep. Perhaps I overestimated you? You failed to finish the commission within the deadline. Will you take responsibility for the loss to the students’ studies?

A slight delay would be getting off easy.

If the commission failed and was incomplete?

-Professor Thunderstep. Are you perhaps opposed to students studying magic? These students will soon be robbing my vault claiming a lack of research funding—why are you getting in the way of me receiving payment?

…Unlike students, the Skeleton Headmaster was generally respectful toward professors, but there were exceptions.

Just look at Professor Verdus being sent to the punishment room…

“Still, it seems today’s work generally went quite well.”

“That’s true, but the schedule is pretty tight, and that’s the problem.”

Professor Thunderstep stuffed dumplings in his mouth as he glared at the piece of paper listing his tasks.

Fortunately, because the Shadow Patrol had worked hard at both hunting and magic today, they had almost finished mapping the sea routes and creating the charts.

If things went as expected, they’d finish by tomorrow.

‘Ah. I thoughtlessly considered Wardanaz to be a member of the Shadow Patrol.’

Professor Thunderstep thought Lee Han would’ve yelled if he’d heard.

They blended in so well that he unconsciously considered them as a team.

The students in the mansion workshop were working hard on inventory sorting, setting standards, and collection education…

‘That will be done tomorrow, or at the latest the day after.’

He didn’t tell the students, so they wouldn’t relax, but this year’s first-year students were generally excellent.

Even without a crazy exception like Wardanaz, there was at least one outstanding alchemy student in each tower, so they could handle anything with flexibility.

He could have allowed the students a break and everything would have been fine, but…

‘No, that wouldn’t be for their benefit.’

Professor Thunderstep resolved not to tell the students until everything was done.

If they relaxed and it delayed the schedule, only the students would suffer.

Being strict in these areas was also the professor’s job.

‘The remaining problem is mediation.’

There was friction among the local guilds, and conflict between the guilds and the townspeople.

If they wanted to harvest the flowers stably, they had to take care of these mediation issues.

In a way, it might be even more annoying than mapping the sea routes or monster clearing.

‘I need to resolve it by tomorrow, if possible, to keep things on schedule.’

If he wrapped up the monster clearing and mapping the routes by tomorrow and met with the interested parties, listened to their needs, and considered solutions…

Professor Thunderstep unwittingly glanced over at the professors beside him.

After looking over Professors Lightningstep and Voladi one after the other, Professor Thunderstep let out his deepest sigh yet.

“Whooo…”

“What was that? That sigh was actually kinda offensive. Were you bad-mouthing me in your head?”

“No, not at all.”

Professor Thunderstep was startled to have his inner thoughts found out.

But it was a fact that the two professors would not be of any help in this mediation.

Professor Lightningstep would only be useful if a monster broke out during the negotiations, and Professor Voladi might be helpful if assassins invaded during talks…

As he considered what sorts of requests the guilds and city residents would make, and what kinds of solutions they’d accept, Professor Thunderstep spotted Lee Han passing by and called out.

“Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

“…What are you trying to make me do?”

Under Lee Han’s suspicious gaze, Professor Thunderstep reflected a bit on behalf of Einrogard.

• * *

Next morning.

Lee Han set out with the professors from the mansion to finish up route mapping and clearing.

The Shadow Patrol hunters had been out since dawn, moving deftly across the waters in small boats, striking down monsters one by one.

“They say that if a Shadow Patrol hunter enters a mountain, the mountain’s monsters go extinct. The rumors are true.”

Professor Lightningstep was impressed, but Lee Han had a different thought.

Seeing the Shadow Patrol hunters look slightly flustered and avoid his gaze when they made eye contact, Lee Han realized…

‘They came out early so they could hunt whatever they needed before we arrived and told them to only take what we needed.’

Everyone else was fooled by the Shadow Patrol’s intimidating atmosphere, but Lee Han didn’t fall for it.

The Shadow Patrol had a side that was oddly reminiscent of Gainando.

“I’ll go check this side, so Professor Baegrek, please take the other side.”

Professor Thunderstep headed off to the areas of the sea route that still needed charting with Professor Lightningstep.

Professor Voladi gazed at Lee Han with an expressionless face. Lee Han resigned himself and said,

“Shall we go clear the monsters left on the reefs?”

“Yes. Don’t rush.”

Lee Han considered pushing Professor Voladi off the boat but decided against it, since there were too many hunters watching.

Splash—

As the boat moved, Lee Han recalled the conversation he’d had with Professor Thunderstep the day before.

—What are you trying to make me do?

—…No! I don’t mean it like that…!

—Yes. I’m sure you don’t.

—I swear on my beard that’s not what I meant! Listen!

Professor Thunderstep was so desperate, he unloaded a torrent of words nobody had asked for.

Everything had to be resolved cleanly in the next two days so that Einrogard’s reputation would be upheld, the students would be paid, and Professor Thunderstep could be happy, but the remaining tasks were still rather tight.

The students’ assigned work was relatively relaxed (Lee Han shared this fact with his friends as soon as the conversation ended), but the mediation issues gave Professor Thunderstep a headache.

At first, Lee Han didn’t get how ‘having you around’ related to all this, but one look at Professors Lightningstep and Voladi and he understood.

‘Hmm. Well. Compared to those two, I am better.’

Lee Han didn’t have a very confident personality, but when it came to social affairs, he believed he could outdo the other two professors.

That said, he was still worried whether Professor Thunderstep could handle the mediation successfully.

Since the two other professors wouldn’t help, Thunderstep would have to work things out with the Meikin family, but if things went wrong…

‘The rewards shrink, student research funding shrinks, the angry students rebel, and Einrogard collapses.’

“What are you thinking about?”

Professor Voladi must have noticed Lee Han thinking so deeply and asked.

“Ah, I was thinking about the mediation plan.”

“No need to worry about that. That’s Professor Thunderstep’s responsibility.”

“……”

Usually, this would sound like good advice—“Let the students do student work and the professors handle professor jobs”—but for some reason, it sounded more like, ‘Why should I care?’

‘Must be my imagination.’

“Prepare to land.”

“Yes.”

“This time, try using ice magic.”

“Yes…”

A Shadow Patrol hunter nearby asked,

“Really, do you not need any help? Without someone up front to block—”

Professor Voladi nodded.

“Not necessary. I’ll overcome it with magic.”

“With magic! Impressive…!”

The hunters’ eyes sparkled.

They always thought mages couldn’t act without someone blocking for them up front, but watching this, they realized it was nothing but prejudice.

• * *

The guild head of the city’s Fishermen’s Guild, Pashyer, stared at the sea with a dissatisfied expression.

“I won’t yield a single bit. All of you, keep that in mind.”

“Yes, sir!”

“If there are any younger lot thinking of negotiation or compromise, stuff those petty thoughts down into your stomachs!”

His hair was stark white and his frame was gaunt, but this old fisherman still broadcast authority.

The young fishermen nearby dared not reply and simply bowed their heads.

“Alchemists, adventurers, city councilmen—they’re all thieves. Whose name is the Imperial fishing license under? It was issued to our guild!”

The matter of ‘Who gets to pick the Sangoria flower?’ was an older issue than people thought.

Long ago, the Fishermen’s Guild had been granted the right to harvest nearly dozens of marine products by the Empire’s emperor.

Back then, there was no problem. Cityfolk respected the guild’s claims and bought whatever seafood they brought in.

But over the years, when the Sangoria flower started showing up around the area, things got complicated.

Alchemists who recognized its value insisted they needed to harvest it, and in that process, the Fishermen’s Guild sought out the alchemists’ help to learn about this new flower.

Naturally, conflict over who had the right to harvest it caused a dispute.

On top of that, the city’s Adventurers Guild, contracting for alchemists, started muscling in.

They kept bickering over who was greedy or shameless, but eventually they settled on a compromise where each paid a certain amount whenever collecting the flower.

However, this time with the coastal chaos, collecting Sangoria flowers almost stopped, and the situation totally changed.

Even with imperial officials teaming up, it was hard enough to solve, but these guilds only wasted time checking each other, so the officials were fed up.

—In the end, this patchwork solution grew the problem. Settle this matter decisively too!

Now that the order had come from the top, the guilds were resolved.

They would not back down.

They would absolutely convince these outsiders that their guild’s claim was justified!

And it was the same for the Fishermen’s Guild.

“It’s all because those who know nothing about our history barged in so shamelessly that all this trouble began.”

‘We probably need some negotiation or compromise…’

A few younger fishermen wore troubled expressions.

The attitude of the imperial officials was firmer than expected.

How poorly handled must it have been for the Meikin family, as outsiders, to step in and try to resolve it?

There was nothing in direct benefit for them either, so the officials’ anger was justified.

With things like this, the city’s guilds needed to show unity and vow not to let it happen again, but everyone was stuck thinking, ‘If you propose negotiation or compromise, it means you’re showing weakness—don’t get caught like that…’

“There, that’s the Shadow Patrol hunter from outside.”

Pashyer nodded at the fisherman’s report.

He was angry and grumpy, but there was no point looking bad in front of outsiders.

He decided he’d go greet them and assert his position with dignity.

“…Why aren’t they coming up?”

“Not sure? Oh, the mages are coming down now. Looks like the mages hunted. I heard the fishermen were saying, ‘even the mages are hunting,’ and that must be it…”

“…But that’s still a student, isn’t it?!”

Pashyer was shocked to see Lee Han coming out, brushing off monster blood.

Considering the number of monsters and the size of the sea, there could never be enough people, but still, for a student to be fighting like that…

Was manpower that short?

“Th-think so.”

“Why?? How come?”

“Uh, maybe… the other city guilds refused to help?”

“……”

Suddenly, Pashyer felt his face growing hot.

It was shame.

A student from outside did everything he could to resolve the matter, even with no help from the city, but…

He’d lived his whole life in this city, so what was he doing?