Episode 605

Lee Han, rendered speechless by the absurdity, belatedly answered.

“You’re using the school budget for things like this…?”

“This isn’t a school-funded operation.”

“……”

If it were out of their own pocket, that was even more absurd.

Lee Han wanted to ask what kind of grudge they held against the freshmen to go so far.

“There’s a misunderstanding, disciple.”

The dwarf printer, seeing Lee Han’s expression, hurriedly interjected.

“We’re just doing this as a favor. To repay Lord Gonadaltes’s kindness.”

“Are you saying that because you were threatened to?”

“Pardon? I don’t really understand…”

The kind dwarf printer didn’t catch the distinctive Einrogard black humor.

“Back when a printing spirit went wild and created an ink monster, Lord Gonadaltes helped us.”

“If not for Lord Gonadaltes, we all might have died.”

“Principal…”

Lee Han was slightly touched for the first time in a while.

“Why didn’t you ever mention such a heartwarming story to me?”

“Ha. If I talked about all my good deeds, the sun in the sky would grow old and die before I finished.”

‘He’s so shameless.’

Quickly brushing aside his brief moment of sentiment, Lee Han nodded.

“Besides, if this small bit of service can help block intruders from Einrogard, we’d be delighted.”

“Yes! It’s no trouble at all!”

“?”

Lee Han was puzzled.

Block intruders?

“Principal, that grimoire… isn’t it made to deceive the freshmen when they read it?”

He still vividly remembered the White Tiger Tower students, who, after studying up in advance about Einrogard, were harshly taken down during that escape.

“Well, some intruders might fall for it too.”

“……”

Lee Han just couldn’t bring himself to tell the kindly printers the truth.

• * *

“Thank you. Please send them to the places I’ve written down.”

The skeleton principal was very cunning and thorough.

He specifically targeted the incoming first-year students from Blue Dragon Tower and White Tiger Tower.

Since most had families, if he placed them subtly in nearby bookstores, they always got caught.

Lee Han shuddered at this relentless, dogged effort.

‘Is this really necessary?’

“Oh, is this -Toberiz, the Dogfolk Detective-?”

Lee Han looked at the printed magazine with curiosity. Gainando really liked this detective serial.

“Yes. We prepared next month’s issue ahead of time. The newspaper said next month’s installment would be especially pivotal and exciting, so it’ll sell well.”

“You like that magazine?”

The skeleton principal looked at Lee Han in surprise.

This seemed like a kid who’d only read economics, business, and magic sections of the Imperial News.

“Gainando likes it.”

“Oh. Why not read it in advance and send him the content?”

“Oh, that’s great! I never know what to write him. Thank you.”

“…R-right.”

The skeleton principal shivered at his disciple’s quiet madness.

He’d only been joking…

Clack—

Checking his pocket watch, the principal nodded. They’d waited enough; by now, the careless officials should be back at their desks.

“Let’s go. Time to persuade them again.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Lee Han turned to the printers, asked a few questions, and returned with a memo.

“What’d you ask?”

“I surveyed simple gifts you can buy around here and take with you.”

“Do you have someone to give a gift to in the capital?”

“Huh? I was thinking of bringing them to the Treasury officials.”

“…Why!?”

The skeleton principal was genuinely appalled.

Why waste time giving presents to those leech-like parasites whose job was to be against magic?

“Isn’t it normal to curry favor when you go to ask someone for a favor?”

“Why?”

“……”

Lee Han just gave up on persuading him.

“I’ll just bring some gifts myself.”

“Hm… You are certainly good at dealing with trash.”

“It’s a bit much to call my friends trash, isn’t it?”

“I meant Bible.”

‘Wait!’

The skeleton principal paused a second.

What he’d originally expected from this Wardanaz boy was that, when meeting sponsors in the capital, he’d say:

-Einrogard is the Empire’s best magic school. We receive the finest education. We are not hungry. We are happy.

-Hearing Wardanaz’s boy say that, we ought to sponsor Einrogard even more!

But thinking about it, this guy always handled even the trash with patience. Even the skeleton principal didn’t have that talent.

Maybe this social skill could even work on the officials!

“…All right! I’ll leave it to you.”

“Huh? Leave what to me?”

“Persuasion, I mean.”

Lee Han was dumbfounded by the skeleton principal’s ridiculous words.

“How can I do that? I don’t even know what’s in these!”

“Frankly, it won’t make any difference even if you do know. These are trash proposals.”

“Wait…”

He had to go get funding for seniors’ research proposals?

Just thinking about it weighed on his shoulders.

Besides, he’d be meeting those seniors starting next year…

-That’s the guy who shot down our research proposal?

-What an arrogant jerk. A disgrace to Blue Dragon Tower!

…He really didn’t want to start out with that reputation.

“If I fail, it’ll be too embarrassing for my seniors.”

“Don’t talk about embarrassment. It’s those lazy bums dumping work on their juniors while lying around at home who should be ashamed. I’ll never reveal your name, so don’t worry about it. And if you don’t want to do it, you can just tear up the proposals right here.”

The skeleton principal was indifferent.

Truthfully, the contributions this first-year had made to Einrogard far exceeded most upperclassmen.

Other students ought to reflect when they saw him.

“Don’t complain if I fail, then.”

“Of course, of course. Just do it lightly.”

With a sigh, Lee Han accepted the research proposals.

“How am I supposed to persuade anyone for -A Study on Which Races Trolls Prefer as Food-…”

“Hey, just give up on that one.”

The skeleton principal advised coldly.

• * *

Silbas, a proud examiner of the Empire, wore a worried expression as he listened to his colleagues.

“Lord Gonadaltes was here?”

“Yeah. But now that he’s gone, I guess he gave up.”

“It was hard work for everyone. Really.”

“We protected the Empire’s gold and silver!”

The other officials shed tears of joy.

But Silbas still felt uneasy.

‘What if he comes back when we’ve just let our guard down?’

Knock knock—

“Um, is anyone there?”

“Oh. Come in.”

Silbas straightened as the boy entered.

Any guest at the Imperial Palace had their status proven just by being there. Normal folks never got in.

So despite being officials, they couldn’t throw their weight around in this place. In fact, visitors often used their power to bully officials.

-This land is under my legal jurisdiction! Why won’t you allow my fief war! Are you trying to insult my family?

-You want me to pay double taxes? Are you a robber or an official? I’ll see His Majesty myself! Announce me! I brought an elixir for His Majesty, which will surely please him even in his exhausting royal duties!

But the boy entering now greeted him with utmost politeness. Silbas was struck by what a refreshing visitor he was.

“What brings you here?”

“Um. I’m a magician, and I’d like to request research funding.”

“Oh! You’re a magician. Are you from a guild? Or a mage tower? Please, sit.”

Silbas scooted a chair over toward the boy.

He was surprised at the completely different demeanor from most magicians, but more than that, he found him likable.

If only half the magicians were as polite as this boy, my work as an official would be a much happier task!

‘Must be the youngest at a guild or tower.’

Normally you didn’t send someone this young, but his old-fashioned, noble appearance made it easy to guess he was from a grand noble house.

If he was a noble versed in etiquette, age didn’t matter for this task.

Seeing him in person, moving so confidently, he knew he was no mere substitute.

“Oh, and here’s a gift.”

“What?! No… bribes are…”

“It’s not a bribe. I just thought you must get tired handling the Empire’s affairs, so I brought something small to help you rest.”

The aroma of fragrant coffee and freshly baked apple pie filled the office.

Silbas, imagining the taste of custard cream and apples, found himself swallowing unconsciously.

“I’ve never received a gift like this before.”

‘??’

Lee Han was surprised.

He hadn’t expected no one else to think of doing this.

‘Isn’t this basic?’

Showing obvious bribes when making a request was clumsy. Bringing nothing at all was average. The master’s way was to bring a gift that left a subtle, lasting impression.

Lee Han managed his expression. The Empire’s officials might be above him now, but someday might pull him up or shield him.

He always had to leave a good impression.

“I bought it from -Rock Elemental’s Apple Jam Café- just up ahead, but I hope it suits your taste…”

“Oh, I love that place! You’ve got good taste!”

Silbas was pleased at the familiar café’s name.

Not only was the coffee excellent and the apple pie delicious, but the stone soup served by the rock elemental was hearty.

To receive something like that…

“Everyone! Let’s have a snack as we work!”

“Where’d you get a snack? Nobody’s had time to go out.”

“This guest brought it for us, out of concern for our hard work.”

“!”

“!!”

The officials greeted him with looks of shock and gratitude. One was even so moved he teared up a bit.

“You’re not crying, are you?”

“T-the coffee was spicy, that’s all.”

Silbas now spoke in a much softer, kinder tone than before.

“What kind of funding are you here to request, Magician? Depending on the matter, difficulty varies. If it’s a natural disaster or dimensional calamity, you can get support and imperial knights right away. If it’s independent research, though, you’ll need to prove its worth.”

Lee Han hesitated.

‘Should I just give up on -A Study on Which Races Trolls Prefer as Food-?’

Maybe he should just drop that one from the start.

“Please don’t be nervous, just speak comfortably. By the way, I got so busy I didn’t even ask your family. Where are you from?”

“I am Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.”

“Wardanaz family…! Are you by any chance here to request help in the family’s name?!”

Even as he spoke, Silbas doubted it.

If the Wardanaz family truly needed help, it’d go straight to His Majesty, not to a low-ranking official.

The boy shook his head.

“You’ve come on behalf of your organization, then. Amazing. I never thought I’d meet a Wardanaz magician in person. I didn’t know there was someone so young.”

“I am unusually young. By the way, do you know Daihal?”

Lee Han focused on a photograph on Silbas’s desk.

In the photo, Silbas, Daihal, and a few other young officials were smiling together.

“Oh, yes. You know Daihal?”

“Yes. We’re quite close.”

Honestly, Lee Han wasn’t even sure if they were that close, but he was desperate.

-A Study on Which Races Trolls Prefer as Food- was not a project you could pursue without desperation.

“I’ve often been invited to the Dalkard family’s house, too.”

“As expected. You would be, coming from the Wardanaz family. I greatly respect the Dalkard patriarch—he’s my role model.”

“Actually… One of the Dalkard boys, Ahsan, almost got done in by a troll.”

“What!? Is he all right!?”

“Yes, fortunately he was unharmed, but since then I’ve been worried the Empire is too indifferent to the threat of trolls…”

Silbas was unconsciously moved by the young magician’s words.

Unlike other magicians who demand funding out of mere personal obsession, this magician’s motivations were so noble!