Episode 689

Once the small commotion at the mansion subsided, Lee Han’s group quickly began their preparations.

Thanks to Lady Kraha’s kindness, the time needed to gather supplies in Flaher City was greatly reduced.

At the same time, a few unnecessary supplies were added as well.

-“Who put wizard cards in the silver pot—Gainando, come out!”

-“Why me? It could’ve been someone else!”

“All set? Let’s go! Get moving!”

After a final check, Lee Han climbed up onto the carriage and gave the signal.

Clatter-clatter—

Inside the carriage, his friends were already discussing, with serious expressions, which items among their secured supplies they should prioritize for smuggling into Einrogard.

“Shouldn’t food be our top priority?”

“I think a bit differently. From second year, we can meet upperclassmen. They’ll have more food than us, so food may not be as scarce a resource as it was for first years. Luxury goods like coffee, tea leaves, or sugar may be more valuable for trade.”

“Won’t the seniors share some of their food?”

“I… doubt it.”

“If I were a senior, I wouldn’t give food to juniors.”

“Food and treats are important, but I’m more worried about the classes. I heard that from second year, the lecture difficulty increases and club activities are added. Plus, we have to conduct our own research and secure research funds. Shouldn’t we be preparing?”

“Yoner has a point. We might want to at least bring in outside grimoires, artifacts, or reagents.”

“But magazines or wizard cards could be great trade items for senior students starving for entertainment—”

‘These guys… if only they focused this hard on exam prep.’

Lee Han glanced at his friends a little reproachfully.

Of course, it was good that they were all fully committed, but if only they did this during exam prep…

“Lord Wardanaz, is something bothering you? You look…”

“Haha. I’m just a bit nervous about the new semester starting.”

Lee Han changed the subject, taking a seat.

Siana chimed in with a smile.

“Haha, as if Lord Wardanaz would ever be nervous about something like that. Such jokes!”

“…No, I can be nervous too…”

“Lee Han, what do you think?”

“Hm?”

Deorgyu, who’d been deep in conversation with Ratford, called to Lee Han. Both wore serious faces.

“It’s not something silly, is it? Like which wizard card is best?”

“Would I call you over for that?”

Both looked exasperated.

Gainando flinched at their reaction. Usually, when he got into a debate about things like that with the Blue Dragon Tower crew, he’d call in Lee Han.

“We were actually talking about the seniors.”

Deciding which goods to prioritize for smuggling was important, but more important was which methods to use.

On this point, Lee Han’s friends felt they needed to lean on seniors.

Having tried more methods and knowing more magic, the seniors’ perspective would be far broader.

The question was—which seniors to ask.

Deorgyu wanted to get help from the White Tiger Tower seniors, experts in transformation and enhancement magic, while Ratford wanted the help of skilled thieves from the Black Turtle Tower.

“None of my priest seniors are good smugglers… Sniff.”

‘Isn’t that a good thing?’ thought Nillia, watching Siana pout.

“Hold on.”

Lee Han pulled a rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket. Yoner stared curiously.

“What’s that?”

“A senior gave it to me—says it’s a reference for smuggling.”

“Are you sure it doesn’t say just ‘hang on to this as a reference’—the Shadow Patrol does that sometimes.”

“…That could happen, but this senior’s not like that.”

Lee Han trusted Direte as he answered.

Einrogard seniors could be that way, but not Direte… probably.

Notes on Smuggling (Burn After Reading)

1. Do not trust seniors.
2. Do not work with seniors.
3. Do not trust or work with seniors, ever.

“……”

“……”

“Let’s just do it ourselves…”

“…That’s for the best.”

The students deeply regretted ever having thought so naively.

Come to think of it, no senior would ever help juniors out of pure goodwill, even for a price.

If it was an Einrogard senior, they’d just as soon set up juniors as bait and betray them!

• * *

Granden City, right before another year at Einrogard began, had a different atmosphere than usual.

First off, the professors stood atop the city gates.

“Professor Thunderstep, good day.”

“Oh, Drhumcha, you did well?”

“Yes! I saved up a lot this winter break.”

“Glad all that practice paid off. Go in. Don’t cause trouble.”

Professor Thunderstep yawned from atop the city gate.

Students who’d finished their 1st and 2nd years at Einrogard usually arrived far earlier than the new term’s official start.

It was obviously to get ready for smuggling, but the professors didn’t care.

Even if the students did smuggle, it only annoyed the skeleton principal, not the professors.

It was more important for them to manage Granden City’s magic.

If they let the students rampage unchecked, even the tolerant citizens might add an “Einrogard Students Prohibited” law to the city code.

“Professor Baegrek, how was winter break?”

“I visited a new dueling club.”

“…There are duel clubs left you’re not banned from?!”

Drhumcha walked on, ignoring the professors’ conversation behind him.

He had a meeting spot arranged with his fellow Black Turtle Tower students.

“Drhumcha, over here!”

“You’re all here already.”

“Who’d be late? Only a fool would.”

Second-years moving up to third, the Black Turtle Tower students all wore steely, determined expressions.

Their eyes spoke clearly:

‘We won’t be fooled twice.’

Yes.

These were the students who rushed to Granden after their first year, only to be used as bait by upperclassmen and learn a bitter lesson.

—Hey, are you all Einrogard first-years?

—Yes. Are you by chance a senior…

—That’s right! By the way, do you know about smuggling at Einrogard?

—Smuggling…?

—Well, there’s this tradition at Einrogard…

—What?! We aren’t ready for that at all.

—Don’t worry, just join up with our group. How about it?

—Th-thank you!

At first, they were touched by the seniors’ kindness and thought, ‘So there’s trust and goodwill even in Einrogard, as grim as it is.’

But they were wrong.

The friendliest-seeming senior was the most dangerous.

Once past the gates, Drhumcha and his friends’ luggage suddenly turned into gargoyles and attacked the principal and his minions.

In the chaos, the seniors swiftly smuggled in their goods!

Drhumcha and friends learned a priceless lesson from that ordeal.

And they were determined to pass that lesson on to this year’s juniors.

“You know, Drhumcha? You have to approach first.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Drhumcha nodded.

They weren’t the only group aiming to use unsuspecting freshmen as bait.

There were at least two or three other groups lurking nearby.

If they wanted to beat the competition, they had to move fast and win their trust first.

Thankfully, Drhumcha had a weapon of his own.

As a dwarf, his face had the stubborn, honest look of a true artisan. He radiated the sense that he’d never lie.

One time, a senior even mistook him for a guild smith and lost money on a commission.

This kind of image was particularly effective on other races.

“Wait and see. I’ll—”

“Drhumcha! There!”

“!”

The students’ eyes widened and sparkled.

Up ahead, a group of students walked toward them.

Anyone could see they were Einrogard mages, but their faces were young and unfamiliar.

They had to be the new second-years.

‘Huh?’

Drhumcha felt something off.

The makeup of the first-years was strange.

They looked like Blue Dragon Tower, Phoenix Tower, White Tiger Tower, Black Turtle Tower…

Could they be mixed together? That’d never happen. Why would students from different towers hang out together?

“Drhumcha! Hurry!”

“Okay, coming!”

Drhumcha cleared his throat and rushed forward.

“Wait, are you all Einrogard students?”

“Are you a senior?”

“I’m not suspicious or anything… Uh, wait, how did you know I’m your senior?”

Drhumcha was confused by the aristocratic, statue-like boy’s words.

Normally, the response would be, “Who are you?” or “Are you the principal’s minion?! Dammit!”

“You look like an Einrogard student, so you’re definitely a senior to me.”

“…Oh… impressive. Yes.”

Drhumcha introduced himself. Lee Han did too.

“I’m Lee Han of House Wardanaz.”

“From which House?”

“House Wardanaz.”

It was noisy, so it was hard to catch, but the name hardly mattered to Drhumcha, so he nodded along.

‘Must be a Blue Dragon Tower student. Easier to trick.’

“Come along. There’s something important.”

“What is it…?”

“A secret of Einrogard!”

Drhumcha led Lee Han to “Every Trick In The Book Inn.”

It was tucked away in a dark, gloomy spot—its windows shuttered even at midday, making it popular among Einrogard students.

“…So…smuggling…Einrogard tradition…”

“…Wha…we don’t…what will we do…”

“…not too late…”

“…Thank…you…”

After an hour of conversation, Drhumcha was convinced he had his junior completely on the hook.

“Thank you, Senior Drhumcha! Meeting you is the luckiest day of my life!”

“It’s nothing. It’s your fortune to take advice—some never do, even when given.”

Drhumcha played the part of a fake master artisan to perfection.

“So we’ll meet at the agreed spot on the day school opens!”

Lee Han nodded, then stared pointedly at a pile of bags in the corner of the inn.

That made Drhumcha twitch.

Some of that pile was actually bonedust parrots in disguise, ready to transform on command and scream, “Skeleton principal is a moron!” to stir up chaos.

Naturally, they couldn’t put those in Drhumcha’s own group’s bags; they were for the freshmen’s pile.

To have a junior staring at that made even Drhumcha uneasy.

“…What is it?”

“You’re all done with preparations already. Truly admirable.”

“Y-yes, well. You’ll get better prepared with experience.”

“Truly inspiring, impressive, moving!”

“It’s nothing.”

Drhumcha sent Lee Han off feeling proud.

‘…Is this guy really Blue Dragon Tower? He’s too polite for that…’

• * *

“What’s Lee Han doing now?”

“Said he was memorizing and analyzing seniors’ magic.”

“I see.”

Gainando stuffed wizard cards into his bag and turned away. Siana asked in exasperation,

“Aren’t you even a little surprised?”

Siana was shocked to realize that Lee Han was memorizing and analyzing magic he’d just seen on the spot.

How was that possible?

But Gainando just looked puzzled.

“Eh? He failed?”

“No, he didn’t, but…”

“Then what’s surprising?”

From inside, Lee Han’s voice rang out: “All done!”