Episode 712
by CristaeUnaware that a battle-hardened, killer junior he’d trained was glaring at him, Sevios went on.
“You know, right now, the other clubs are fighting to recruit you. If we didn’t, they’d hang me from a rack. Actually, no, they’d subject me to the ‘bookshelf punishment.'”
“Bookshelf… Like a bookshelf desk, or a drawer or something?”
“No, not that. Bookshelf Punishment. You know—like hanging or beheading. It’s what our club does.”
“……”
Lee Han decided not to ask for further details.
He doubted he’d like the answer anyway.
“We’re together for the same reason, but everyone in the club thinks differently. I don’t force things. Do it if it feels right.”
Gruff and indifferent as the words seemed, Lee Han reflected that Sevios might actually be the most decent sort at Einrogard.
It’s rare for a mage to say ‘do it if you want, or not’ instead of the usual ‘do it if you want—my way.’
Seeing Sevios take the “just join, and do what you want” approach was highly unusual and welcome.
Freed from the anxiety of being press-ganged into a club, Lee Han’s curiosity returned.
‘I should actually do some club activities.’
Students at Einrogard didn’t have the time for clubs just for fun.
Maybe a few did, but for most it was about goals—and gold.
The cost for research as soon as you hit grade 2 shot way up. You couldn’t just loaf like in first year.
Even as a new second-year, Lee Han and his friends almost never saw their seniors—not because of the ban, but because upperclassmen were so busy.
He’d even seen seniors heading out bundled up for the glaciers before dawn.
‘I wonder how lucrative the library club is?’
“Senior, you said you fetch books for a fee.”
“That’s right.”
“Can you explain a bit more how it works?”
“You’ll get a better explanation from other members once we’re there.”
Grumbling, Sevios explained anyway.
“We take requests for books or sell copies from our catalog. The club has several locations. One on the seventh floor, another near the library… All the base camps are inside the library.”
Lee Han refrained from asking “base camps inside the library?” like some amateur.
He just nodded quietly.
“You see the club board has jobs—just pick a job and work with members you like and split the gold. Same for books you bring in. Just don’t undersell or overcharge.”
“You can’t overcharge?”
Lee Han was surprised.
Banning underselling made sense—no club wants newbies crashing prices and cutting everyone’s income.
But banning overcharging?
“The idea is to ask a fair price, so people can actually buy books. It’s not about blocking them.”
“Nice principle.”
“Not my line—the chair’s.”
Gruff as Sevios was, he spoke with real respect for the club president.
‘I wonder what kind of person they are?’
“What’s the club president—”
“Oh, Ilreg senior.”
In the distance, a giant spectacled bearfolk appeared.
Wearing a priestly robe, the man’s gentle impression was at odds with a body that looked likely to burst through the fabric.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen. The bearfolk approached warmly.
“Sevios. Good to see you. Doing well?”
“Yes, senior. How about you? No one attacked you, right?”
“Nobody attacks Phoenix Tower priests much.”
Ilreg boomed with laughter, but Sevios was plain-spoken as ever.
“Some of the crazies will, even if you are Phoenix Tower.”
“Maybe, but not if you’re fifth year.”
“……”
The conversation sobered. Ilreg turned to Lee Han.
“Greetings. I’m Ilreg of the Chaegla family, a priest of the Shisenza Order and a fifth-year.”
“This is the junior I was talking about.”
“Oh, this is the one?”
“……”
Lee Han wondered why “this junior” and “that junior” worked so well as identifiers.
‘Probably not a positive sign.’
“Welcome, Wardanaz. Look around as much as you want. I don’t want to force membership, but can’t speak for the others.”
“Sevios is already giving me the rundown.”
“If he’s explaining, you’re in good hands. By the way, want to see some of the action?”
“I’d appreciate that, thanks…”
Never look ungrateful when a senior is generous—it makes everything smoother in the future.
Ilreg and Sevios led him to a stone marker a little east of the library entrance and tapped it with their wands.
With a rumble, the ground beneath the stone split open.
“There was a place like this?”
“Only club members would know.”
“So I can’t go in yet?”
“You’re already signed up. All the clubs probably have you on the books by now.”
“……”
Lee Han hadn’t known, but the official clubs had already registered all the candidates.
The current “war” wasn’t to sign people, but to force others to let go.
With a slightly gloomier look, Lee Han followed the seniors down into the basement.
-KYAAAAAAH! GYAAAAAAH!
‘?’
A monstrous wailing made Lee Han pause.
“Did a monster get in?”
“Would it be so quiet if it had?”
Sevios looked at him like he was nuts.
“That’s probably just a book, Wardanaz.”
“…Excuse me?”
Ilreg didn’t have to explain further. As they finished descending, a book flailed at the center of the huge underground chamber.
Trapped in a web of eight magic circles, the tome was shrieking and raging.
-I’ll kill you! You filthy wizards!
“Better drain it more.”
“What if the writing goes blurry?”
“Don’t worry, this one recovers. Do it.”
Splurt!
A mage stabbed the book, which spurted blood.
“You, -Five Summonings of Gigolvier-, surrender! Allow your contents to be read!”
-KYAAGH! GYAAAAAAH!
Despite all the magicians’ sincere pleas, the book would not surrender.
It rammed the binding, curses flying—
The letters faded and the illustrations distorted. Ilreg frowned with regret.
“Let me help, everyone. Just this once—is that all right?”
“Chief, that’s—”
But before the words were finished, Ilreg stepped right into the circle.
Lee Han was alarmed.
“Isn’t that risky?!”
Stepping into a binding like that was madness—unless you had immense magical power.
Without that, you’d never try.
“It is. But Ilreg is different. Keep watching.”
Unfazed, Sevios stayed put.
The moment Ilreg stepped onto the array, its power clamped down. It was a sealing magic that bound anything indiscriminately.
Ilreg cast a spell. It was sacred magic.
‘A defensive holy magic?’
Holy power wrapped Ilreg, fortifying him like a fortress.
Even as the magic hammered him, nothing could stop him. His endurance was impossible to believe.
“…!”
When he got near the center, the book lunged at him.
-You! Mage! I’ll kill you!
“Mr. -Five Summonings of Gigolvier-. My apologies for the rudeness. Would you kindly grant me reading privileges?”
Lee Han was starstruck by such patience, trying to negotiate instead of just subduing—
WHAM!
A shadowy six-legged monster leapt from the book. Its voice shouted with fury.
-No one will ever read me!
Ilreg chanted some magic. Lee Han sensed enhancement magic filling his body.
Thwack!
Ilreg snatched the monster in one hand and shoved it back into the book.
Then, gripping the book in both hands, he slammed it shut. The book tried to break free but couldn’t surpass Ilreg’s sacred magic.
“Mr. -Five Summonings of Gigolvier-. My apologies again. Will you grant permission to read?”
-Grrrr…
“-Five Summonings of Gigolvier-…”
-…Alright…!
At last, the book surrendered and fell silent.
Ilreg checked for damage, then handed the book to the members, grinning.
“All good—our friend here understands.”
“As expected, chief!”
“……”
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if he was in the wrong place.
A spectacled bearfolk priest, covered in gore, cradling a book…
‘…Or maybe this is typical for an Einrogard club.’
Lee Han watched the club members hunt, tame, and manage books before heading out.
The club’s income looked impressive.
-Five Summonings of Gigolvier- alone had a fifty-gold bounty, and the members split the reward gladly.
-The client wants to know if the fee can be reduced—
-Which lunatic would haggle on a book? Is it the soup club?
-Invite them in here, will you?
-They said they’d just pay, never mind!
They might be a little crazy, but Lee Han assumed all the clubs were similar.
“Wardanaz.”
“Ah, Ratford.”
Lee Han greeted his friend—actually, it hadn’t been that long—happily.
“How’s the Black Turtle Tower?”
“Tough and exhausting.”
“That’s not bad, then.”
Ratford nodded, agreeing. Tough and exhausting was as good as it got at Einrogard.
“Wardanaz, have you joined a club?”
“…I guess you could say that. How about you?”
“I joined too. An acquaintance recommended it.”
“!”
Hearing that Ratford had already joined, Lee Han looked at him with curiosity.
“What kind of club? Must be a good one?”
“Want to check it out?”
“…Hang on. It’s official, right?”
If he went off carelessly, he could get kidnapped, so Lee Han checked first.
“No, it’s unofficial.”
“Whew. That’s a relief.”
“Sorry?”
“Nothing. So, what’s it called?”
“The -Teleportation- club.”
‘A spatial magic research club?’