Episode 718
by Cristae“You can always sleep later.”
Despite the senior’s concern, Lee Han’s eyes burned with club enthusiasm.
Instinctively, Sevios took a step back.
“…We found all the books for tonight. Not overdoing it is crucial too. Push too hard and you’ll make mistakes.”
“This is nothing, really.”
Lee Han was about to brag about his longest sleepless streak, but Sevios cut him off with a raised hand.
“And don’t get greedy for the money. You’ll have more chances to make good coin later. This, I’m paying personally. I don’t have much.”
‘What a load of nonsense.’
Lee Han scoffed internally.
Right now, Sevios was only second to Gainando’s mother as the richest person he knew.
Who just hands out gold coins to underclassmen like this?
“If you want real money, put your energy into the kitchen or masons clubs. They’re far more stable, and the income’s better.”
Afraid his junior might get addictively hooked after his first taste of success, Sevios spoke firmly.
Most “moving jobs” ended with no profit at all.
If you made a killing once, you had to moderate your spending afterwards—not get your hopes up.
The Teleportation Club’s true advantage was rare items and materials, not steady coin income—those clubs were the kitchen and masons clubs.
Listening, Lee Han suddenly grew curious.
“But even so, senior, I can’t believe the kitchen club really makes that much.”
“Volume, kid. Sell enough at a single silver a meal, and it’s a chunk.”
“Wait. For a silver…”
“What are you talking about?”
Lee Han started doing the math, but Sevios looked at him like he was insane.
“?”
“It’s a gold per meal. Always has been, always will be—a gold for a meal.”
“……”
Lee Han felt more terror at Einrogard’s prices than from any ancient magic the skeleton principal ever used.
“Th-that’s insane. How can you get away with that? Don’t they get attacked?!”
Surprisingly, Sevios was the one who looked perturbed.
“Calm down. I keep forgetting you’re just a new second-year. A gold per meal is cheap at Einrogard. The kitchen club guys actually have standards to keep it that low.”
“Standards? What, the standard of grabbing all the gold they want?”
“You got a grudge against the kitchen club or something?”
In Einrogard, everything was scarce, and research materials cost a fortune.
Also, Einrogard mages were so famous as to command huge pay for side jobs.
Put all that together, and you get…
-Please! My artificially-bred Hellfire Steer is starving. I just need two soul-forged shackles!
-Sure, I’ll trade for twenty gold.
-You’re insane! I could get those for three imperial silver outside!
-Right. And the mistletoe you sold me goes for one and a half outside. So now it’s twenty-five gold.
-Nngh! FINE!
Prices always went sky-high, and club work was supposed to cover it.
Some kitchen club members even grumbled, “We should charge more…”
‘At this rate, my entire fortune would get wiped out in two months here!’
Lee Han felt a bigger urge to flee than ever.
“Hard to believe.”
“You’ll adjust. You earn more, you spend more.”
“Do they do credit? Repay once you’re outside…?”
Sevios looked at him like he was the dumbest person alive.
Any student who’d spent at least one more year here knew—nobody keeps Einrogard deals outside.
“…I see. Sorry.”
“Yeah. That was odd even for you.”
With a heavy heart, Lee Han headed to Blue Dragon Tower.
He’d never imagined the clubs were getting away with this kind of price-gouging.
‘This place is truly terrifying.’
The very idea of charging a gold for something he’d sold for one silver gave him shivers.
Not even a demon duke would dare dream of such a scheme.
“Uh… Hello!”
“Oh, hello—”
Lee Han started to wave to a Blue Dragon Tower student by the woods, but then shivered.
He sensed something was off.
‘Doesn’t seem like a senior. If he were my peer, I’d know him. Which means…?’
A quick check confirmed—the other was a first-year.
‘Damn!’
Club stress and shock over prices had dulled his guard.
“…Hello. Uh, I’m Gainando of Black Turtle Tower, first-year!”
But Lee Han had too many skills and too much experience to panic.
He slipped into “first-year mode.”
If the other student didn’t notice, neither would the principal.
“Black Turtle Tower!”
“What, are you looking down on me for my status?”
“N-no! I didn’t mean anything like that!”
The Blue Dragon Tower frosh quailed, hands up. Lee Han nodded, thinking his disguise had worked.
“You seem alright. Yeah, you’re different from those Blue Dragon kids.”
“Uh, thanks? But you’re awfully relaxed, considering it’s night…”
‘Oops.’
Lee Han realized his slip—he’d gotten too thrown by Einrogard’s prices.
“Any fear, I just don’t show it. In Black Turtle Tower, acting scared gets you killed.”
“WHAT?!”
“What’s your house?”
“I’m Arman of House Dalkard.”
“!”
He was related to Ahsan. Lee Han decided to pry carefully.
“You know Ahsan?”
“Oh, sure! He’s my cousin. …Why didn’t he tell me what this place is really like?”
Arman looked gloomy and betrayed.
“…Probably the principal’s secrecy ban. Did you see him cast that spell at orientation?”
“Yeah. Ate someone.”
“…?”
The principal made a new spectacle for freshmen every year.
Suppressing a shudder, Lee Han kept up the act.
“That’s the kind of guy he is. No way he’d let upperclassmen spill the secrets.”
“Maybe… Maybe some kind of vow was involved.”
“Exactly.”
“Ahsan told me Einrogard was great, that it had hot meals and a soft bed… even sang a song.”
“…Let’s just say that’s accurate enough.”
Lee Han resolved that next time he saw Ahsan, he’d give him a piece of his mind for tormenting cousins like that.
“You know the Blue Dragon Tower layout? I’m lost—snuck out to find food.”
“I’ll show you. But why sneak out?”
“I was hungry. I heard the students here boil their own boots for soup!”
“I actually tried that.”
Trying humor, Lee Han was stunned when Arman answered seriously.
It hadn’t even been a week!
“Not much—but Alihidle said if I was going to spend time cooking, I should study, or fail first-year.”
“You don’t usually fail first year… Wait, who? Alihidle? From House Pengerine?”
“You know a lot of family names, huh?”
“Bit of a hobby.”
Lee Han recalled the Pengerine prodigy he’d met at winter break.
A formidable kid, if not for Lee Han’s own undermining.
‘Now I just feel guilty.’
“What’s Alihidle like? Rude?”
“Huh? No, very modest. Oh, you heard the rumors too? I’d heard Alihidle was arrogant, but they’re not! Just a hard worker who’s always studying.”
Arman’s stomach growled. Lee Han, feeling sorry for him, handed over bread, cheese, and ham.
“Here.”
“Wha-… How?!”
“Bit of burglary back at Black Turtle Tower. Try it sometime.”
“Gainando… You’re like an angel! Even a priest couldn’t match this kindness!”
Clutching the food, Arman nearly wept. The thought of sharing gave him hope.
Lee Han looked on, feeling pity.
“So, was it Eandurde who filched it?”
“Huh?”
“Eandurde. Your Tower’s boss.”
“……”
Surprised to hear a name, Lee Han pondered how Eandurde had already become notorious.
“I can’t say.”
“Yeah, Eandurde’s scary. Even a White Tiger Tower kid and our Tower’s friend…”
‘What the hell did he do?’
“Gainando—if Eandurde tries to kill you, run to Blue Dragon Tower. I’ll get you in.”
“Th-thanks, Arman. But I’d be careful inviting people from other towers.”
At Blue Dragon Tower, Lee Han let the new student in and sighed.
‘How many more kids have to inherit this pain?’
But that aside, Lee Han still had his own Einrogard life to live.
At dawn, he entered Professor Voladi’s classroom and called out:
“Professor. I want to learn something.”
“!”
Voladi looked up, surprised at his student’s eager cry.
A prodigy always zealous for new battle magic—still, this level of hunger was new, even for the past or future.
“What is it?”
“I want to avoid underclassmen!”
“I see.”
Voladi understood immediately.
The principal had already gleefully spread the word:
—If Wardanaz talks to a first-year, punishment room! If Wardanaz talks to a first-year, punishment room!
—Enough, Principal.
“You’ll need it, then.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
Lee Han congratulated himself on his plan.
A way to dodge year-ones and a new spell under Voladi; one less week of headaches…
“The magic to make yourself forgotten—even the principal uses—is…”
“Uh, Professor? Any way to make it a little simpler?”
Voladi’s thoughtful silence filled Lee Han with foreboding.
‘Should I have asked another professor…?’