Episode 770

‘Let’s think about it again later.’

After tying up the black book and sealing it at the bottom of his bag (the book only vibrated, as if this was useless), Lee Han made his way to Blackrock Hall.

Senior Ogoldos, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, waved cheerfully at Lee Han.

“Wardanaz. Good to see you.”

“It’s been a while, senior. You look tired, did something happen?”

“It’s nothing. I’ve just been worried about black magic items that might actually sell.”

“!”

It looked like Ogoldos had been up all night thinking about it; dark circles showed under his eyes.

After pondering whether to say it or not, Ogoldos spoke up at last.

“Wardanaz. I respect where you’re coming from…”

“?”

“But black magic just isn’t profitable. Don’t push yourself.”

“……”

From the very start, Lee Han was dumbfounded by his senior’s ruthless encouragement.

“Don’t you have to try to know for sure?”

“Sometimes there are things you can know without trying. Like which way the sun rises, or how evil the principal is… Black magic just feels like that too.”

With this, Ogoldos finished and entered Blackrock Hall. His slumping shoulders looked especially narrow and frail from behind.

Cough “Wardanaz-kun.”

This time, Professor Mortum approached. Lee Han bowed politely.

“Hello, Professor. Thank you for agreeing to help.”

“Agreeing to help…”

Professor Mortum pondered.

The disciple in front of him had petitioned to gather not only the black magic school’s seniors but even the professors to brainstorm about magic.

Professor Mortum had wanted to refuse out of laziness and fatigue, but the disciple wouldn’t stop persuading him.

-If you keep refusing, I’ll send a letter to the principal!

-…!

Cough “Can you even call that a request?”

“Pardon?”

“No, nothing.”

Direte only started threatening Professor Mortum in his fourth year, but here was a Wardanaz boy learning the art as a second-year already.

Professor Mortum suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Could he be raising a dragon’s chick without realizing it?

“By the way. Cough Wardanaz-kun.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“I respect your enthusiasm, but black magic just isn’t profitable. Don’t push yourself.”

“……”

Lee Han was dumbfounded by Professor Mortum’s back as he walked into Blackrock Hall.

What kind of start is this…!

• * *

In fact, the black magic school at Einrogard had not failed to try ways of making money.

Flesh Golem

-Attempted to sell at 30% less than Einrogard’s standard golem price.

-Initially sold five, but then continuous complaints about bad smell and hideous appearance.

-Eventually discontinued due to poor sales.

Skeleton Legion

-Formed contracts with undead and commanded them to assist buyers.

-While black magicians felt little aversion, regular magicians were turned off and the undead began rebelling.

-Had to compensate buyers and discontinue.

Ahraak’s Deadly Poison Series

-Attempted to sell various strong Ahraak poisons.

-It was the most successful, but buyers complained about excessive price.

-Eventually discontinued due to poor sales…

Results like these were typical: products from the black magic school were too grotesque and smelly to sell, or just too expensive and failed.

Agdung pulled out his prepared presentation with effort.

“I think more powerful, high-end black magic will drive sales. Unlike outside, Einrogard students can make most normal things themselves. We need to sell something more powerful, more rare.”

“Oh…”

“What I’ve been researching is -Ahraak’s Prussian Blue Poison-, and this poison is sure to be popular among magicians. Think of its power!”

The students’ faces lit up at their Kalarogard senior’s proposal.

As a famous poison master among black magicians of the past empire, Ahraak’s poison series had even enjoyed some popularity among Einrogard students.

If they could manufacture and sell the most powerful poison, -Ahraak’s Prussian Blue Poison-?

“Last time, we couldn’t make the blue venom due to lack of ingredients. Maybe this time will be different.”

“This really might sell…”

Cough “You’re wrong.”

Professor Mortum interjected.

Agdung, a little flustered, replied:

“I’m wrong?”

“It’s just not written in the records, but we tried to make and sell the blue venom back then too. Cough The ingredients were so hard to get, we tried to find buyers first.”

“And? How many buyers?”

“Zero.”

“…How many?”

Cough “Zero. You’re all deluded. Fools! No matter how good the poison is, only black magicians are amazed… Other students won’t buy it if it’s too expensive.”

The black mage students thought better poisons would be appreciated by other students, but in reality, regular students couldn’t tell much of a difference—and certainly not at a higher price.

Maybe they’d buy once out of curiosity, but not at a high price.

“Why wasn’t that in the records?!”

Cough “It was too embarrassing, so they left it out.”

“It’s an old story, so maybe it’d be a little different now…”

Even so, Agdung’s voice shook; he wasn’t too confident.

“It’s fine, senior! It’s on them for not recognizing good poison!”

“Yeah, if you’re selling Prussian Blue Poison at this price, those ungrateful folks!”

The black magic school students grumbled and encouraged Agdung.

Agdung was moved to tears by support from juniors at another school.

“Thank you, everyone. I actually… since even the -Contaminant Cloak- sold, it seemed even non-black magic students at Einrogard really do appreciate black magic’s brilliance.”

“That actually sold?!”

Professor Mortum interrupted his coughing in shock.

To think -Contaminant Cloak- would sell.

That was more shocking than finding a hot new black magic item.

Cough “How did that even happen!?”

“Lee Han sold it, Professor.”

“Gainando, cough, you shouldn’t say he ‘threatened’ them…”

“……”

Lee Han looked at Professor Mortum incredulously.

“I sold it properly, not by threatening.”

“Really? How?”

“There was a contaminant mess on the seventh floor…”

Lee Han explained simply.

He left out the part where the hordes of contaminants happened to gather by chance.

After the explanation, Professor Mortum exclaimed in admiration.

Cough “Indeed! So you made use of the situation. But it’s still strange. They could have just used magic themselves—were there really that many contaminants?”

“…That’s what I thought. Strange, huh.”

“In any case, well done, Wardanaz-kun.”

Professor Mortum sincerely praised him. He thought maybe Lee Han had just forced people to buy, but that kind of resourcefulness deserved praise.

Maybe this young prodigy really would come up with something clever.

Cough “So… what did you prepare?”

“Uh. What I came up with is a defensive item.”

Lee Han revealed a new spell he’d learned from the black book.

Three-circle spell, -Gonadaltes’ Black Magic Cloak-.

While a black magic spell, it had a substantial enchantment component—a magical artifact crafting spell.

Its effect was to defend against and protect from black magic school elements like undead, poison, and curses.

‘This is truly a stable and useful artifact.’

Lee Han had suspected the black book of plotting his murder, but he had to admit the utility of this magic.

Roaming around Einrogard, you ran into undead, curses, and poison more often than you’d expect.

If a cloak could offer solid defense against all that…

…Even students not interested in black magic might be tempted.

Cough “That’s it?”

“Wardanaz, this one seems… a bit boring.”

Not only Professor Mortum, but even Agdung and Ogoldos stared at Lee Han in surprise.

This was just too bland!

“Yes? That’s it.”

“Isn’t it too boring? Will students buy this?”

“Does an artifact really have to be exciting? I think something simple and stable is exactly what will sell…”

A dedicated reader of the Empire’s economic pages, Lee Han was sure of himself. But the black magic seniors’ lukewarm reactions made him waver a little.

Was he missing something obvious?

“I get it!”

Ogoldos yelled in realization.

“Wardanaz, you’re going to spread poison around the school before you sell these cloaks, aren’t you? That must be it!”

“I see. cough Curses and undead too?”

Only then did Professor Mortum look halfway persuaded. Lee Han replied sternly.

“I wasn’t thinking that at all.”

Cough “Not at all??”

“Wardanaz, then this could be a bit risky…”

‘Is it really that risky??’

While Lee Han worried, Agdung backed him up.

“Wait, Professor. Trial and error is the right of every mage. You can’t shut it down before he’s even tried.”

Cough “True. Wardanaz-kun brought the reagents, so there’s no harm in him trying as he wants.”

Professor Mortum agreed to some extent.

There was no reason to stop someone using their own materials. Mages learned by making mistakes.

Cough “Right, let’s go to the workshop then and see how Wardanaz-kun does.”

Ogoldos whispered discreetly to Lee Han.

“Wardanaz, don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t sell. My -Al Azif’s Cursed Bone- hasn’t sold a single one either.”

‘That one not selling is only natural.’

• * *

“……”

“……”

After bringing his first batch to the seventh-floor market and starting to sell, Lee Han resolved:

I will never take economic advice from black magic school magicians again!

“Wh-why did these all sell??”

“Why would something this plain…??”

‘I’m ashamed I doubted myself.’

Lee Han glanced with contempt at the seniors, who were astonished beside him.

Just because it seemed plain by their standards, they assumed it wouldn’t sell.

Surprisingly, the -Gonadaltes’ Black Magic Cloak- sold instantly at the seventh-floor market block (sold under the name -Black Magic School Defense Cloak-).

“I doubt the defensive power is even that strong? This wouldn’t be enough for a high-level undead.”

“Same with poison. There’s a limit to what this could…”

“Seniors.”

Lee Han opened his mouth seriously, determined to rebut the skeptical opinions he’d heard before.

“My magic skills may be lacking compared to you…”

“?”

Agdung looked puzzled but waited for the junior to finish.

“But I know better what will sell and what won’t. It’s not about the greatness of black magic that only seniors realize—a convenient, easy-to-use item is what will actually sell.”

“Th-that can’t be…”

“A plain item like that would…”

Agdung and Ogoldos were shocked at Lee Han’s words.

Could something so plain really sell better than stronger golems, curses, or poisons?

It was hard to believe, but looking at reality before them maybe it was true…

Then students from downstairs hurried up and started relaying urgent news.

-Toxic swamp broke out on the sixth floor!!

-Toxic swamp on the sixth! Toxic swamp on the sixth! Don’t go in there!!

“Ah.”

“Knew it…”

“…What’s with the ‘ah’ and ‘knew it’?”

Lee Han glared at the seniors.