Episode 845

Episode 845

Lee Han was flustered by such a ridiculously random accusation.

He was told that he hadn’t seen any second-year students because of himself, and that he hadn’t been able to collect staffs because of it.

What on earth was that supposed to mean?

‘Is this person insane?’

Well, there were always a lot of insane people in Einrogard to begin with.

Lee Han tried to remain calm and attempted to converse.

“What do you mean you couldn’t see the second-years because of me? And what’s this about staff collecting?”

“Do you know what my job is?”

“Isn’t it guarding the kitchen?”

Unless another meaning had been added to the word kitchen guard in the meantime, there was nothing else it could be.

“You got it half right. The other half is exchanging food with students.”

“!!!”

Lee Han was truly surprised to hear about such a humanitarian role existing in Einrogard for the first time.

“What? There’s such a role in Einrogard? Why haven’t I ever seen you?”

“……”

The kitchen guard glared with an even harsher and more brusque look than before.

And then spat out bluntly.

“You never saw me because you never lacked for anything.”

“Excuse me?”

“To meet me, you have to be truly in poverty. Your stomach must be stuck to your back, desperate enough to sell even a staff for a can of food. You shouldn’t care about being sent to the punishment room if you can raid the kitchen.”

The more Lee Han listened, the more he was surprised.

He thought to himself.

‘So this person only appears in front of truly starving students?’

The idea that someone would appear in front of a student so starved that they’d get caught raiding the kitchen…

It was a quirky and picky condition for appearing, but by Einrogard standards, it was rather ordinary.

‘But if I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered to save up so much food?’

Lee Han said regretfully,

“That’s a shame. If I had thrown out more, my friends and I could have received food.”

“What do you mean, receive?”

“You give out food, don’t you?”

“I said it’s an exchange.”

“……”

Only then did Lee Han come to his senses.

Come to think of it, it was odd.

There was no way the skeletal headmaster’s subordinate would appear only to donate food to starving students.

“…So what do you have to do to get food? Do you have us run errands or something?”

“You overestimate students. Do your errands have that much value? I only accept magic items.”

The kitchen guard never gave out food for free. They only gave it in exchange for magic-related gear.

From the magic staffs students had received, to small cauldrons or pots for alchemy, to cloaks and hats, and so on.

Starving students had to snatch even a friend’s staff to barter.

‘Is that why the first-year juniors were missing their staffs…!’

Lee Han realized the truth and was aghast.

At first, he’d thought the first-year students of the Black Turtle Tower were collecting staffs to commemorate victory and show off.

But the students of the Black Turtle Tower were struggling just as much, with no room for such leisure. They had to have a source of food to be gathering such things.

Making poor and needy students steal from one another…

“Why do you only accept things like that?”

*Because the master ordered it.”

‘Ah.’

About to get angry, Lee Han immediately understood.

If the skeletal headmaster ordered it, there was nothing to be surprised about. He understood all too well.

“Last year, the master berated me for having no results. It was because of you.”

“No… So even when there’s food, I’m supposed to ignore it on purpose?”

“You could just eat by yourself. Why did you have to share with your friends? Because of you.”

“So you refuse to give food even when your friends are starving?”

“I’ll concede a hundred times and say it’s okay to share with your friends. But why give it to the whole student body? This is definitely because of you.”

“……”

At the kitchen guard’s words, Lee Han was slightly at a loss for words.

Strangely, hearing it out, it did seem like feeding the whole student body was a bit much…?

“Wait.”

The duke, who had been listening from behind, interrupted in confusion.

“What, prisoner.”

“…Don’t you know who I am?”

“I do. You’re the idiot who got caught trying to steal the master’s treasure.”

The kitchen guard spat brusquely.

Duke Ikaldoren’s face flushed red at those words, but he didn’t shout back.

He had already learned the hard way that getting angry at the skeletal headmaster’s henchman in the Empire’s customary manner was pointless.

“Enough of that. Isn’t this the Magistrate’s disciple? And you’re the Magistrate’s henchman. Is it okay for a henchman to act so rude to the disciple?”

The duke sternly pointed out etiquette.

Lee Han, listening to this, couldn’t help but point out the absurdity.

“What nonsense… Your Highness. I’m not a disciple…”

However, the kitchen guard, upon hearing this, began to hesitate and then bowed his head deeply.

“My apologies. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“…No. Why are you apologizing! I’m just a student!”

When the kitchen guard suddenly bowed his head, Lee Han felt even more frustrated.

What was with this guy?

Yet, regardless of whether Lee Han got angry or not, it seemed the kitchen guard had made up his mind. He kept his head bowed and maintained his politeness.

Come to think of it, no matter how annoyed he was, being rude to the Magistrate’s disciple wasn’t a good idea.

Even if his anger was satisfied for now, a hundred or a thousand times more vengeance could come any moment.

Even as Lee Han flared up, telling him to stop, the kitchen guard endured to the end.

“…Let’s just stop. So, kitchen guard, why did you come here? I’m not hungry, and I have no intention of exchanging any staffs.”

“It’s not because of Lord Wardanaz. I’m here because of that idiot back there.”

“Because of His Highness?”

“Yes. He called for me.”

The kitchen guard drew a small brass bell from his belt. The bell made a clear sound as it swung outward.

“It’s not ringing now because that idiot is full, but originally it rang in this direction.”

The -Bell of Hunger- the kitchen guard possessed was an artifact that detected the starving within Einrogard’s domain.

When someone was so famished that their soul screamed, the bell would sense their location and resonate in that direction.

Using this artifact, the kitchen guard pried staffs and magic items from students, and sometimes rescued those starving to death in remote areas of the territory.

Upon hearing the explanation, Duke Ikaldoren’s face turned red again.

He hadn’t thought the kitchen guard was here because of him.

“I… I wasn’t that hungry…”

“Would the silent bell lie? You idiot. Magic does not lie.”

“…You insolent rascal…!”

The duke was enraged, but there was nothing he could do from inside the bars. The kitchen guard quietly put the bell away.

“If you’re not hungry or looking to barter, I’ll be leaving. Lord Wardanaz, please forgive today’s rudeness.”

“No, I’m fine. Come to think of it, isn’t the Headmaster the one at fault?”

“!?”

The duke, listening in the back, was stunned.

He hadn’t thought someone would dare criticize the master so openly.

‘Can he do that?’

When Lee Han said that, the kitchen guard bowed even lower, as if grateful, and turned away.

“Wait!”

“?”

“??”

It was the duke who called out to the kitchen guard. Lee Han and the kitchen guard looked at him in puzzlement.

“…Ah, no. Since you mentioned exchanging food. So. What can I offer?”

“……”

Under Lee Han’s pitying gaze, the duke felt a shame as if his soul had been stripped bare.

If only he’d been looked at with contempt instead, it wouldn’t have felt so humiliating.

“First, I have to check what you have to offer.”

“…Do you see this ring? With this ring alone, you could buy a whole fortress.”

Duke Ikaldoren extended his finger and held the ring under the light.

Eighteen gemstones, intricately cut, shone brilliantly. It was obviously an expensive work of art. But the kitchen guard shook his head.

“That won’t do.”

“What!? Why not!”

“As I said, I only take magic items. There’s no magic on it.”

“With this, you could buy dozens of magic items!”

“Take it up with the master, idiot.”

No matter what was said, the kitchen guard wouldn’t budge. The duke beat his chest in frustration and shouted to Lee Han.

“Fine, boy! You can trade for me, then. Barter your magic items for it!”

“No, that’s a bit…”

“Why not!!”

When Lee Han refused too, the duke stared with bloodshot eyes, unable to understand.

“This is just… too expensive. I’d feel guilty trading my cheap magic items for such a thing.”

Even Lee Han, who was obsessed with collecting imperial gold coins, worried about the consequences of such a big scam.

Sure, now the duke was starving and desperate to trade a ring for a pair of magic leather boots, but what if he changed his mind once outside?

“I said I’m fine! Me!!”

From inside the bars, the duke raged, begging to sell off a family heirloom as junk.

The kitchen guard spun a finger at his temple.

“Do it. The idiot’s completely lost it.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“Sorry.”

“And don’t use honorifics with me.”

Then the kitchen guard closed his mouth entirely. Lee Han wanted to hit him.

“Your Highness. Let’s do it this way. I’ll just give you a few magic items.”

Even last year, Lee Han had considered enchanting portable leather water bottles to sell.

There were still a few cheap magic items, made while helping Professor Verdus or as class practice, left in his backpack.

The duke, unable to understand, asked,

“You’re just giving them? Then… what do you get?”

“Just pay me back when we get outside.”

“……”

Tears streamed down Duke Ikaldoren’s cheeks.

It was the first kind word he’d heard since being dragged to Einrogard.

“…Ugh. Ughh!”

“Y-Your Highness. Did I say something wrong?”

“No… no. Thank you. Thank you! I… I’ll definitely repay you.”

The duke, forgetting his age and dignity, wept loudly as he promised.

He felt so sorry in his heart for having doubted and guarded against this boy for being the Magistrate’s disciple.

How could he have insulted such a kind-hearted boy?

“When I get out, I’ll make sure to support you.”

‘Hmm. If I asked him to write just a few more sponsorship agreements, that’d be too scummy, huh.’

Lee Han was a little regretful inside.

He just couldn’t bring himself to ask for “a few more research sponsorship letters” in front of someone crying this hard.

• * *

The duke, having obtained a week’s worth of food from the kitchen guard, hid it carefully in the corner of the cell. He went so far with the disguise that Lee Han had to cast an illusion spell for him.

Yukveltire wasn’t the kind to steal such things, but the duke no longer trusted anyone.

Especially not royalty.

-Your Highness, Senior Yukveltire has no interest in cooking or food, so she won’t take your supplies…

-No! I don’t trust her. Who knows what that princess might do!

-…I-I understand. But please don’t worry too much. She’s just busy right now. She’ll check on you soon to see if you’re uncomfortable.

-N-no! Please. Please tell her not to come anymore!

-No… We need to visit periodically. What if you need something?

-You come instead! Please, please!!

-…I-I’ll try.