Episode 857

‘Well, since it’s Wardanaz, he must have a plan.’

‘It’d be troublesome if I asked and he got mad for no reason.’

The seniors stayed quietly silent.

It was easy to mistakenly think that the power in the kitchen club lay with Falkrius, but in truth, the kitchen club didn’t work that way.

Power in the kitchen club belonged solely to whoever secured the most ingredients (and was willing to share them).

In that way, Lee Han, who shared his own ingredients and cooked together rather than being cold like Falkrius who didn’t help at all with the juniors’ dishes, naturally held more power.

Let’s not open my mouth first for no reason!

• * *

“Wardanaz. Do you know what you need to be careful of when raiding a herb garden?”

Falkrius asked, watching the junior as he came up the slope.

Lee Han momentarily wondered if this was the teleportation club or the kitchen club, but quickly snapped back.

When you think about it, wasn’t all of Einrogard basically one giant teleportation club?

“You need to check whether the owner is present, right?”

“Heh. That’s a good answer too. But before that, you should first figure out who the owner is.”

Falkrius’s tone carried the seasoned air of a veteran herb garden raider.

The other kitchen club members nodded at his words.

“It’s really important to know who the herb garden belongs to. The ordeal Arlkan of the great Alchemist Meikin family suffered when he entered the Dragon’s herb garden is legendary.”

‘What in the world did Yoner’s ancestor do?’

Lee Han mentally vowed to ask Yoner about it later.

But aside from that, indeed, figuring out who the owner is was crucial.

Basically, it was a fellow magician who cultivated and tended a herb garden.

And no way would such a herb garden be left unguarded when someone was trying to loot it. Depending on the magician, the level of defense was all over the place.

‘And there could be revenge too.’

“In that regard, we already know it’s Professor Thunderstep. You could say we’re at an advantage.”

“What type of owner is Professor Thunderstep?”

“Hm. Stingy and petty, but not someone who sets lethal traps for students.”

“…There are people who set lethal traps?”

“The Headmaster and Professor Verdus.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han understood right away.

Those two certainly seemed the type.

“Still, Professor Thunderstep isn’t the generous type. If you leave any traces, you might get tracked down, so you need to be careful. Falkrius-senior, can we hear the notes about the herb garden?”

Falkrius replayed the testimony given earlier, written on paper by the student.

Notes were good, but it was even more important to have the witness’s own words heard by everyone.

-I was staying on the cliff, and Professor Thunderstep passed by underneath. Professor Thunderstep said, ‘That maniac Bendozol has really gone off the deep end, how is he doing Wardanaz’s chores for him…’?

“……”

“……”

The seniors stared at Lee Han. Lee Han replied calmly.

“Professor Bendozol insisted on doing it himself.”

“…Is… is that so?”

‘Can that happen? I don’t think so.’

-The Professor pulled three wagons and went into a hidden cave below the cliff. Later, after he left, I checked, and it was definitely a herb garden. You could see all sorts of related magic…

“You couldn’t actually look inside?”

“The professor camouflaged the entrance really well, apparently. It would have been hard to break through alone. No need to risk it for a class that’s not even mine. Over there.”

Falkrius pointed below the cliff.

The green terrain, dense with overgrown thickets, looked impenetrably thick at first glance.

But it couldn’t fool the eyes of skilled Einrogard thieves—er, students.

“Clear it out.”

“Yes.”

Some seniors pulled out potion bottles, others waved their staffs.

Jets of flame flew through the air, then, with the power of alchemy, merged into a giant of fire.

The fire giant efficiently sliced and burned away the cliff’s thickets like a farmer harvesting crops. Every swing of its arm sent flames surging and opened up more space.

Lee Han enjoyed the pleasure of not having to do anything for the first time in a while.

‘Coming with the seniors has its perks.’

Normally, he would have done the work of five, but with the seniors, he could just sit back and watch comfortably.

Perhaps because Lee Han was a junior, the seniors didn’t assign him any tasks.

“Should I do something too?”

“Huh? Wardanaz, do you really have to?”

“…Thank you. I’m glad I joined the kitchen club.”

“???”

The member was flustered by the junior who tagged along even though he didn’t have to and now was getting emotional by himself.

What’s up with him?

Fwoosh-!

“Found it! Senior! Over here!”

“Out of the way.”

Falkrius dug through his backpack and pulled out a single boot.

Lee Han looked on curiously.

“What’s that?”

“Professor Thunderstep’s shoe. Makes it easier to track here. Now, show us the owner’s path!”

At Falkrius’s shout, the boot started moving, following the footprints in the ground.

To the seniors, bringing a professor’s boot for this was just standard procedure.

Only Lee Han felt confused inwardly.

‘So you’re just supposed to steal a professor’s shoe beforehand for these things?’

Maybe he should’ve stolen Professor Verdus’s staff in advance too.

With the brush cleared and the exact footprints found, tracking proceeded quickly.

The students whistled as they found the entrance to the hidden cave below the cliff.

“Do we go in?”

“No. Looks like the Professor dug one last trap. What a pain.”

Falkrius, usually always smiling, frowned at the entrance for the first time in a while.

A very faint scent was wafting subtly out from within.

Thunderstep’s Sinking Water Incense!

Professor Thunderstep was a master alchemist, and especially skilled at combining scents.

Among the kitchen club members there, nearly no one hadn’t fallen victim to Professor Thunderstep’s incense at least once.

“What’s Sinking Water Incense?”

“Just like the name, it’s a scent that sinks you under water. Pretty nasty stuff.”

The moment you inhale the scent, a magician is dragged deep underwater.

It wasn’t just an illusion or confused senses. Your soul actually got yanked to another dimension in an instant.

Plugging your nose wouldn’t help. The scent permeated your skin and spread through all five senses.

“Professor goes around whining about not having any reagents, but he’s got stuff left to make this, huh!”

“Seriously so annoyingly petty!”

The students, who came to raid the herb garden, vented at the professor for the mere crime of being vigilant.

Lee Han, seeing an opening, quietly said,

“Uh, should I try breaking through?”

“Eh, what are you saying? You just take it easy.”

“Hehe. Wardanaz. Don’t worry. It’s tricky, but not impossible. Has anyone here visited the water dimension recently?”

“I did, last week, but unfortunately, I got in a bit of a fight with some mermaids there…”

“Uahaha. Then, definitely not you. Don’t ever go in.”

“Maybe I should break throu—”

Lee Han tried suggesting again, but Falkrius waved a ladle-like hand to stop him.

“No, no. Just relax, Wardanaz.”

“……”

While the junior sat there with an uncomfortable look, the seniors started debating in earnest.

“Should we try making a completely new entrance?”

“It’s too risky if we don’t know what herbs are inside. If they get damaged, that’s missing the point.”

“How about we just break in the night before the exam? Even if the herbs get damaged, then at least we wouldn’t have to take the exam.”

“That’s a big gamble. Maybe we can bribe the water-dimension folk? We’ll have to negotiate.”

“Ah. Those guys are probably going to ask for pearls again. Why do they only like expensive things? Why not just take seashells? …Wardanaz! Hey!”

As the seniors’ conversation dragged on, Lee Han darted forward.

As Thunderstep’s Sinking Water Incense soaked through his body, his soul nearly got swept off to another dimension—but limitless magic stabilized his soul and forced the scent back.

Having pierced through in a flash, Lee Han swung his black iron staff and erased the effect of the incense.

The seniors, arriving late, were shocked at the sight.

‘So this is why he came along!’

‘A true genius really is different…!’

“W-Wardanaz. Did you come along just for this?”

Even Falkrius stuttered a bit in surprise. Lee Han, not understanding, asked,

“Sorry? What do you mean, just for this…?”

“Heh. Never mind! In any case, thanks for opening it. This was supposed to be our job, but having a clever junior is so convenient.”

Falkrius laughed heartily.

Other kitchen club members joined in.

“Right. It’s so easy thanks to Wardanaz bringing food for us, too.”

At that, Falkrius instantly stopped smiling and turned serious.

“Not for that reason.”

“S-sorry.”

You should feel shame, not laugh, when you accept your junior’s food for your own comfort.

“Anyway, let’s go in. Follow me. That’s… Nefertem. Damn. Everyone, step back.”

“!”

Blue lotus-like flowers nestled on a pond inside the cave.

They looked like water lilies on the outside but radiated a purity and clarity of magic rarely found.

Falkrius was extremely careful, lest he get too close and contaminate the area.

Nefertem was a plant exceptionally vulnerable to contamination, so one had to be very careful from cultivation to harvest.

“This one’s for the second-year exam.”

“Right.”

Hearing the seniors talk, Lee Han asked curiously,

“How do you know? Did you guys also take an exam using Nefertem?”

“Huh? Nope.”

The senior pointed to the side with a finger.

Professor Thunderstep had stuck a placard there.

Nefertem (Vulnerable to contamination, handle with care, for 2nd-year exam use)

Lee Han shivered at the Professor’s unexpected kindness.

“…So do I just harvest this? Lucky.”

“Not quite.”

“?”

“If the exam were just about getting this, the Professor wouldn’t have raised it with so much care. He’d just tell you to find some. This is, quite rarely… a test where the Professor gives you the ingredient.”

“!”

Lee Han was shocked.

Professor Thunderstep giving out reagents as part of an exam?

“Is that true?!”

Shouting in surprise, Lee Han paused a moment.

‘Maybe this isn’t even that surprising after all.’

Originally, maybe the Professor was supposed to give what was needed for the exam.

Really, Professor Thunderstep was just weird…

“Sometimes the Professor provides ingredients. Very rarely. The problem is…”

The seniors looked at Lee Han with pity.

“Those tests are way harder. Since the Professor gave you the ingredients, he sees no reason not to make it tough.”

‘This is just nonsense.’

Lee Han cussed inside, but couldn’t refute the seniors’ words.

Knowing Professor Thunderstep, since he prepared the ingredient himself, he’d definitely raise the difficulty to not waste the effort.

‘Why suddenly raise the difficulty? It’s not like the second-years are unusually smart or anything.’

Lee Han didn’t realize he’d unintentionally landed on the right answer and wondered about it.

“Don’t worry too much, though. We’ll sort out which potions are likely to use Nefertem and tell you. Focus on those for your studies.”

“Right. Honestly, you didn’t even need to come along today.”

“?”

Lee Han realized the source of the weird feeling he’d had since earlier.

No way…?

“…Was I not actually supposed to come along today?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“……”