Episode 868

Episode 868

Direte, who was about to have a spirit draw a picture, suddenly remembered something.

“But Junior.”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say last time that you negotiated with Professor Verdus and received a key?”

“It would be even better if we just break it, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

“Senior. I was joking.”

“Who would think that’s a joke!”

Direte got angry at the junior who looked awkward with a serious face.

Lee Han explained again.

“I did receive the basement storage key, but those are just storages for materials or reagents. To access the professor’s workshop, we still have to break these golems.”

“I see.”

Direte nodded, but he felt a lingering doubt in his heart.

Did the junior’s key really not fit the first basement workshop passage?

• * *

The party arrived in front of Professor Verdus’s workshop on the first basement floor.

Joulin shouted excitedly.

“Professor Baegrek! Joulin commands you to smash that door as well!”

“Your Highness. That door cannot be smashed.”

Professor Voladi shook his head and explained.

It was a different matter to have guardian golems on the first basement floor and to enter the workshop located there.

The former had some gaps, but the latter, Professor Verdus, would not allow any gaps at all.

If they carelessly messed with it, the whole tower’s alarm might go off.

“This is where Yukveltire will shine. Your Highness.”

Direte called Yukveltire.

Since Yukveltire was Professor Verdus’s apprentice and was known to be here, he was sure to explain the magic cast in detail.

As long as they figured out what magic was placed, with Professor Baegrek there, they should be able to break through.

“Yukveltire. What kind of magic is placed here?”

“I don’t know either.”

“…What?”

While Direte was flustered, Yukveltire took out a secretly duplicated workshop key from Professor Verdus.

And then, he opened the first basement workshop door. The party (including Joulin) was left speechless.

“…Wait, when and how did you get that?”

Lee Han asked in shock.

Of course, the security systems for the first basement and outside storages were brutal, but those were just the beginning by Professor Verdus’s standards.

There’s no way he would give out the key to where he kept the truly important works.

If it was discovered, all the defense magic in the workshop would have been reset.

“I happened to get it three years ago.”

“How did you not get caught all this time??”

“It’s simple. I never used it once.”

“……”

Lee Han was shocked again.

It was amazing that Yukveltire had not used the key for three years, but even more so that he was using it now.

“It isn’t my place to say, but… Are you sure it’s really okay to use that?”

“I am recommending an artifact befitting a talented junior. This is a very rational action.”

“Ah, yes.”

Behind Yukveltire, Joulin made a gesture as if growing two horns atop his head with his front paws. Lee Han immediately understood what he meant.

-Not angry, right?

‘Let’s just say for now that he isn’t…’

Lee Han wondered if he was taking too much advantage of a senior who had lost rationality to rage.

“Professor. What do you think…”

Lee Han called out to ask Professor Voladi, but the professor was already nowhere to be seen.

When he looked up, Professor Voladi had already entered the workshop and was searching for the magical drafting tool.

“…Professor…”

“?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lee Han went inside.

Just as a cunning rabbit digs three burrows, Professor Verdus also had multiple workshops.

Excellent artists often had multiple workshops for creative activities, but Lee Han thought Professor Verdus had many workshops to minimize losses when one was robbed.

In that sense, the first basement workshop was indeed a good place.

The quality of the displayed works was much higher than in the public workshop used for teaching students.

Apparently, Professor Verdus stored artifacts here made by commission or according to his own taste.

‘If it’s for educational purposes, shouldn’t this be the sort of thing displayed to students?’

“Found it. Here it is.”

Yukveltire called Lee Han.

On the workbench was an artifact box labeled -Bible’s Drafting Tool-.

“…This isn’t something the professor made, but something he still uses himself, isn’t it?”

“?”

Yukveltire looked at his junior with a “so what” expression.

Professor Voladi also looked at his student as if to say, “What does it matter?”

Direte placed a hand on the junior’s shoulder.

‘I understand how you feel.’

‘Thank you, Senior.’

Lee Han felt grateful that at least one normal person was present.

“It’s nothing. I’ll use it well…”

“Wait.”

Yukveltire stopped Lee Han and explained.

All the items here on the first basement floor were set so that if anyone but Professor Verdus touched them, the tower’s magic would immediately trigger.

Lee Han thought it was nonsense and said,

“Wouldn’t magic usually be cast on the door? You mean he cast such complicated magic on every single item?”

To trigger the tower’s magic not just by unlocking or destroying but by merely touching each item would require an impossible amount of time and dedication.

He would have had to pour tremendous effort into enchanting each and every item.

And Professor Verdus was not a man of leisure…

Yukveltire replied at once.

“Yes.”

“……”

Lee Han was once again struck by Professor Verdus’s extraordinariness.

Although he hadn’t realized because he usually took materials, reagents, and sometimes balloons in progress, he could never steal what Professor Verdus truly wanted to guard.

‘And now I’m trying to steal such a person’s prized belonging.’

After hesitating for a second, Lee Han resolved himself again.

Even if he got caught later, it was right to steal it first. Especially if the target was Professor Verdus.

“The moment I grab the item, I have to escape immediately.”

“That’s right.”

“We could grab one or two more things. Check them.”

“…Do you have something against Professor Verdus… Never mind.”

Lee Han was almost overwhelmed by Professor Voladi’s thorough pursuit of gain.

‘Anyway, I need to look around more.’

Leaving the drafting tool aside, Lee Han looked over the workshop again.

Amulet of Resistance to Aging

‘Amazing!’

Lee Han marveled, looking at the amulet on the wall.

It wasn’t the appearance, the craft, or the sparkle of the jewel, but the intricacy of the embedded magic that impressed him.

Just as small gears combine to form a great movement, small magics were linked together to drive out the user’s aging and summon youth.

‘There’s a description below too.’

Even if it was hard to steal due to defensive magic, Lee Han wanted to read what Professor Verdus had written.

Created on commission by the Pengerine family.

5 years, 6 years, 7 years overdue for delivery

“……”

Just deliver it!

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

With this level of completion, he could have handed it over, but he had withheld it for seven years.

It was odd that the Pengerine family hadn’t sent an assassin yet.

‘No. Maybe they did and I just don’t know…’

On closer inspection, the other works were similar.

All outstanding, beautiful, and with a note below saying -X years overdue for delivery-.

If you’re late one more time, I’ll really send you to hell – Osu

If you’re late one more time, I’ll have you lecture in the deepest punishment room – Osu

If you’re late one more time, I’ll really burn your workshop and hang you from the castle gate – Osu

If you’re late one more time…

What is wrong with you? Please, just turn your work in on time! – Osu

Lee Han found a thick stack of curse letters and shook his head.

It wasn’t easy to feel pity for the skull headmaster, but Professor Verdus had achieved that rare feat.

Star Guide, Paselete Craer, for third year exam

Lee Han was startled by the name written below the massive brass telescope.

He hadn’t expected the artifact for his upcoming exam to be here! Then again, Professor Verdus was a master artisan, so it was only natural that other professors commissioned him for test artifacts.

Lee Han stopped walking and peered at the brass telescope, causing the others to crowd around, curious.

“What is it?”

“Junior. What are you looking at?”

Joulin said there was a bigger and more splendid telescope. Currently, his majesty possessed it, but if Lee Han needed…

‘That snapped me out of it.’

Lee Han firmly shut Joulin’s mouth and said,

“There’s an artifact for the exam I’ll be taking, so it surprised me.”

“Indeed.”

“Aha.”

“Take it.”

“?”

Lee Han paused, sensing an odd answer among the responses.

Surprisingly, the one who spoke was Professor Voladi.

‘No. Now that I think about it, it isn’t surprising.’

“Professor. Isn’t this for another professor’s exam?”

“Securing it first is also the student’s ability.”

Yukveltire agreed with Professor Voladi.

“Besides, Professor Verdus should have guarded it better.”

While Lee Han was at a loss for words, Direte whispered beside him.

“Junior.”

“Yes. As expected, taking this is a bit…”

“Just take it. You need to cut down on your exams however you can.”

• * *

-Iactus: Professor Verdus’s workshop has been robbed! Professor Verdus’s workshop has been robbed!! Professor Verdus’s workshop has been robbed!!!

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Just write one line. Why make such a fuss? It’s not even the first time.

-Iactus: You must have read it wrong. It’s not a storage, but the workshop that got robbed! And not just any workshop, the first basement workshop!

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: …Professor Verdus’s workshop has been robbed!!!!

Whispers of Einrogard was inscribed over and over with only ‘Professor Verdus’s workshop has been robbed,’ as if in madness.

That’s how shocking it was.

The workshop, not just a storage, not just the first floor, but the first basement workshop got robbed?

-Baquantalana: Professor Verdus had many enemies. He’s just paying the price.

-Iactus: No. You can’t judge it so simply. Professor Verdus always had many enemies, but never had all his private workshops robbed.

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Maybe it’s related to the dragon that arrived this time? If it’s the power of a dragon…

-Iactus: No way. He’s a royal. Not even a student enrolled in Einrogard, but a royal. Would a royal stoop to theft?

-Baquantalana: Getting admitted to Einrogard doesn’t mean a royal stops being a royal.

-Iactus: What are you saying. Once admitted, you’re just another student of Einrogard.

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Agreed. I once saw a royal junior, and they gobbled up bread more frantically than any back-alley beggar. Once you’re in Einrogard, royal or not, it means nothing.

Lee Han watched and then chimed in.

-Gonadaltes: How did you even learn Professor Verdus’s workshop was robbed? Isn’t it just a false rumor?

-Iactus: No. Professor Craer is currently trying to kill Professor Verdus.

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: What if someone claimed they stole it and spirited it away secretly?

-Iactus: No way, would a professor… hmm… It could happen.

-Gonadaltes: That could happen indeed.

-Baquantalana: I don’t think that’s it.

-Gonadaltes: By the way, does anyone know why the headmaster hasn’t been around lately?

Lee Han casually asked what he was curious about. Immediately, curses flew in.

-Iactus: Everyone’s happy he’s gone, so why ask why?

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: If he comes back tomorrow because you asked, will you take responsibility?

“……”