Episode 933
by Cristae‘Can an Einrogard magician really do things like this?’
Arian wondered.
At least, their identity hadn’t been revealed.
With both invisibility and disguise spells cast, there was no way anyone could guess who it was.
…It was just that the approach was so aggressive!
She had heard many stories of Einrogard magicians retrieving items so discreetly that no one noticed, leaving the victim fuming. But this was the first time she’d seen someone just beat people up and walk away with the prize.
“The young master of the Wardanaz family must have known what he was doing, I suppose?”
In the end, Arian could only say that.
No matter how experienced a merchant she was, when it came to Einrogard business, she was still an outsider.
If students acted this way, what could she do but accept it?
‘Is this really all right?’
Amur was intrigued.
Even though Amur had grown up in the wild where rough rules ruled, cities had different cultures.
The Wardanaz boy’s actions were certainly satisfying.
So satisfying, in fact, it might be the problem…
“It’ll be fine. Besides, you’re not going to do this again, are you?”
“Of course not. Please trust me.”
Lee Han promised the two helping him with firm determination.
He had never liked violent means to begin with.
Why attack when it’s better to just take things quietly?
-Professor. There’s a seal in ancient script here, can you help me break it?
-…Just this once, I’ll help. Recite it like this. αρχαίος…
-Who’s there! Show yourself! Who dares… Ugh!
-Damn!
An abandoned underground prison near the city.
A magical warehouse built at great expense, accessible only to those who could decipher ancient script, but unfortunately for the owner, the intruder had an ancient being at their side.
And even more unlucky, the owner happened to come to check at just the wrong time.
-Whew. This time, really, let’s settle things quietly. …Basilisk, hey? Basil, you in there?
-Yep!
-Then I’ll ask—
-Ah… There’s a basilisk inside! There’s a basilisk in there!
-…Damn!!
A secret alchemy workshop under a fabric shop.
A reagent vault accessible only with the whispers of a basilisk opened easily for an intruder accompanied by a baby basilisk.
The owner of the vault, startled by the basilisk’s hissing, cried out in panic, only to be subdued by the intruder.
-…This was just bad luck. Next time it’ll be different, got it?
-Can’t you just overpower them and loot their stuff?
-No! That would be shameful for a thief—a teleportation club member!
The baby basilisk thought to itself.
People really do incomprehensible things.
After that, Lee Han continued retrieving the remaining requested items—and succeeded.
Judging by the time taken alone, it was incredibly fast. If the other club seniors had seen it, they would have applauded.
…The problem was that he beat up every single owner involved and walked out.
“……”
“……”
“……”
The three of them silently stared at the floor.
Eventually, Arian, unable to bear it, coughed awkwardly.
“What’s done is done. Still, you managed to gather everything this quickly—an impressive achievement!”
“…I think I wasn’t cut out for this job.”
“No, don’t say that. What you’ve done is more than enough.”
“I should’ve handled it quietly…”
“Haha. Not at all. What’s so wrong about hitting guys who needed a wake-up call?”
Amur, by now, seemed a little excited.
At first, the world of magicians seemed a mystery to her, but on closer inspection, it looked pretty simple.
Just find the bad guys, punch them in the face, and bring back their evil loot!
Viewed this way, Einrogard’s magicians felt a bit more relatable.
“And don’t worry. The ones who got beaten up will be too embarrassed to tell anyone.”
-Did you hear? Some magicians are going around Granden City? I heard they hang up guys with evil artifacts upside down. Wuap got totally trashed.
-Ah, I heard too. He harassed people so much, now he finally got what was coming. I heard he was stuck head first in the canal?
-What I heard was someone branded “villain” on his face…
“……”
“……”
“……”
Lee Han bowed his head even lower.
“You bastard!”
Sebius the hamster beastman roared furiously.
A guinea pig beastman, Sebius’s fellow outsider and a thief guild member, asked in confusion,
“What is it?”
“Verdus, that bastard! He gave us sloppy info again because he’s lazy!”
While preparing for the mission, Sebius stumbled across shocking intel.
Wuap, who stole the -Polarizing Lens of Asen- purchased by Professor Verdus, had bought -Asen’s Soul Scream- as extra protection.
If a sinister defensive spell like that was installed in the workshop, it changed everything.
‘I gave the job to a junior because I thought it’d be relatively easy!’
“Who’s Verdus?”
“A professor!”
“…He nuts? Isn’t a professor supposed to give his students proper info?”
The guinea pig beastman was perplexed.
A professor was supposed to teach and support their students.
But to give lazy, half-baked information just because it was a hassle?
This was nothing like the mentors the guinea pig had known.
“That’s why he’s a bastard. I’m going to find my junior. Come on.”
“That psycho’s just slowing us down. At least slip this drug into their drink next time. With one drop, they’ll be sick in bed for a week.”
“……”
Sebius hesitated inside but shook his head.
“That magician is more paranoid than you’d think. Poison won’t work.”
“Unbelievable. Magicians… Einrogard’s the Empire’s top magic school, so why do they let crazies like that be professors?”
Sebius didn’t bother to explain the details of the Einrogard situation.
Most weren’t allowed to speak because of the Oath anyway.
-Someone hung Wuap up upside down!
-What?! Really?
“…Wait.”
On the run, Sebius paused at words from passersby.
“Didn’t they just say Wuap?”
“Didn’t hear. What did you hear?”
“Someone… hung Wuap upside down…”
“Ridiculous. He bought extra defensive magic and all, didn’t he? Who could do that to him?”
“Well… True. Unless it’s the headmaster…”
“What’s the headmaster got to do with it?”
“…Nothing. Never mind.”
Sebius shook his head.
He must’ve misheard, nervous and rushed as he was.
“Let’s go agai—”
-Hey! Someone dunked Wuap in the canal!
-Why didn’t you say so sooner?! Let’s go see!
“!!!”
This time, it wasn’t his nerves.
Sebius, horrified, followed the crowd. People had already gathered at the canal.
“That’s Wuap over there!”
“That crazy dwarf—after tormenting the workers so much, he’s finally been punished by heaven!”
-Get lost already!
“Wuap, you bastard! If you keep this up, you’ll be punished by heaven again!”
-…Hiiik!
All he’d heard was that Wuap was a greedy, evil dwarf, but nothing prepared him for this sight.
He looked completely traumatized, flinching at the slightest word.
“Sebius, was this your junior’s work?”
The guinea pig beastman made a logical inference.
Einrogard magicians are strong.
Wuap messed with an Einrogard magician’s stuff.
Now Wuap is terrified.
“…No. My junior is careful and cautious. Showy intimidation like this is something only the headmaster would do.”
“You did say he bought extra spells. Maybe Professor Verdus helped out for his student?”
“Definitely not.”
“…All right, then.”
“Let’s go. We need to check Wuap’s workshop and look for my junior.”
-Everyone! Everyone! The Bardarn mansion just got robbed!
-What?! Bardarn mansion!?
-What in the world is happening today?
The news that the Bardarn mansion, belonging to a Greenbell-affiliated noble, had been robbed sent shock through the citizens gathered at the canal.
For all Bardarn’s greedy, oppressive hoarding of treasures, no one expected he’d be attacked.
-“There’s a rampaging spirit wrecking the mansion!”
-…Everyone, now’s our chance! Let’s get revenge on Bardarn for everything he took from us!
“……”
Having followed along before even checking the workshop, Sebius’s jaw dropped at the half-ruined estate.
A berserk water spirit—someone had summoned it—was destroying the mansion, and angry citizens were making off with the treasures while chaos reigned.
“This wasn’t your junior’s doing, right?”
The guinea pig beastman asked, watching Sebius closely.
“Ah… It… shouldn’t be. No matter how mad he got, my junior wouldn’t summon and rampage a spirit…”
‘I’m pretty sure he didn’t say “shouldn’t” earlier…’
The guinea pig beastman thought internally.
Rumors of evil-doers being attacked all over Granden City spread even faster.
Sebius summoned the club members in the end.
“Did any of you participate in what’s going on right now?”
“Oh, I thought your junior was doing it! I was just impressed.”
“I figured you sent the order, Sebius.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Sebius snapped.
Who would recommend such a dangerous approach to a mere second-year student?
Teleportation is supposed to be quiet and stealthy because that’s the safest way. If you already had the power to beat people up and steal, why bother sneaking around at all?
“Thought maybe it was to scare them, so it would be impossible to steal again later…”
“Yeah, I thought so too. Figured now that we have a capable junior, we’d put him to use.”
“…No!”
Having come downstairs from reading -Monthly Magic Education- on the inn’s upper floor, Professor Garcia quietly sighed.
‘This is the headmaster’s fault.’
Even if nothing else, tossing people into canals and wrecking mansions was undoubtedly something learned from the skeletal headmaster.
Where else would a good student like Lee Han have picked up such things?
“…It’s already over anyway.”
“A wise decision!”
When Lee Han gave up and accepted things, the two mischievous outsiders applauded his decision.
What could you do at this point?
“Young master, look at it positively: you finished the job fast. That’s a major accomplishment.”
“They’re rumoring I tossed a good citizen into the canal…”
“They weren’t good citizens. Anyway, you said you wanted to attend the play?”
“Yes.”
“A play attended by Einrogard students?”
“That’s right.”
Half-resigned, Lee Han decided to be satisfied with his name and identity remaining unknown.
Now it was time to consider escaping the Theater Club.
All the other bandit-thief-teleportation jobs were done…
“It’s not difficult. Just go with a few people I know. Oh. There is one issue… No, actually, thinking about it, it should be fine.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing much. It’s just that at these sorts of theatrical gatherings, since it’s a bit of a social event, people tend to talk a lot. If you don’t know much about imperial theater, it might stand out. But you’re of the Wardanaz family, so that’s… fine…”
“……”
Lee Han’s face went pale as he realized he was being tripped up by knowledge he’d confidently believed he’d never need in his life.