Episode 965

“Why are you like this?!”

“The Masons’ Club commission got canceled…”

“I mean, isn’t that a bit much to be this down about?”

The seniors were flustered and tried to comfort Lee Han.

They weren’t just saying it—truly, the Masons’ Club didn’t care much if a commission was canceled.

If it had been the Magic Card Collectors Club and a commission cancellation cost them their outing, they’d be sobbing their hearts out and maybe even try to set the main building on fire, but the Masons’ Club always got plenty of requests, so a cancelation didn’t faze them.

“There are always other commissions lined up, and honestly, those guys probably like not having to go out for a change.”

“…Is that so?”

Lee Han was a little swayed.

He couldn’t fully believe it, but his guilt made him want to.

“It’s true. That… what was his name, Anfagon?”

“Ah. Senior Anfagon. That’s right.”

A transformative magic scholar and, within the sect, one of the more social students—Anfagon.

Lee Han had met and chatted with them a few times too.

“They were supposed to go out on a commission last time, but they didn’t want to and hid in the Einrogard underground mines. The Death Knights had a hell of a time tracking them down.”

“……”

For a moment, Lee Han wondered whether to criticize the underground hiding or the fact that they’d hidden at all, so his response was a beat late.

“Anyway, don’t worry about it, Wardanaz.”

“Yeah, yeah. Besides, it wasn’t your fault.”

“…Sniff!”

“!??”

• * *

-Wooooooo!

-Welcome back!

After the food distribution was over, Lee Han returned to the gates of Einrogard alongside the Cooking Club students.

With the Masons’ Club commission canceled and his outing period so extended, there was no reason to keep stalling.

Surprisingly, voices of welcome rang out from far away.

‘Do they always do this kind of thing for club outing weeks?’

“Huh. Do they always do this?”

“Pff. Nah. They’re waiting because we bring back ingredients.”

“……”

Looking closer, the faces of those in the crowd were plainly hungry for handouts.

Falkrius, chuckling, opened a bag of provisions.

“Come and get it! Food brought by our Wardanaz junior!”

“Whoa… WOOOOOOOO!”

“I can’t believe they’re really giving this away!”

The students were shocked by the generosity.

Normally, the Cooking Club would have handed out half a bread roll or a thin slice of cheese, never like this.

Steaming hot fresh rolls, southern mountain cheese, peaches, apples—everything was being handed out.

“Senior Falkrius! Are you sure it’s okay to take these?”

“Wahaha. Have you lived your whole life getting swindled? Like I said, our Wardanaz junior brought plenty.”

“Did you hypnotize them or something?”

“What are you—a—Wardanaz, did you?!”

Falkrius, about to refute, actually stopped and glanced over at his junior, just in case.

Remembering the scene just now, he suddenly wondered if his junior might have cast something after all.

But Wardanaz was gone. Looking around in surprise, he saw his junior off in the distance, walking with Professor Garcia.

“Pff. Popular, too.”

As his junior waved frantically, Falkrius laughed and waved back.

So well-mannered!

• * *

“Ah, Wardanaz, you’re back!”

“Yeah.”

“What are you doing?”

“Writing a reflection.”

Lee Han used telekinesis to move the quill across the page.

I swear not to personally fight evil god worshippers again in the future.

I swear not to personally fight evil god worshippers again in the future.

…

“……”

His friend from the Blue Dragon Tower gazed at him, shocked.

He thought Lee Han had gone out for club activities—what on earth…??

But unlike his friend’s horror, Lee Han felt nothing but peace and gratitude.

By his standard, this was an incredibly lenient punishment.

‘As expected, Professor Garcia is not only Einrogard’s best, but the Empire’s best!’

Professor Garcia already knew Lee Han could easily copy reflection papers with magic at his level.

That she still let him off with only this—it was something to be grateful for.

Lee Han left the self-writing quill and opened a textbook. Since he’d been out for almost two weeks, he figured he ought to review his lectures this weekend.

–Wand Materials and Magic Amplification-… Well, since I finished making my wand, nothing to worry about there. Pass. -A Mage’s Life With Plants-… Wait, I finished that last time too. Pass. -Advanced Illusion Magic and Spiritual Theory-…-

But the review went much faster than expected.

He’d pushed so hard before midterms that being out for a week or two didn’t set him back at all.

-…Huh?-

Lee Han double-checked for anything he might have missed, but nothing had changed. Feeling a little awkward, he closed his book.

-Guess I’ll have to think about the Masons’ Club commission.-

Professor Garcia, who had hauled Lee Han off (not abducted!) and lectured him, had said this:

-Never confront evil god worshippers head-on again!!!!

-Yep!

-Don’t go around attacking villains as Stedal Nago, either!!!!

-Yep…

-By the way, Student Lee Han, the Masons’ Club students are looking for Student Jarun. It would probably help you too, so it’d be good to look into it together.

-Isn’t that a little abrupt?-

Punishment was punishment, but Professor Garcia never hesitated to relay information that might help a student.

Students in the Masons’ Club were often busy with their own commissions.

That’s why, even if an outside commission was canceled, they’d just shrug it off.

But right now, the Masons’ Club students had all banded together and were looking for one person.

A senior Lee Han knew well: Jarun of the Ironshoe family!

That Dwarf senior of the Transmutation Magic sect was known to be a gold-lover with a narrow circle of acquaintances.

So much so that even at the time for his lectures, he’d be holed up in his underground workshop mining.

He’d even been dragged off to the punishment room by a professor thanks to it.

-Why is everyone looking for Jarun again? Is it for a magic matter? I still have more to learn in Transmutation Magic, but I’m not sure if…-

-Lee Han, you should stop thinking everything is about magic. You’ll wear yourself out for real that way.

-No!-

Lee Han was aggrieved.

His guess followed logical deduction! How could she say he was a magic-maniac?

-Jarun is in the Masons’ Club too.

-Oh… Really? I’d never heard that!

-Not every club member is active, you know. Jarun pretty much just had his name on the list but was working solo. Here, he submitted this application.

Application

Ironshoe family, Jarun

This student submits the following application for these reasons:

-Need mining artifact for orichalcum mining

-If supported by Einrogard for orichalcum mining, his name will be immortalized for a glorious dwarven cause (gold payment realistically difficult)

-Bringing in outside magicians is fine, but they must follow his instructions (failure to do so will result in immediate expulsion)

…

-…Did Gainando write this?-

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

Requesting to borrow a mining artifact to excavate orichalcum, that was one thing, but wanting to pay with “glory” instead of gold was too much.

Not even Gainando would submit an application that greedy…!

And planning to draft outside magicians and boss them around—what magician from outside Einrogard would take an offer like that?

If one did, they were probably secretly planning to ambush Jarun and take the orichalcum for themselves.

-Wait. Professor, does this mean Senior Jarun found an orichalcum vein?

-It looks highly likely. That’s exactly why the Masons’ Club students are looking for him.

-…!

Lee Han was shocked.

Sure, Einrogard’s dungeons had monsters, there were ancient archmages in the mountains, dragons in the dorms—but now orichalcum in a mine?

-I hadn’t heard… Oh right, I was away and must have missed it.

-Hmm…

Professor Garcia wore a hesitant expression, hesitated, and finally spoke.

-Even if you’d been around, they probably wouldn’t have told you…

-……

-…Actually, not even all the Masons’ Club students know. They’re all hiding the news.

Einrogard students could be cold.

If Senior Jarun found an orichalcum vein, the plan was to quietly follow and split the spoils among themselves rather than let word get around and reduce their own shares.

-Anyway, Lee Han, if you don’t want to regret it later, try looking for Jarun.

-Thank you, Professor. But how did you know this anyway?

-…That’s a secret. H-ha-ha. Ha ha ha.

Professor Garcia dodged the question with a very awkward laugh.

-Now that I think about it, it is a little strange.-

As his recollection ended, Lee Han felt a bit odd.

No matter how exceptional Professor Garcia was, it seemed strange she’d know all about the students’ affairs so well.

But the feeling didn’t last long. What mattered now was the Masons’ Club commission.

If you could even call this a “commission”…

-If Salko were here, I’d ask him to come along. But he’s in the punishment room, so that’s out. I guess I should contact Senior Anfagon?-

“Huff, huff. Lee Han, you’re back?!”

The lounge door flew open and Gainando burst in, breathing heavily.

“Yeah. How have you been?”

“Whew. Actually, I had an outing too!”

“What? Really?”

Lee Han was genuinely surprised; he never would have guessed. Gainando announced, face full of pride:

“Listen—because you’ll never believe this. There were guys stealing and selling magic cards, so I was staking them out. And suddenly, the building next door explodes…”

“Wait, sorry, Gainando. I have something I need to do now. I’ll hear it next time.”

“But it’s a really crazy story! You’ll regret it if you hear it later! Lee Han! You’ll really regret it!”

Gainando grumbled at his friend’s coldly retreating back.

He’d wanted to tell the story of a terrifying new magician attacking all over Granden City…!

• * *

“Senior Anfagon? Are you here?”

When Lee Han visited Professor Verdus’s mage tower, the Hall of Sacred Engravings, he saw another familiar senior with Anfagon and quickly turned away.

‘Hmm. Maybe I should just look by myself. Come to think of it, I don’t really need orichalcum right now anyway.’

Such high-grade reagents were only really necessary in upperclassman years. As a second-year, Lee Han might not even have much use for it.

“Why’s he leaving?”

Yukveltire, another familiar senior, tilted his head.

Anfagon was right here—so why was the junior turning right around and leaving?

“Actually, I came looking for another senior, but they’re not here, so I’ll just head back.”

“Who?”

“……”

Lee Han hesitated for a moment.

He realized just then how few seniors he knew at the Hall of Sacred Engravings.

The one other person he might have picked was the one in front of him now, but that would defeat the whole point…

‘I never want to work with this person.’

He was skilled, but the idea of working with “Little Verdus” senior was a hard pass.

He’d have to help with research for them over break anyway; during the semester, he’d rather not…

“It’s someone you wouldn’t know, Senior.”

“Oh really? Got it. More importantly, I have an offer for you, Wardanaz junior.”

“……”

Lee Han felt a sudden sense of foreboding.

Could it be…?

“By chance… do you know Jarun of the Ironshoe family?”