Episode 302
Episode 302
"You keep glaring at me. What am I supposed to do if you look at me like that every time you come?"
As Gainando whined, Lee Han thought of a good solution.
It was something he'd already said to Ashan before.
"You could just stay outside the mansion."
"Huh?"
"What if I wander around outside?"
"Oh... You're going to play with me?"
"If that's what you want."
Gainando's face brightened. Seeing that, Ratford felt a pang of sympathy.
'It's probably not what you're expecting...'
Seizing the moment, Lee Han called Ashan out as well and set off with his friends.
Gainando asked eagerly, his face full of anticipation.
"Are we going to buy Wizard Cards?"
"No."
"Are we going to buy the new magazine?"
"Nope."
"Then where are we going?"
"The Richmond Family."
"???"
Gainando and Ashan tilted their heads in confusion at Lee Han's words.
It wasn't a familiar family name, so it took them a moment to process it.
The Richmond Family...?
"Where was that again?"
"You don't know the Richmond Family?"
Lee Han stared at his friends as if they were unbelievable. The two shrank back like students who had failed an extremely easy test question.
"S-sorry. What kind of family is the Richmond Family again?"
"They run one of the empire's top carriage transport guilds, you know."
"......"
"......"
How would we know that?!
While the two were flabbergasted, Yoner nodded as if he understood.
"Ah. Right. That's it."
"See? Yoner knows. It's amazing that you don't."
"......"
"......"
While Ashan and Gainando were left speechless, the group arrived at their destination.
The Richmond Transport Guild building, located on the outskirts of the city, resembled a massive warehouse.
"Hey, you punk! Can't you see the carriage is here right now?!"
"That's my line! If you don't move that carriage right now, I'll send you straight to the temple!"
The coachmen entrusted with the carriages were desperately trying to shove them into the warehouse as quickly as possible, while guild workers moved nonstop, loading and unloading crates without a single second of pause.
"Looks like Yoner's mansion."
"?!"
At Lee Han's muttering, Yoner was startled.
'Did our mansion look that chaotic...?'
Yoner resolved to tell his household to stop letting so many people wait outside the mansion when he got back.
"Carriage to Kvalgen City, done!"
"Depart! Depart!"
"Shyles?"
"?!"
Shyles of the Richmond Family, who had been shouting loudly among the workers, was startled when his friends showed up.
"Thank you so much, Wardanaz."
Shyles expressed his sincere gratitude and held out a pouch.
Lee Han was moved by the other party's sincerity in handing over the payment without any tedious process.
'My other friends should learn from this.'
"What's wrong?"
When Lee Han glanced at them, his friends looked puzzled.
"It's nothing. Anyway, Shyles. There's something I wanted to ask you."
"Me? Ask me anything."
Shyles was slightly surprised.
For Lee Han of the Wardanaz family to ask him for a favor—he couldn't even begin to guess what it might be.
'Does he have something he needs transported secretly?'
Maybe there's some important item he needs moved without his own family finding out...
"Do you know any profitable short-term jobs in the city that a wizard could do?"
"...H-huh??"
Shyles was flustered.
Lee Han's question was completely unexpected.
But Lee Han was serious.
'You have to scout good jobs in advance.'
Wizards were always in demand as high-class professionals, but that didn't mean there were many places they could work.
To be precise, a wizard's services were simply too expensive.
Even the task of unloading and loading the packaged goods on the carriages behind them could be drastically sped up with just one skilled wizard...
Otherwise, the labor costs would immediately exceed the profits.
There were plenty of places to work, but very few where a mage could earn silver coins commensurate with their worth.
Moreover, Granden City already had a considerable number of students from Einrogard—even excluding Lee Han.
Considering the number of seniors as well, decent short-term jobs would disappear in an instant.
'I need to secure one as quickly as possible.'
"Are you... joking...?"
Shyles, who had started speaking, hesitated upon seeing the blazing intensity in Lee Han's eyes.
That was absolutely not the gaze of someone joking.
'Wait, why would students from the Blue Dragon Tower be looking for work...?'
It wouldn't have been surprising if students from the Black Turtle Tower, Phoenix Tower, or White Tiger Tower were job hunting.
In fact, many of them already were.
Given how expensive Granden City was, very few students went through the break without working at all.
But students from the Blue Dragon Tower...
Didn't they have no need for that?
"Well... I don't know much myself, but I've heard things from friends and guild workers."
"Anything's fine. Tell me."
"Uh, escorting carriages might be a bit...?"
The Empire's lands were vast, and long-distance travel naturally came with risks—from monsters to bandits.
Of course, carriage convoys didn't just have drivers; they also had escorts.
Cheap cargo was fine, but when transporting expensive or important goods, they often hired high-skilled personnel like mages.
"That's a bit risky. If things go wrong, I might not make it back in time for the next semester."
"R-right. Well, there's also teaching magic to those with talent..."
Lee Han nodded and took notes.
That was definitely a decent option.
Not everyone had the talent to enroll in the Imperial Magic School. Some lived their whole lives unaware they even had magical potential.
Occasionally, some of these people decided to learn magic later in life.
They came from all walks—adventurers, mercenaries, merchants, sailors, explorers, and so on.
Teaching magic to such individuals was quite popular among Einrogard students.
"Wait. We're first-years—are we even qualified to teach?"
"From what I've heard, being a first-year at Einrogard is enough."
"I see. What else?"
"Huh? There's more?"
Under Lee Han's intense gaze, Shyles desperately racked his brain.
"Ah! There's also material gathering requests—though they're not always available."
"Material gathering requests?"
Lee Han paused.
Usually, those were jobs for inexperienced adventurers or errand runners.
Of course, high-difficulty materials came with massive rewards, attracting veteran adventurers...
But there was no way such requests would be common among students.
"Isn't that something anyone could do?"
"Ah. Apparently, there are materials only mages can gather."
'Ah.'
Lee Han understood.
Some materials could only be harvested intact using magic.
"Shyles. If such a request comes up, be sure to let me know."
"But... why...? Well, fine. I owe you, so I'll do that much."
"Anything else?"
"......"
Shyles desperately racked his brain again.
He wasn't some lunatic who couldn't hold a job—why was Lee Han so...
"Oh! There's also assisting mages with experiments!"
"That's a bit iffy."
"?!"
Shyles was taken aback when Lee Han immediately rejected the idea.
"Why? I heard this is a pretty good gig too."
"Shyles. You should always be wary of unfamiliar mages first. Who knows what kind of experiments they're running?"
Lee Han spoke with utmost seriousness.
Given that he was currently suffering due to a careless encounter with a strange mage, Shyles's naive attitude was deeply concerning.
Even experiments with ordinary names like <Basic Magical Combat Repetition> could turn out to be bizarre experiments where all sorts of attacks are hurled at the test subjects.
"Ah... no. Wardanaz. Of course, they may be unfamiliar mages, but they're ones who've built trust and reputation in this city. They're not wanted criminal mages with bounties on their heads. There's no way they'd conduct strange experiments, right...?"
"No."
Lee Han answered firmly.
"They could. Remember that. Understood?"
"U-uh huh..."
Shyles, overwhelmed by Lee Han's intensity, simply nodded.
Though the logic still didn't quite make sense to him, Lee Han's voice carried a sincerity that transcended mere reasoning.
"But assisting mages in their experiments really is a decent job, Wardanaz. It's not like you can just get whatever you want right away... If you listen to the experiment details and pick a safe one, wouldn't that work?"
Not all mage experiments were necessarily dangerous.
Observing or recording unusual magical phenomena occurring near the city also counted as experimental assistance.
"Fine. If you insist that much, I'll consider it."
"No, seriously, it's really—"
Having roughly wrapped up the discussion, Lee Han raised his head and asked,
"So, Shyles. Which of these jobs are you doing?"
"Me? I'm too busy to do any. I have to help with guild work."
Lee Han perked up.
Perhaps the bluebird had been closer than he thought.
"Does transport guild work pay well?"
"No. I don't get paid since it's our family's business."
"Tsk tsk. Shyles. Even if it's family, working unpaid isn't a good idea. You're devaluing yourself."
"...Huh? But... it's our family's business...?"
Just as Lee Han gave this advice and was about to rise from his seat, a guild member rushed over and spoke to Shyles.
"Young Master. The merchant company next door is urgently looking for a mage to help with their reagent inventory. How about you take a look? The pay's quite decent."
"No way. Look at our warehouse. We have to finish organizing it today. Can't you see the carters are about to riot?"
"Perfect timing. We'll take that request."
"?!"
"??!"
At Lee Han's words, Shyles was stunned, the guild member was stunned, and even Lee Han's friends behind him were stunned.
"Wardanaz, you?"
"If it's a job requiring a mage, the pay should be decent, no?"
"W-well, the pay is good, but it'll be tedious and annoying."
"The pay is what matters. So we can take it, right?"
"Uh... yeah."
Lee Han stood up, took the paperwork, and leisurely walked off. His friends hurriedly followed.
The guild member, still gaping, finally snapped out of it and asked,
"Uh... Young Master. Those friends of yours... they're nobles, right? But why on earth—?"
Shyles deeply empathized with the guild member's confusion.
Exactly! What the hell?!
"A mage, and an Einrogard student at that? Absolutely welcome!"
The excited merchant company employee looked up and nearly jumped in shock.
'They're nobles!?'
"...Y-you do know what our company does, right?"
"Rummaging through the warehouse to check reagents and organize inventory, isn't it?"
"Y-yes, but... it'll be boring. Not fun at all..."
"But the pay is good, isn't it?"
"Well, yes... Very well, please take care of it."
Lee Han's group headed toward the warehouse.
Nilia, Ratford, and Yoner had no particular thoughts, but Gainando and Ashan were still reeling from shock.
"Why are we even doing this?"
"H-he must be doing it for magical studies. If it's Wardanaz, there's no doubt."
While the two whispered, familiar faces appeared in front of the warehouse.
The Salko gang.
"!!"
Salko and his friends were startled to see Lee Han's group.
"Wardanaz! What brings you here?"
"Here to work."
"You..."
Salko momentarily lost his words before exclaiming in admiration,
"...are seriously incredible!"
"Are we really working?"
Gainando's whisper faded into emptiness.