Episode 308
Episode 308
When Lee Han first mentioned exterminating the undead in the cave and even collecting materials, Goo Bon had tried to dissuade him, calling it overambitious.
Exterminating undead alone was quite taxing, and rare herb collection requests like that were usually hard to come by—so much so that they were likely posted by the Adventurers' Guild.
Attempting both at once could lead to failing at both or just wasting stamina.
But Lee Han listened carefully to Goo Bon's concerns and, without reacting emotionally, explained step by step.
According to books, the terrain behind the cave was ideal for the herbs to grow, and if undead were appearing inside, the herbs' potency would likely be influenced by that, making them even more valuable...
Goo Bon didn't know much about magic or herbology, but Lee Han's words carried undeniable persuasiveness.
And that wasn't all.
He even planned to capture a Rapella Field Mouse—a rare monster.
Most adventurers didn't do things like this. There was a reason people usually tackled one request at a time.
Normally, Goo Bon would have objected to such a greedy plan—after all, even completing a single request was unpredictable enough—but...
He couldn't.
The other party's plan was just too thorough and meticulous.
If not for his face, Goo Bon would have thought he was dealing with someone with a decade of adventuring experience.
"Students from Einrogard are generally capable of this much."
Lee Han spoke modestly for the sake of his friends' honor.
The White Tiger Tower students stared at him wide-eyed.
'What is he talking about?'
'That's something only you can do...!'
"I don't have anything else to add. I think we can proceed as is, but..."
Goo Bon trailed off.
There was something he needed to say, even if cautiously.
"Have you properly prepared for the journey and camping along the way?"
At Goo Bon's words, Angrago snorted as if telling him not to worry.
"No need to worry. It's not like I've only camped once or twice."
"By any chance, were those camping trips where servants carried all the food and camping gear for you?"
"......"
Angrago's words caught in his throat at Lee Han's question.
Wait, how did he know?
Lee Han sighed and said,
"You'd better forget about camping with other knights from your family. Back then, they probably took care of everything—setting up camp, preparing water for washing, warm meals, night watch rotations. If you're traveling alone, you need to pack everything you might need."
Goo Bon was stunned once again by Lee Han's words.
He couldn't believe this was really a first-year student.
How could a first-year be this calm and composed in his preparations...?
"Open your backpack. Let's see what you've got. Even if you don't have nails or a hammer, do you at least have rope? What if something happens? And you'll need cloth—preferably oiled. Is canned pork the only food you packed? It's not enough, but it'll do. Bring a leather water flask too. I'm guessing you skipped flint and tinder because of magic, but don't waste mana unnecessarily—pack those as well."
"......"
Goo Bon was completely overwhelmed.
The way Lee Han checked the supplies was more skilled than even most seasoned adventurers.
Seeing that, Goo Bon wondered why he was even here.
It seemed like things would run smoothly even without a veteran around...
"Mr. Goo Bon, I'd appreciate your advice."
Unaware of Goo Bon's inner thoughts, Lee Han called out to him. Goo Bon felt extremely pressured.
Lee Han was already doing better than he was.
'I packed pretty haphazardly...'
Even many veteran adventurers weren't that thorough. Unless they were heading somewhere truly dangerous, the default mindset was 'save silver coins and tough it out.'
"It all looks excellent."
At Goo Bon's words, Lee Han urged him as if asking why he was hesitating.
"Why are you hesitating?"
"Huh?"
"There must be something you'd like to point out. It can't possibly be nothing."
"Ah... no..."
There really isn't!
Gubon's companion, Bijidek, stared at him with a look that said, 'How could you possibly give any more advice here?'
"Indeed. Even the color of the backpack matters. This is new information to me. As expected, veteran adventurers are on another level."
Lee Han wrote it down with an impressed expression.
To think one should change the backpack's camouflage color according to the terrain. Truly, the advice of an experienced adventurer was unparalleled.
Bijidek whispered under his breath:
"That's not a thing."
"...I-I really couldn't think of anything else."
Gubon hung his head in embarrassment.
Of course, he had never bothered changing his backpack's color for different terrains.
Who knew where they'd end up going next? Adventurers didn't have the luxury to waste silver coins like that.
Durgyu, walking ahead, asked:
"But isn't that a bit odd? Changing backpacks every time sounds tedious."
"Maybe they camouflage it with grass or dirt from the surroundings."
"Ah."
"......"
Gubon shuddered at the sight of the Einrogard student who could deduce ten things from just one hint.
What kind of...
"But since you can use magic, there's no need for that. You could just substitute it with the <Lesser Color Transmutation> spell."
Durgyu was impressed by Lee Han's remark.
"Truly fitting for you, Lee Han, who learns every spell like a madman."
"What did you just say?"
"Ah, no. Sorry. It's just the way we talk in our tower..."
"It's fine, Durgyu. Not your fault—it's those other bastards'."
"We... we didn't say anything."
"We didn't say a word."
Angrago and Lafadell denied it, but Lee Han ignored them.
"By the way, Wardanaz. I don't recall the <Lesser Color Transmutation> spell being taught in class. When did you learn it?"
"Ah, no. I just read about it in a book. If I practice, I should get it before we arrive."
"That doesn't make any..."
"Color, shift."
In a single attempt, the backpack turned green. Lee Han nodded.
"Similar to steel transmutation, but easier. Managed it in one try thanks to that."
"......"
"Why are you all staring?"
"It's nothing..."
The White Tiger Tower students averted their gazes with expressions mixed with sorrow and resignation.
The veteran adventurers, Gubon and Bijidek, whispered in confusion.
"Isn't the atmosphere a bit weird?"
"I feel it too... Are they not friends?"
Rather than close knightly companions, the mood felt more like that of a strict superior and subordinates.
They're clearly the same year...
'Must be imagining things.'
Passing through Granden City's gates, they followed the imperial highway before veering off onto the mapped path. After cutting through the grasslands, their destination—Burnt Hill—came into view.
Arriving by early evening meant they had made excellent time.
Everyone had good stamina, they had horses, and most importantly...
"Thanks to the two veterans here, we didn't get lost and arrived in one go."
...it was because they hadn't gotten lost even once.
The two adventurers laughed awkwardly without a word.
'We...'
'...didn't really do anything.'
Lee Han had navigated the entire way himself, muttering, "This way?" "Ah, here." "Let's turn here," and led them straight to the destination.
Even if the two who knew the area had tried to give advice, there wouldn't have been a single mistake.
"Alright, then..."
"We still have energy—let's go in."
Lafadell spoke enthusiastically.
True to someone learning black magic to hunt criminal dark mages, he was very proactive about exterminating undead.
Gubon brightened up.
Finally, a chance to give advice as a seasoned adventurer.
"That's..."
"No. Lafadell. Even if we're not tired, there's no need to enter a cave teeming with undead at dusk. Once the sun fully sets, their power surges. Even if we're not exhausted now, we should set up camp and wait until morning."
"Then..." Lee Han said, looking at the two adventurers before asking,
"Is this alright?"
"...Y-yes. That's a good approach."
"Thank you."
The two adventurers, beyond mere bewilderment, were gradually sinking into deep contemplation.
...Did we even need to come here in the first place?
"We'll take care of setting up camp!"
"???"
When the two adventurers declared this firmly, Lee Han and his friends tilted their heads in confusion.
"Shouldn't we prepare together?"
"No. Mages like yourselves don't usually handle such tasks."
Gubon was right.
While chores were typically divided among party members, there were always exceptions.
You couldn't assign menial work to high-ranking personnel like mages, priests, or those from knightly families who could handle multiple adventurers' worth of tasks. That would be a waste.
And since all the students here were both mages and from knightly families...
"I see. Understood."
"Then we'll—"
"No."
Lee Han refused.
"If the two of you weren't here, we'd have to do it ourselves. If we can't manage then, it'll be a problem. We should learn how."
"Huh?"
"Y-you're preparing for that?"
The White Tiger Tower friends, who had been planning to just rest, asked hesitantly.
But Lee Han was serious.
"Yes. Think about it. If we ever have to camp in Einrogard, we won't have other adventurers to rely on."
"Why would you camp in Einrogard?"
Gubon, unable to comprehend, asked. The magic school students pretended not to hear.
"Alright. What should we do first?"
"First, we should light a fire..."
As Gubon reached for his flint, Lee Han immediately swung his staff.
Whoosh!
"Done."
"...If there's a water source nearby, fetching fresh water would be good. It's useful in many ways..."
Splash!
"Got it. What's next?"
"......"
Gubon and Bizdek, staring at the massive floating orb of water, silently took out wooden barrels to collect it.
"The surrounding foliage blocks some of the light and wind, but it's still a bit lacking. A simple mound of dirt could..."
Crash!
In an instant, a pile of earth rose, forming a simple earthen wall.
"Is this enough?"
"...Yes. Now we just need to set up a simple trap to detect intruders..."
Lee Han pulled out a spell he'd learned while making fireworks with Professor Verdus—an illusion of light bound to paper, which would activate if the paper tore.
Fwoosh!
Angrago asked absentmindedly,
"You learned that on the way here? Impressive."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Magic isn't something you pick up that easily. I learned this directly from a professor during the semester."
"...No... Hey...!!"
As Angrago stood there, too flabbergasted to speak, Lee Han finished his rounds.
"How's this?"
"If we take turns keeping watch properly, there shouldn't be any issues now."
"You all heard that? Remember the order."
Lee Han addressed the White Tiger Tower students.
They weren't even surprised by the rapid succession of spells, nodding as if it were perfectly natural.
"Don't worry, Wardanaz. We've memorized it."
"We could handle this much ourselves."
'No way...'
Gubon and Bizdek were utterly bewildered, their common sense crumbling.
What should have taken two or three hours was finished in mere minutes...
And this was their reaction?
'Are all mages like this??'
'No wonder mages charge so much...! They're worth it!'
Of course, the mages who usually joined their parties didn't do this.
They conserved mana, never wasting it on camp preparations.
But because they'd met Lee Han, the two adventurers' understanding of mages was being warped beyond recognition.