Episode 371
Episode 371
Surprisingly, there was a connection.
"My family is affiliated with the Beech Knights, though..."
"What a coincidence! I was just recently invited by the knights of the Beech Knights!"
"You received an invitation?"
The knights were quite surprised by Lee Han's words.
Under normal circumstances, wizards weren't invited to knightly gatherings.
Unless they owed a truly significant debt...
"The knights of the Beech Knights were truly outstanding. They were so insistent on repaying their debt to me that they wouldn't take no for an answer..."
"That does sound like our order."
One of the knights smiled warmly upon hearing Lee Han's praise.
Of course, Lee Han cursed at him internally.
What do you mean, that does sound like us?!
"I had no idea you were so close with the order, Sir Wizard."
"Exactly. Had we known, we would've invited you the moment you arrived in the village."
Once you befriended one knight, it was easy to get along with the others around them.
From the knights' perspective, there was no reason not to welcome Lee Han, who not only seemed close with their comrade but also appeared to have strong ties with the Beech Knights themselves.
After some back-and-forth conversation, Lee Han casually asked the seniors:
"By the way, what was it you wanted to ask of them?"
"Ah. Just to... forcefully drive out any suspicious individuals in the village..."
'Called it.'
Though it sounded like a slightly unreasonable request, it was entirely possible if the knights put their minds to it.
The reason the knights didn't normally drive away travelers flooding into the village wasn't due to a lack of authority or ability—they simply didn't want to cause unnecessary commotion.
If expelled travelers spread bad rumors or caused trouble elsewhere, it would only create more headaches. So, as long as they had permission, they usually let them pass.
That being said, if they really wanted to, it was easy enough to find an excuse to kick someone out.
The seniors weren't asking them to drive out all travelers, just the blatantly suspicious ones, so it wasn't too much to ask...
"...And also, could you block other travelers from entering while we're inside?"
"...Let's pretend I didn't hear that and ask again, shall we?"
Lee Han was appalled by the shamelessness of these seniors.
Surprisingly, the knights even agreed to that shameless request.
"You're a benefactor of the Beech Knights. It's only right we do this much for you."
"What is a knight's honor if not this?"
'This isn't honor, it's corruption...'
Lee Han thought so, but since he was the one benefiting, he kept his mouth shut.
Who would've thought they'd agree to that request?
"From a wizard's perspective, suspicious travelers would naturally be a concern."
"We'll escort them out of the village and adjust the order of entry for you."
The knights even accompanied Lee Han's group to the open square in the middle of the village. As the knights waved and called out for them to enter carefully, the seniors muttered:
"Did the Wardanaz family bribe those knights or something?"
"Even if they did, I doubt it was that much..."
"No. We just happen to know each other."
"That's what you call knowing each other...!?"
"Wait, since when was 'knowing someone' this powerful?"
Lee Han's flimsy excuse left the seniors utterly bewildered.
If that was what counted as "knowing someone," then what had they been doing all this time?
"Anyway, you did really well, junior. Thanks to you, we can enter comfortably."
"Why don't you take some time to relax in the village like the other first-years? It's our job, but you've done everything, so we feel bad..."
-How dare you use a Black Magic Curse Deck!? Are you mocking me!?
-What does it matter what cards I use? Stop making excuses just because you lost!
"...Let's not relax that much."
"Hurry, go break it up!"
At Diret's shout, the seniors rushed off in a flurry.
Bak Deul-gul, dressed like a wealthy traveler enjoying his journey, was seated on the first floor of the Twittering Sparrow inn.
Like the other wizards and travelers, he had rented out the entire inn.
"It was convenient for their activities, and besides......Anti-Magic Zealots weren't exactly welcomed guests in the Empire."
Park Deul-gool sat there, utterly bewildered.
"Expelled, you say?"
"Yes..."
"Say that again."
"Well, you see..."
The subordinate, equally flustered, calmly explained again.
Two parties had been driven out of the village by the knights under suspicion, while another party had been kicked out after a massive altercation during some Wizard Card game.
Park Deul-gool's mouth fell open.
After all the trouble of hiring these parties, securing permits for them to enter the dimension, and now just waiting to go in...
Three out of four parties expelled?
It was so absurd he could hardly believe it.
Park Deul-gool scratched his cheek and lowered his voice.
"They didn't find out about us, did they?"
"N-no, absolutely not!"
The subordinate hastily denied it.
Though he appeared like some carefree vagabond with deep pockets, beneath that facade lurked a cold-blooded killer who wouldn't hesitate to slaughter his own men.
"If they'd found out, why would they only expel the other parties and leave us alone? That'd just raise suspicions for no reason!"
"Well..."
Park Deul-gool found the logic sound.
If their identities as Anti-Magic Zealots had been exposed, the knights would've surrounded the inn immediately—no need to drive out their accomplices and tip them off.
This was clearly just an unfortunate coincidence.
"Either some higher-up knight arrived, or they found some other excuse to pick on them. Damn it..."
Park Deul-gool fell silent, deep in thought.
Right now, his gang's top priority was gathering as many Manabane Mushrooms as possible.
For their grand scheme, they needed mountains of these rare fungi.
That's why they'd hired adventurers and mercenaries—only for their numbers to dwindle before they'd even begun.
"Fine. Contact the teams waiting outside."
"What should I tell them?"
"To retrieve the gold coins from the expelled ones."
"Sir Park Deul-gool... Given the temperament of the men we hired, I doubt they'll hand it over willingly in this situation..."
Most who took these kinds of jobs were shady, rough types—even if they failed due to their own mistakes, they rarely returned the advance payment without a fight.
"Obviously you don't just ask nicely. Kill them and take it."
"My... my apologies."
"With only one party left... I could understand if the knights were picking on them, but what kind of bastard gets himself kicked out over a Wizard Card game? Make his death especially painful."
"Apparently he lost to a Black Magic Curse Deck and flew into a rage."
"...Unbelievable. What rotten luck—running into such trash in this backwater village."
"Yes. Truly an unfathomable coincidence."
"Never mind. Just kill him painlessly then."
Park Deul-gool retracted his earlier order.
If he'd faced that kind of opponent, he could almost understand losing his temper.
"Know this—if anything else goes wrong, there will be no forgiveness. No more mistakes from here on out."
"I... I understand perfectly! Don't worry! We've already thoroughly bribed the knights. They'll notify us at least a day before anyone else!"
"Shh. Everyone, come out quietly. The dimension is approaching. It'll open within the hour."
When the knights cautiously knocked and whispered this message in the dead of night, Professor Mortum was taken aback.
He then turned to the Black Magic students and asked:
Cough... "How much did you pay them? You didn't use up all the guild funds, did you?"
"No, Professor."
"It was persuaded by this junior here."
Professor Mortum looked at Lee Han as if he were a monster, then nodded.
"Good that they gave us advance notice. Cough. Let's head in."
As the mages stepped outside, the knights spoke with confident expressions.
"We'll do our best to hide this information from others. If we handle it well, we might gain over two days' advantage."
"...Is this really acceptable?"
Lee Han had been trying to hold back but ultimately couldn't resist asking.
Is this really okay??
"For the sake of honor, this much is nothing."
"Have a safe journey."
"......"
Lee Han pondered what exactly knightly honor meant as he moved forward.
Since it wasn't even dawn yet, the students yawned as they walked along the narrow path.
"!"
Lee Han's expression was the first to stiffen. Professor Mortum noticed and remarked with admiration.
"You've already sensed the mana? I haven't even detected it yet."
"Ah. Gainando ate all his share of snacks..."
"......"
Professor Mortum felt awkward for no reason.
And the group continued walking.
"!!"
"...Did you really sense the mana..."
"Yes."
"Cough, excellent!"
Professor Mortum praised Lee Han. Fortunately, this time he had genuinely sensed the mana.
"Dark mana is gathering—is this the overlapping phenomenon?"
"Correct. Stagnant mana explosively causes anomalies under the influence of the surrounding environment."
Professor Mortum pointed ahead.
Though it was already dark, the mages could sense an even deeper darkness settling over that darkness.
"It's coming."
"Juniors, stay back. Don't get hurt by standing at the front unnecessarily."
BOOM!
A powerful mana wave, perceptible only to mages, erupted.
It was so intense that the seniors nearby staggered, swayed, or even dropped to their knees.
Diret barely kept his balance and glanced back at the first-years.
"Everyone alri... alright, then."
"It's just Lee Han who's fine...!"
Gainando, who had tripped over Raphael and fallen, grumbled as he got up.
Everyone except Lee Han was rolling on the ground.
"It's open. Everyone, move in!"
"Yes!"
"For gold coins! For prosperous Black Magic research!"
Shouting slogans they'd be too embarrassed to say in front of others, the seniors began running.
The knights tilted their heads in confusion and asked,
"What kind of magic was that just..."
"Then we'll see you later!"
Lee Han also hurried in, dragging his friends along.
"Damn it. A cave."
"Just our luck."
"Look on the bright side. Mushrooms grow more often in caves."
The Black Magic students grumbled after passing through the dimensional gate.
Originally, terrain in other dimensions didn't appear as the mages desired. Some degree of luck was required.
The best-case scenario was open, easily traversable terrain, but...
Dark, narrow, and maze-like cave terrain was far from ideal.
"Cough. Everyone, remember what you've learned. Use magic as carefully as possible. Black Magic even more so. Avoid fights if you can..."
As he spoke, Professor Mortum swung his staff. A darkvision spell was cast on everyone present.
"...Move slowly. Don't make loud noises. Don't overexert yourselves."
"Professor. I have a question."
Lee Han cautiously spoke up.
"Cough. What is it?"
"Is my mana going to be alright? I have a lot of it..."
At Lee Han's words, a senior nearby reassured him.
"Having more mana might make it a bit more tangled, but it's fine. I'll apply some ointment."
"Cough. That won't work for him."
"......"
"......"
"And it doesn't matter. With your level of mana, the undead in Zone 1 will probably flee."
The seniors were astonished.
Of course, they had learned that overwhelming mana could exert pressure beyond just being slightly abundant, but...
...to actually witness it in person!
"Senior?"
"Why, why are you calling me, Junior?"
"......"