Episode 547
Episode 547
"Today's task is to read through these commission requests and sort out the gems from the junk."
Mages liked to think of themselves as the brilliant vanguard of the Empire's intellect, but the truth was, mages weren't always the sharpest tools in the shed.
Especially when it came to contracts and commissions.
If they tangled with the Empire's most seasoned swindlers—career con artists who'd spent lifetimes fleecing people—even Einrogard mages could be taken for a ride in the blink of an eye.
"Since these are real commission requests, feel free to apply if any catch your interest!"
"Are these meant for vacation periods?"
"Yes, yes! Usually, they're for breaks! Some students take them during the semester, but academics should always come first."
Hearing the professor's explanation, the students buzzed with chatter.
"People actually take commissions during the semester?"
"Are they insane?"
"It's possible, you know, you brats."
Without realizing it, Lee Han snapped to their defense.
Given that he was currently stuck with a commission forcibly arranged by Professor Alpen, he couldn't just listen quietly—it stung.
"Do you have any idea how much money gets burned on lectures, experiments, and research? Every single coin counts. Even mid-semester, sometimes you have to take a commission."
"O-okay, Wardanaz. Our bad."
"Why are you so mad? You're not still upset about us cheering when you got hit earlier, are you?"
The students flinched and backed off.
They hadn't expected Wardanaz to defend the idea that passionately.
'Still, no matter how desperate you are, taking commissions during the semester seems extreme.'
'We can barely keep up with studies as it is.'
Help Wanted!
-Must be of human race!
-No drinking habits!
-Must be healthy with no chronic illnesses!
-No prior history of magical experimentation!
...
"Whoa. Lee Han. Lee Han! This one's a total freebie!"
Gainando was thrilled—he'd found a commission that perfectly matched Lee Han's usual "I want an easy win" mentality.
After carefully reading the request, Lee Han called the professor over.
"Professor. I think we need to report this to the guards."
"?!"
Interested in working at the Maykin Family's Alchemy Workshop?
-Guild-certified alchemists preferred!
-Night shifts available!
-Those capable of going without sleep for over a week highly preferred!
Long-term employment comes with the following benefits...
'Shouldn't we report this one too?'
Lee Han hesitated slightly.
It was obviously a posting by Yoaner's older sister, Yoanen.
'Well, I might end up working for her again next break, so I'll let it slide.'
The students sifted through the requests with keen interest.
Since most had worked summer jobs before, they were on the lookout for decent commissions.
"This one looks good."
"I'll take this."
Unlike the sketchy requests, the popular ones among students were all pretty similar.
Magic Tome Translation Needed!
-Seeking translation for a magic tome discovered in ruins. Bonus payment if sold at high value!
Magic Tutoring Required
-Seeking a mage capable of teaching 1st Circle Magic, such as Light Creation or Flame Creation.
-Those falsely claiming to be mages will be politely declined (retaliation possible upon failure).
'Wait. There are way more decent commissions than I expected.'
Lee Han looked at Professor Logine with newfound respect.
Having struggled to find decent work during past breaks, he immediately recognized the quality of these commissions.
As a former Imperial bureaucrat, the professor's connections brought in requests on a whole other level compared to Lee Han's usual fare.
Sure, there were plenty of weird ones too, but those were clearly included as teaching material...
'Respect, Professor.'
Professor Logine, who had been chatting with Oripulas, suddenly grew flustered when Wardanaz shot him a gaze brimming with admiration.
"What happened while we were talking?"
"Your lectures must have earned the mage's respect. That's something to be proud of."
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? How many lectures do you think you're attending?"
Professor Rogine was exceptionally skilled at self-awareness.
There was no way the Wardanaz student, who was attending all the most prestigious lectures in Einrogard, would give such a look over a mere request sheet for a lecture like this.
"The magic tome interpretation or translation requests seem good."
"I'm more suited for tutoring. I think I can handle teaching at this level."
Requests that involved risking one's life in dungeons or ruins weren't actually that appealing to mages.
Since there were plenty of places eager to utilize a mage's abilities, safe and comfortable requests were abundant.
Among them, tasks like translating or interpreting magic tomes, or teaching magic, were golden opportunities to easily fill the empty pockets of Einrogard students.
"But who requested this one?"
"A merchant, perhaps?"
"Could be a mage too..."
Even if magic tomes weren't written in cryptic scripts, unless deciphered by the mage who wrote them, outsiders couldn't easily understand them.
However, to sell or appraise them, the contents still needed to be analyzed or interpreted.
This was where orthodox mages like Einrogard students were in high demand.
"Now, now. These translation requests are generally good! You've all made excellent choices. But keep one thing in mind—if the request comes from merchants or collectors, it's fine, but if it's from another mage, refuse! Most mages are, after all, morally bankrupt individuals!"
"...?"
"???"
The students tilted their heads in confusion as they listened, sensing something odd.
Of course, most mages in the Empire lacked the ability to interpret such magic tomes.
Mages who had learned magic through self-study without proper magical education only knew how to wield their own spells.
And such mages, acutely aware of their lack of skill or knowledge, often became obsessed with interpreted magic tomes—so much so that they'd go to any lengths to obtain them.
Naturally, getting involved with such mages never ended well, so refusing was the right choice, but...
Somehow, hearing it put that way felt a little strange?
"What about these teaching requests?"
"Ah, those are good too! It's wonderful that so many people in the Empire are interested in magic."
Mages carried an honorable image befitting their intellect.
Unsurprisingly, among the Empire's noble families and newly wealthy households, many wished for their children to become mages.
But some were reluctant to send their bloodline to boarding schools.
For such people, mages occasionally took on the role of private tutors, staying at their mansions or estates to teach magic to the family members.
"These requests are generally good too! You've all chosen well. But remember this—you must first check the family's reputation. What do you think will happen if you take on work for a family with a bad reputation?"
"Gasp. They might refuse to pay in gold?"
Lee Han asked in a fearful voice.
Professor Rogine shook his head.
"Of course, they might not pay, but that's a trivial matter."
'How is that trivial?'
"If things go wrong, you could be forcibly detained in the mansion and forced to keep teaching magic. So be careful! Those who want to learn magic are usually quite ruthless."
The students buzzed in shock at the professor's explanation.
Since finding an outstanding mage to teach was rare, people would go to great lengths to keep one once found.
But hearing it firsthand was still a shock.
"L-Lee Han, what if I get trapped during a home visit?"
"Hmm. Gainando, Black Magic usually isn't..."
Lee Han was about to reassure Gainando by saying, 'People usually don't ask to be taught Black Magic,' when—
"What if they lock me up and only give me chocolate? Should I pretend to give in to the coercion?"
"Wouldn't the headmaster come looking for us if we don't return by the end of the break anyway...?"
After sorting through the strange requests with his friends as much as possible, Lee Han picked up a few useful-looking requests—some for interpreting magic tomes and others for teaching.
'Hehe. I'll handle these once the vacation starts.'
However, Lee Han's face soon stiffened.
The other friends had also begun picking up the exact same requests he had chosen.
Of course, it was only natural—the good requests were bound to overlap.
"...I should apply first..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"It's nothing, Gainando."
Lee Han snatched the "Seeking a Master of Wizard Cards" request from Gainando's grasp and casually tossed it aside.
* * *
By Wednesday, the snow began falling even harder.
The students' expressions grew complicated as they watched the snow pile up rapidly.
Having already experienced it during the first semester, they knew just how painful it would be once the school was buried in snow.
"Get the sleds from inside!"
"One, two! One, two!"
At the very least, thanks to Lee Han and his friends working hard during their Enchantment Magic lectures, they had all sorts of winter preparations ready.
But not a single student among them thought that this level of preparation would be enough.
"Why are those White Tiger Tower bastards bringing out sleds? Are they seriously planning to have horses pull them?"
"Horses would be dangerous in this weather... Hey, those bastards! They're pulling them themselves!"
Dividing their forces—some pulling the sleds while others rode on them, starting with the White Tiger Tower students—the Black Turtle Tower students worked to create paths by connecting ropes and poles outside the dormitory towers.
Having endured several trials already, the students might have grumbled or cursed, but they didn't collapse.
"Hard work. Hard work."
Professor Thunderstep, gliding down on long skis, clicked his tongue as he surveyed the surroundings.
"I should probably reduce the lecture load a bit. You won't even have time to study with all this work."
"Professor...!"
Lee Han looked at Professor Thunderstep with the same gaze he had given Professor Rosinante earlier.
Was a person's true nature revealed in times of crisis?
"Ah, right. Unwanted guests keep visiting the garden, so I'll need your help, Wardanaz."
"...But didn't you just say the students wouldn't even have time to study?"
Lee Han replied, dumbfounded.
First, he expresses concern for the students, then immediately asks Lee Han for additional work?
Was Lee Han not considered a student?
"Ah. Right. That's true. My apologies, Wardanaz. I unconsciously thought of you separately."
"......"
"I've prepared some food for you."
"So, what's the matter?"
Instead of nitpicking, Lee Han got straight to the point.
Lately, due to the heavy snowfall, the amount of food harvested from the garden had been dwindling.
Some cold-resistant vegetables and eggs were fine, but everything else was blocked.
Professor Thunderstep, who always managed to procure ample ingredients from the kitchen or outside, would be a great help.
"Unwanted guests, you say? If they're too strong, I might have trouble dealing with them."
"They're not strong."
As he walked, Professor Thunderstep suddenly grew curious and asked again.
"But what do you consider 'strong'? My standards might be a bit different, so I'm just asking."
"...Just tell me what they are."
"Spirits. Ice Spirits."
"!"
Lee Han brightened at those words.
They said that as winter arrived and the cold grew stronger, spirits would come riding on the snow.
To think Ice Spirits would actually appear nearby!
If Lee Han went to the Spirit World, the spirits would flee, making it difficult—but reality was the opposite.
Since the spirits were coming to him, even if they noticed Lee Han late, escaping wouldn't be so easy.
"Are these Ice Spirits like the ones you showed us before, Professor?"
"Indeed."
"They seemed quite capable in many ways."
"Correct."
"Would I perhaps have a chance to form a contract with one this time?"
"That's impossible."
"......"
Lee Han glared at Professor Thunderstep.