Episode 661
Episode 661
Lee Han protested, but Professor Voladi ignored him.
He simply assumed his student was being modest out of courtesy.
"Lee Han. Weren't you practicing time magic earlier?"
"Hey. Be quiet."
"Ah, no... I was just saying..."
Gainando had casually mentioned it, thinking Lee Han might have forgotten, but when he received that murderous glare, he felt deeply wronged. 'What did I even do wrong?!' Professor Voladi began moving to treat the students to a meal.
After walking a few blocks, they came across a large two-story building with red brick walls. The signboard proudly displayed the words, "<Three Magpies> Restaurant — Operated by the Dwarf Brothers."
An excited Gainando explained the place to his friends.
"This place is great! They sell the second-best chicken pie in Plaha City and the third-best porterhouse steak!"
"Gainando. Thanks for the explanation, but the owner is glaring at us from the side."
Lee Han thought there might be dwarf saliva mixed into Gainando's steak.
"But, Professor. Do you come here often? It doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd frequent..."
"L-Lee Han. Even so, it's not like the Professor is so poor he can't afford the food here."
Gainando whispered with a frightened expression.
No matter how he looked at it, his friend was saying something completely insane.
"...I was talking about the menu. Ratford. Could you switch seats with Gainando here?"
"No! No way!"
Gainando resisted but was forcibly dragged away by his friends and made to switch seats.
"I don't want to sit next to Yoner!"
"Well, I don't want to sit next to you either, so how about you go sit downstairs?"
Ignoring the bickering friends, Lee Han glanced around.
Just by looking at the dishes other customers were enjoying, it was clear this was a meat-focused restaurant. Not the kind of place Professor Voladi, who preferred vegetarian meals, would usually visit.
"I come here when treating mercenaries or adventurers to meals. The reviews were good."
"!"
Lee Han shuddered as he realized Professor Voladi regularly hired mercenaries and adventurers.
What kind of insane schemes was he planning?
"Don't tell me... you've been doing this to prepare for this year's lectures?"
Professor Voladi displayed his composure, unfazed even by his student's foolish question.
"No. I finished preparing this year's lectures last year."
"......"
A chill ran down Lee Han's spine.
That was the most terrifying answer he'd heard all winter.
"Now, Eandurde. We'll have to wait until the bread basket arrives. No need to carve the meat yourself. And don't just stab it with a knife to eat it. Understood?"
"Can't we switch seats?"
"No. And Lee Han is already suffering enough because of the Professor, so don't make it worse."
Yoner sternly reprimanded the junior. Watching this, Professor Voladi spoke up.
"You can eat however you like. Like I said, mercenaries and adventurers come here too."
When Eandurde tried to throw aside his utensils and grab just a knife, Yoner glared at him sharply.
"No."
"But—"
"No. Pick them back up."
"Ugh..."
Eandurde thought to himself.
All of Lee Han's friends here were strict, but that professor seemed a bit more relaxed.
If he were to enter Einrogard, he'd have to learn all sorts of things...
Maybe attending that professor's laid-back lectures wouldn't be so bad.
Besides, Eandurde had a score to settle with that professor. 'I'll steal his secrets and get my revenge!' As Eandurde imagined the day he'd slam the professor to the ground and drummed the table with his fist, Yoner scolded him again.
"Don't bang the table like it's a musical instrument."
"...I want to switch seats..."
To shake off his fear, Lee Han spread butter on freshly baked bread and took a big bite.
Having something in his stomach made the dread of the terrifying classes awaiting him this year feel slightly diminished.
"Then why did you hire us?"
"Hmm."
Instead of answering, Professor Voladi looked at Lee Han with a slightly troubled expression.
That gaze suddenly made Lee Han uneasy.
'Why do I feel like I messed up?'
"It should be fine to tell you."
"Wait. If it's some dangerous secret, I'd rather not know."
If Professor Voladi had hired people to assassinate someone, Lee Han didn't want to hear about it.
What if Imperial investigators later came demanding, "What do you know?" and he had to plead, "I know nothing! I'm just a student!"
"It's nothing like that. I was just worried you might take too much interest in it."
"?"
Something Lee Han might take too much interest in?
'Did he raid an Imperial gold coin mint or something?'
"Let me explain one thing at a time. First, there are times when I hire people for requests."
"Ah."
Only then did Lee Han remember that Professor Voladi was both a mage and a professor.
Well, it wasn't strange for a mage to hire adventurers or mercenaries for requests.
From exploring ruins to gathering materials, there were plenty of tasks mages could delegate.
The odd ones were the mages who did everything themselves.
"Did you need help finding some materials?"
Professor Voladi slowly shook his head.
"I don't delegate requests."
"......"
Surprisingly, Professor Voladi wasn't the one giving requests—he was the one solving them.
Even adventurers and mercenaries sometimes faced requests too dangerous for them to handle alone, so he hired people to tackle them together...
'Is he hunting dragons or something??'
Lee Han couldn't even imagine what kind of requests would be dangerous enough for Professor Voladi to consider them risky.
At that level, shouldn't they just be outlawed by Imperial law?
"Wait. So when you said you were worried I might take too much interest, you meant in these kinds of requests?"
"To some extent, yes."
"That's an excessive worry, Professor. Unlike you, I have zero interest in dangerous requests."
"......"
"......"
His friends, who had been chatting away, all fell silent at once and stared at Lee Han.
Normally, they'd take his side, but this was just too much nonsense.
"The Ghoul King..."
"The Sea Serpent..."
"The Frost Giant..."
"Lord Wardanaz, honestly, you seem addicted to danger. You're sitting right next to the professor right now."
Even under his friends' sharp criticism, Lee Han stood his ground with genuine confidence.
Unlike Professor Voladi, who charged headfirst even when danger gaped wide before him, Lee Han always coolly and calmly analyzed the risks of any request.
"Well, that's a relief. I was worried about your impulsiveness."
"I've felt this for a while, Professor, but I think you might be misunderstanding me a little. Haha."
Just like before, Professor Voladi ignored him again.
People generally couldn't see their own flaws objectively.
Lee Han was an outstanding student, but his natural talent came with the flaw of impulsiveness—something the professors had to keep an eye on.
"But aside from companions for requests, is there another reason you needed to hire us?"
The professor nodded.
"Plaha City recently established a Duel Club."
"A Duel Club...?"
When people thought of duels, they usually imagined two people fighting to the death, but in the Empire, such extreme duels were mostly banned. Those kinds of fights could only be found in places like the Underground Arena.
The duels permitted by the Empire were usually more moderate—both parties swore to act honorably, witnesses were present, spectators were allowed, and the match ended as soon as someone was injured or shed a single drop of blood.
Of course, even these duels usually only happened when someone's honor had been insulted...
As always, there were exceptions.
People addicted to the thrill and danger of deadly blades and magic clashing, and the intoxicating glory of victory.
And those who wanted to witness such bloody battles firsthand.
Not to mention those who sought to profit from such people.
These were the types who primarily gathered at the Empire's Duel Clubs.
A place the cultured mocked as high society's legal fighting pits—not that they were entirely wrong!
"Wait, you're going there?"
Lee Han was starting to wonder if Professor Voladi had truly gone mad.
Had his inability to restrain himself from attacking students now driven him to seek out other unfortunate victims across the Empire?
"Yes."
"Do you have a reason for that? Are you looking to hone your magical combat skills?"
"No. Most Duel Clubs don't reach that level of skill. It's about the rewards."
Professor Voladi explained carefully.
When entering a Duel Club and engaging in mutually agreed-upon duels, bets could be placed not only by outside spectators but also between the participants themselves.
A simple rule: the winner takes whatever stakes the loser had wagered.
Whenever Professor Voladi needed funds, he would either gather mercenaries or adventurers for dangerous commissions—or tour the Empire's Duel Clubs.
And the latter was far more efficient for quick financial gain.
With all sorts of brats strutting around with their prized treasures and a single sword...
Unlike commissions, the reason for hiring mercenaries or adventurers when entering a Duel Club was due to participant limits.
Many didn't just engage in one-on-one duels but also group battles.
Regardless of how many opponents there were, crushing them wasn't an issue—so allies only needed to match the numbers.
'Good heavens!' Lee Han was stunned.
He had mistaken Professor Voladi's reluctance to haggle at the toy store earlier as naivety, but the professor was anything but ignorant of the world's ways.
'He's literally printing gold coins!'
If Lee Han were in Professor Voladi's shoes, he would have toured the Duel Clubs too.
Why bother with tedious commissions or teaching students when simply rotating through Duel Clubs could exponentially grow one's wealth?
"Professor. Let's sweep through every Duel Club across the Empire!"
"Can't do that. Bans get in the way."
"Huh?"
"If you win too much, the clubs ban you from entering."
"......"
Lee Han suddenly recalled what Professor Voladi had mentioned earlier:
—Plaha City had 'recently' established a Duel Club.
Recently.
He had glossed over it at the time, but now it clicked—
'This man has been banned from most Duel Clubs across the Empire, hasn't he?!'
That's why he had come to Plaha City, where a new Duel Club had just opened.
To quickly cash in before word spread and he got banned again!
Even those Wizard Cards sold at the toy store earlier were undoubtedly spoils from the Duel Clubs.
Lee Han reflected deeply.
'I was nothing.'
He had thought he was diligently building his wealth, but professors truly existed on a whole other plane of existence.
"I'm in awe, Professor. I'd love to visit a Duel Club myself someday."
"I thought you might say that."
While he had vehemently denied any interest in dangerous commissions earlier, he couldn't bring himself to reject the idea of Duel Clubs.
In fact, Lee Han was already contemplating how to grow his fortune through them.
Once his skills reached a certain level, he'd visit a Duel Club and...
'I won't be as blatant as the professor. Maybe win three times, lose once... Hmm, I'll find the highest win rate and adjust slightly below that. Hiring adventurers to take some losses wouldn't be bad either.'
As he plotted deviously enough to get himself kicked out on the spot if the club organizers heard, Professor Voladi finished his green tea and dabbed his lips with a handkerchief.
"Finished."
"Thank you for the meal, Professor!"
The students bowed in gratitude.
Professor Voladi nodded dismissively, then turned to Lee Han.
"Follow me. I'll introduce you to the club."
"......"
Lee Han was utterly flustered—his planned visit had been accelerated by a good ten years.