Episode 688
Episode 688
"I know it's tough, but if you try during the semester..."
Suddenly finding himself the pitiable junior, Lee Han desperately tried to defend himself, but Diret and Ilendil shook their heads coldly.
No matter how he looked at it, bringing items in at the start of the new semester was a far more feasible method.
"I understand. But doesn't the Headmaster inspect us when the new semester begins?"
"Correct."
Even the freshmen had experienced this.
After passing through Einrogard's main gate, what followed was the Skeleton Principal's inspection.
During this process, any items, snacks, or even servants that the freshmen had secretly brought in were all confiscated and expelled outside.
Diret dragged over a chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk.
Seizing the opportunity, he decided to explain as thoroughly as possible for his junior's sake.
"But there's always a loophole in every rule."
'He looks unusually cool today.'
Lee Han gazed at his senior with eyes full of admiration as he applied principles of magic theory to smuggling explanations.
He looked several times more impressive than when teaching black magic.
-Mixing with Luggage
Detection Risk: ★★★★☆
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Capacity Limit: ★★★☆☆
"As you know, Einrogard's rules don't block legitimate items."
Though the Skeleton Principal was a spiteful person, he didn't prohibit the circulation of all items.
He didn't ban items that students obtained within Einrogard or through Einrogard-related activities.
Take Lee Han's Morning Star, for example—wasn't that such an item?
And even excluding special cases like Lee Han, as students advanced in grade, the number of items they needed to bring out from Einrogard increased.
Since they had to study even during vacations, they had to carry out various research materials and magic tomes.
Diligent students made good use of this pile of luggage when returning to school.
"This luggage pile is more jumbled than you'd think, making it surprisingly easy to hide things in. Even if a sack of coffee beans or an artifact of bread dough gets mixed in, it's not easy to notice."
"But if they inspect thoroughly..."
"Right. No method is flawless."
Diret continued writing on the board.
-Tossing In
Detection Risk: ★★★☆☆
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Capacity Limit: ★★★★☆
Einrogard was a territory protected by powerful magic, but it had the weakness of being excessively vast.
As evidenced by the steady stream of intruders every year, if one was determined enough, it wasn't impossible to create a hole from the outside to the inside.
"If you wander around the school's outer grounds, you'll occasionally find spots where the flow of magic weakens. You can toss contraband through those areas."
"That doesn't sound like a bad method, so why is the detection risk so high?"
"Because the Headmaster periodically releases Dimensional Hounds to retrieve the smuggled goods first."
"......"
Trapped in this cat-and-mouse game, Lee Han was at a loss for words.
Well, it wasn't like the Skeleton Principal would just sit back and watch these smuggling attempts.
"And in remote areas, before the Headmaster's minions arrive, other monsters often damage or steal the items, so the recovery rate isn't high."
Diret spoke with a hint of regret.
If not for Einrogard's harsh environment, better methods might have been possible.
"Occasionally, some reckless people try punching holes in the magic near the main gate to toss in contraband, but that's also a risky method."
"Disrupting the defensive magic protecting the school walls temporarily does sound dangerous."
"Huh? No, it's because making holes near the main gate makes it easier to get caught. You're more likely to be tracked."
"...Wait, disrupting the defensive magic...?"
"That's the Headmaster's problem to deal with."
Ilendil nodded in agreement at Diret's words.
Watching them, Lee Han felt slightly dizzy.
Truly, the seniors of Einrogard were as ruthless as expected.
"If it's a student's duty to smuggle things in, then it's the Skeleton Principal's duty to clean up the mess!"
"Besides this classic and basic method, many other approaches have been attempted."
-Transformation Magic
Detection Risk: ★★☆☆☆
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Capacity Limit: ★★☆☆☆
-Pocket Dimension Utilization
Detection Risk: ★☆☆☆☆
Difficulty: ★★★★★
Capacity Limit: ★★★☆☆
"Mainly, Transformation Magic and pocket dimension artifacts..."
"How do you smuggle using Transformation Magic?"
At Lee Han's question, Ilendil kindly demonstrated. A potion bottle slipped between his strands of hair and vanished.
"Many students also store things inside their stomachs. It's a particularly popular method among larger-bodied races. As for pocket dimensions, you use artifacts imbued with spatial magic to hide items."
Diret, whose throat seemed a bit dry, took a sip of tea before continuing.
"There are plenty of other smuggling methods besides these. What I've explained are just the most well-known ones. The key to success lies in how you combine different techniques."
The seasoned students of Einrogard never relied on just one method for smuggling.
In fact, they tried as many approaches as possible—never putting all their eggs in one basket. Even if 99 out of 100 attempts failed, succeeding just once was enough to make it worthwhile!
This was the fundamental smuggling strategy of Einrogard. As long as they succeeded just once, all other failures were still a net gain.
"The Headmaster's inspection methods change every year, so luck plays a role too. Sometimes he checks meticulously, other times he just skims through. So, junior, if there's something you want to bring in, you should start preparing now."
Diret's impromptu lecture was worth its weight in gold.
Lee Han, deeply impressed, nodded solemnly.
"Thank you so much, senior. I'm truly moved."
"R-Really? That much?"
"It might be the most memorable lecture I've ever attended."
"Really?"
Diret almost looked pleased before pausing.
'Wait... He found this more impressive than the Black Magic I taught last semester?'
That stung a little...
Ilendil, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
"What do you think will be the trending smuggling method this year?"
"Hmm. Rumor has it some are planning to create fake students and hide things inside them, but I'm not sure exactly how."
"......"
Lee Han, who had been pondering the best method, flinched at his seniors' ideas.
Truly, Einrogard's seniors were anything but ordinary.
"Guys! We're in big trouble!!"
"???"
"Wh-What's wrong?!"
Their friends, still deep in slumber after their grueling mountain ordeal, jolted awake when Lee Han barged into their dorm and pounded on the door.
"We're already late!"
"...Huh? Huh?! I-Is it the start of the semester already?"
Gainando frantically checked the calendar.
Fortunately, the date marked "End of the World"—the start of the new semester—was still some time away.
"It's not even close!"
"Gainando. Now isn't the time to relax just because there's over a week left. Everyone else is already preparing."
'Where have I heard this before?' Gainando tilted his head in confusion.
It sounded eerily similar to what Lee Han often said during exam prep.
-Huff... huff... We've done enough, can't we take a break? Maybe play a round of Wizard Cards...
-Gainando. Now isn't the time to relax just because we've gotten this far. Everyone else is preparing! We need to do more!
-Th-That's insane! You're saying those guys are ahead of me?!
-Of course. I checked the White Tiger Tower kids' progress—they're way ahead of you.
-Eek...!
Later, Gainando would learn that the White Tiger Tower students were actually behind him.
Even now, recalling that betrayal left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Y-You're not tricking me again, are you?!"
"Gainando. 'Again'? Are you saying I've deceived you before?"
"N-Not... not exactly..."
"How could you say that? When have I ever deceived you? On what month and day?"
"No, but when you put it like that, I can't just recall it on the spot..."
"So you're doubting your friend over something you can't even remember right now?"
"...I was wrong... What do I need to do?"
Gainando gave up and shut his mouth.
No matter what he said, it wouldn't get through to Lee Han in that state.
"Everyone, get up! We need to hurry and prepare to leave for Granden City."
"What's going on? Why are we leaving so suddenly?"
Alsicle looked at Lee Han and the students in surprise.
"Lord Pengerin. There's something I overlooked."
"Wh-what? Don't tell me the semester start date was different? That's exactly the kind of thing Headmaster Gonadaltes would pull."
Alsicle wondered if the Skeleton Principal had given them a false start date.
A clever trick—casting a spell that changes the numbers over time to catch careless students off guard.
If anyone would do it, it was the Skeleton Principal.
"That's not it. We need to go to Granden City now to prepare for smuggling."
"Oh, that...Wait, what? Prepare what?"
"Smuggling. Smuggling."
"...Ah! Into Einrogard!"
For a moment, Alsicle debated whether to report this to the imperial authorities before belatedly realizing—
Of course, students of Einrogard would be thinking about smuggling.
"You have to go now to prepare for that?"
"Yes. The upperclassmen said they arrived earlier to get ready."
"I see..."
Nodding, Alsicle suddenly had a thought.
Was it really right for the future pillars of the empire to pour this much passion and time into smuggling?
But Lee Han and his friends' expressions were far too serious and fervent for him to voice that concern.
"Truly... I hadn't considered that. You've struck my weak spot."
"I didn't think of it either, Ratford. We got complacent over the break. The Headmaster must've exploited that gap. The later we arrive, the happier he'd be."
"First, we need to decide what to smuggle in. How much food do we have left now...?"
"The Blue Dragon Tower has five sacks of flour, six sacks of rice, one crate of cheese, and some dried meat..."
Lee Han and his friends pored over the inventory list they'd compiled right before winter break, deep in thought.
What should they bring to last the entire year?
Alsicle sensed movement behind him and turned. A dazzling light seeped from behind a veil.
It was Lady Kraha.
"Lord Pengerin. What exactly are you all doing?"
"Uh, well, you see... We were just preparing for the new semester by studying..."
-No, we don't need chocolate right now!
-Chocolate is practically a necessity! Can you guys even study without it? Can you survive without hot cocoa?!
-That's... a sharp observation...!
The students kept chattering about smuggling before Alsicle could even explain.
Seeing this, Alsicle bowed his head in defeat.
What kind of senior mage was he if he couldn't even stop this?! 'But it's unfair. That Wardanaz kid is just abnormal...'
"How delightful to see."
"...?!"
Alsicle was taken aback by Lady Kraha's words.
Surprisingly, she didn't seem angry at all.
"Uh... Is this... acceptable?"
"Look. Aren't they earnestly discussing magic among friends?"
-This bastard! I'm never lending you the crossword puzzle again!
-Let go of that! And we don't need the crossword!
Though they had escalated to grabbing each other's collars mid-"magic discussion," Lady Kraha looked thoroughly pleased.
"Everyone. Your enthusiasm is truly moving. If you need any supplies, the Kraha Family will provide whatever you require."
"!"
"Uh... Wh-what?"
Ratford unconsciously released Gainando's collar. Noticing this, Lady Kraha gestured warmly.
"You may keep holding him if you wish."
"Th-thank you."
Ratford grabbed Gainando's collar again. Gainando coughed but insisted they had to include the magazines.