Episode 689
Episode 689
As the small commotion at the mansion came to an end, Lee Han's group quickly began their preparations.
Thanks to Lady Kraha's kindness, the time needed to procure necessary supplies in Plaha City was significantly reduced.
At the same time, a few unnecessary items were also added.
"Hey, Gainando, come out with that silver pot you stuffed your Wizard Cards in."
"Why me? It could be someone else!"
"Alright, we're done? Let's go! Move out!"
After completing the final check, Lee Han climbed onto the carriage and gave the signal.
Clatter clatter
Inside the carriage, the friends were already discussing with serious expressions which of the secured supplies should be prioritized for smuggling into Einrogard.
"Shouldn't food come first?"
"I think a little differently. Starting from our second year, we'll be able to interact with seniors, right? The seniors will likely have more food supplies than us, so food might not be as scarce as it was in our first year. Instead, bringing in luxury items like coffee, tea leaves, or sugar might give us an advantage in trades."
"Wouldn't the seniors share some food with us?"
"Probably... not."
"If I were a senior, I don't think I'd share my food with juniors."
"Food and personal preferences are important, but I'm worried about second-year classes. I've heard that from the second year onward, the difficulty of lectures increases, and club activities are added on top of that. Plus, we'll have to conduct our own research and secure research funds—shouldn't we prepare for that?"
"Yoner makes a good point. It might be better to bring in external Magic Tomes or Artifacts, or at the very least, reagents."
"But magazines or Wizard Cards could be good trade items for seniors starved for entertainment..."
'These brats. If only they focused this hard on exam prep.'
Lee Han shot his friends a sidelong glance.
Of course, it was good that they were all putting their heads together seriously, but if only they had been this diligent during exam season.
"Lord Wardanaz, is something troubling you? Why do you look so..."
"Haha. I just suddenly got nervous thinking about the new semester starting soon."
Lee Han deftly changed the subject as he took his seat.
Siana laughed as well.
"Haha. As if Lord Wardanaz would get nervous over something like that. You're joking, right?"
"...No, I can get nervous too..."
"Lee Han. What do you think?"
"Hm?"
Derqu and Ratford, who had been deep in discussion, called out to Lee Han. Both wore serious expressions.
"This isn't about something trivial, is it? Like which Wizard Cards are better."
"Of course we wouldn't call you over for that."
The two looked mildly offended.
At their reaction, Gainando flinched. Whenever debates like this broke out among the Blue Dragon Tower friends, Lee Han was usually the one they called on.
"We were just talking about the seniors."
While deciding which items to prioritize for smuggling was important, an even bigger question was what methods they should use.
On this point, Lee Han's friends agreed that they would need to rely on the seniors' help.
Having tried more methods and knowing more spells than their juniors, the seniors would naturally have a broader perspective.
The problem was which seniors to ask for help.
Derqu wanted to seek assistance from the White Tiger Tower seniors, who excelled in Transformation Magic and Enhancement Magic, while Ratford preferred the Black Turtle Tower seniors, rumored to include skilled thieves.
"Surely none of our priest seniors are good at smuggling...? Hmph."
'Isn't that a good thing?'
Nilia thought to herself as she watched Siana sulk.
"Wait a minute."
Lee Han pulled out a tightly rolled piece of paper from his coat pocket. Yoner looked at it curiously.
"What's that?"
"One of the seniors gave it to me as a reference for smuggling."
"You sure it's not just a fake labeled 'Smuggling Reference'? The Shadow Patrol does that a lot."
"...W-well, it could be, but that senior isn't like that."
Lee Han answered with confidence in Diret.
While Einrogard seniors were certainly capable of such pranks, Diret wasn't one of them... Probably.
"Probably."
[Smuggling Precautions (Burn After Reading)]
1.
Do not trust your seniors.
2.
Do not do it with your seniors.
3.
Do not trust your seniors, nor do it with them.
"......"
"......"
"Let's just do it among ourselves..."
"...That would be better."
The students bitterly reflected on their own naive assumptions.
Upon reflection, there was no way seniors would purely help their juniors while bearing all the risks themselves.
If they were Einrogard seniors, they would absolutely use their juniors as bait and betray them without hesitation!
Granden City, just before the start of Einrogard's new academic year, had an atmosphere quite different from usual.
For one thing, professors were stationed atop the city gates.
"Professor Thunderstep. Good to see you."
"Ah, Dhumcha. You've been well?"
"Yes! I managed to gather quite a bit over winter break."
"Glad to hear your training paid off. Go on in. Don't cause trouble."
Professor Thunderstep yawned from atop the gate.
Students who had spent their first and second years at Einrogard usually arrived much earlier than the start of the new term.
Though it was obvious they were preparing for smuggling, the professors didn't pay much attention.
Even if students smuggled, it was only the Skeleton Principal who got irritated—the professors didn't really care.
What mattered more was maintaining order in Granden City.
If students were let loose recklessly and accidents were left unchecked, even the tolerant citizens of Granden City might add "Ban on Einrogard Students" to city ordinances.
"Professor Bagrak. Good to see you. Did you have a good break?"
"I visited a new Duel Club."
"...There was still a Duel Club you hadn't been banned from?!"
Tuning out the professors' conversation behind him, Dhumcha headed to the meeting spot.
There was a place where he was supposed to meet up with his fellow Black Turtle Tower students.
"Dhumcha, over here!"
"You're all here already."
"Who'd be late? We're not idiots."
The Black Turtle Tower students, now third-years after completing their second year, had firm and unwavering gazes.
The meaning behind those gazes was clear:
'We won't be the only ones suffering this time.'
They had the bitter experience of arriving early in Granden City after their first year, only to be tricked by seniors and used as bait.
-"Hey, are you first-years at Einrogard?"
-"Yes. Are you seniors...?"
-"That's right! Say, have you heard about smuggling?"
-"Smuggling?"
-"Oh dear. There's this tradition at Einrogard..."
-"Gasp! We had no idea!"
-"Don't worry. You can just join our group. How about it?"
-"Th-thank you!"
At first, they had been moved by the seniors' kindness, thinking, 'Even in this slaughterhouse-like Einrogard under the Skeleton Principal, trust and faith still exist.' But that was a delusion.
In Einrogard, a senior who speaks kindly is the most dangerous of all.
The moment they passed the main gate, Dhumcha and his friends' luggage piles suddenly transformed into gargoyles and began attacking the Headmaster and his minions!
Amid the chaos, the seniors swiftly smuggled in the items they needed, while Dhumcha and his friends learned a very expensive lesson.
And this year, they fully intended to pass that lesson on to the new students.
"You know what, Dhumcha? We have to approach them before anyone else does."
"Yeah, I know."
Dhumcha nodded.
They weren't the only wicked seniors planning to use the freshmen as bait.
There were at least two or three other groups lurking around.
To get ahead of them, they had to move fast and win the newcomers' trust.
Fortunately, Dhumcha had a weapon.
As a dwarf, he had the stubborn, honest face of a typical dwarven craftsman—someone who didn't seem capable of lying.
So much so that one senior, thinking he was from a blacksmith guild, had entrusted him with a commission and lost their money.
This kind of impression was especially effective when dealing with other races.
"Just wait. I'll—"
"Dhumcha, over there! Look!"
"!"
The students' eyes widened and sparkled.
In the distance, a group of students was walking toward them.
They were unmistakably mages from Einrogard, yet their faces looked young and unfamiliar.
They were clearly first-years who would soon become second-years.
'Wait a minute?' Dhumcha felt puzzled.
The composition of the first-years seemed a bit odd.
They looked like they could be from the Blue Dragon Tower, the Phoenix Tower, the White Tiger Tower, or the Black Turtle Tower...
For a moment, he wondered if they were all mixed together, but that couldn't be possible. Why would students from different towers travel together like this?
"Dhumcha! Hurry!"
"Got it. I'm going now!"
Dhumcha cleared his throat and quickly dashed forward.
Then he called out.
"Hey, are you guys students from Einrogard?"
"Are you perhaps our seniors?"
"I'm not a suspicious person or— Huh? Wait, how did you know I was your senior?"
Dhumcha was slightly taken aback by the words of the noble-looking boy in front of him, who resembled a sculpture.
Normally, the usual reactions here were either "Who are you?" or "Are you the Skeleton Principal's lackey? Damn it!"
"If you're an Einrogard student, then you must be my senior, right?"
"...Oh. Impressive. You're right."
Dhumcha introduced himself, and Lee Han followed suit.
"I'm Lee Han of the Wardanaz family."
"What family?"
"The Wardanaz family."
Perhaps because the surroundings were noisy, it was hard to hear. But since the family name wasn't important anyway, Dhumcha simply nodded.
'Must be a Blue Dragon Tower student. This should be even easier to fool.'
"Follow me. I have something important to tell you."
"What kind of thing...?"
"A hidden secret of Einrogard!"
Dhumcha took Lee Han to the Inn of Ten Thousand Schemes.
It was a secluded and dimly lit place, with its windows blocked even in broad daylight, making it popular among Einrogard students.
"...So..."
Smuggling...
It's an Einrogard tradition..."
"...Gasp..."
We...
Would never...
How could we... What should we do..."
"...It's not..."
Too late..."
"...Thank..."
You..."
After about an hour of conversation, Dhumcha was certain that the junior in front of him had completely fallen for it.
"Thank you, Senior Dhumcha! Meeting you is the greatest fortune of my life!"
"It's nothing. It's also your luck that you were willing to listen. Some people don't believe advice even when it's given."
Dhumcha maintained the dignified air of a fake craftsman as he replied.
"Then, on the day the school gates open, I'll see you at the promised location!"
Lee Han nodded and then stared intently at the pile of luggage stacked in the corner of the inn.
Under that gaze, Dhumcha flinched.
Some of those luggage piles were actually Bone-catching Parrots in disguise—creatures that would revert to their parrot forms upon command and start screeching "Skeleton Principal, you fool!" while making a ruckus.
Naturally, they couldn't be placed in Dhumcha's group's luggage—they were meant to be hidden in the juniors' belongings.
But now that the junior was staring right at them, he couldn't help but flinch.
"...What's wrong?"
"You seniors have already finished all your preparations. I'm in awe."
"W-Well, of course. You'll also become more prepared as time passes."
"Truly admirable, moving, and awe-inspiring!"
"Why are you making such a fuss over this?"
Dhumcha saw Lee Han off with a proud feeling.
'...'
But is this kid really from the Blue Dragon Tower?'
He's way too polite for that...
"Lee Han, what are you doing now?"
"He said he memorized the seniors' spells and is analyzing them."
"I see."
Gainando gathered his Wizard Cards in a hurry and turned away. Seeing this, Siana couldn't help but ask in disbelief.
"W-Wait, shouldn't you be a little surprised?"
Siana had been shocked to hear that Lee Han had memorized the spells he saw on the spot and was now analyzing them.
How was that even possible?
But Gainando just looked at her in confusion.
"Huh? Did he fail?"
"No, he didn't fail, but... well..."
"Then why should I be surprised?"
From inside, Lee Han's voice rang out—"All done!"