Episode 711

Lee Han felt unfairly treated by the unexpectedly intense reaction.

It was the seniors who had rushed him to make a quick decision, and now they were reacting like this?

Moreover, he couldn't understand why the alias "Gonadaltes" was such a problem.

Everyone else was using names of ancient figures like "Bakwantalana" or "Iactus," so why couldn't he?

Gonadaltes: "Is there something wrong with it?"

Iactus: "Everything is wrong. This Gonadal— ugh. I can't even say it. It's genuinely creepy."

Iactus shuddered before he could even point out the issues with Lee Han's alias.

It was an ominous name to the point of being unbearable to utter.

Magic was a theoretical and logical discipline, but it was also a skill deeply influenced by a mage's emotional state.

Even if it was just an alias, how could he choose the most ill-omened name in the Empire?

Bakwantalana: "An alias... is a personal choice. We can't really say anything about it."

Iactus: "Seriously? Even if it's freedom, there should be limits. Do you want me to feel like I'm talking to the Skeleton Principal every time?"

Bakwantalana: "We should at least have the intelligence to distinguish between an alias and reality."

Iactus: "Be honest, Bakwantalana. You wouldn't want to talk to a 'Gonadaltes' either, would you? I can handle talking to a 'Bakwantalana.' Why? Because Bakwantalana isn't going to smash through the dormitory door and drag me to the Punishment Room. But Gonadaltes? That's a whole different story!"

Gonadaltes: "Should I change it to 'Verdus' then?"

Iactus: "......"

Iactus realized that this new recruit was no ordinary lunatic.

'What the hell is wrong with this guy?'

No matter how vast Einrogard was, he never expected to encounter someone this insane.

'Is he a fifth or sixth-year senior?'

To casually use the Skeleton Principal's name as an alias required a level of madness beyond the ordinary.

He suspected one would have to be at least a sixth-year to even consider it.

Frankly, Iactus doubted he could ever bring himself to use the name "Gonadaltes," even if he reached sixth year...

'But that's beyond my comprehension.'

As someone who would never make it to fifth year, he couldn't judge prematurely.

Iactus subtly tested the newcomer.

Iactus: "Are you from the Enchantment Magic faction?"

Gonadaltes: "Yes. How did you know?"

'No way.'

Iactus clicked his tongue.

Professor Verdus' infamy wasn't limited to just the Enchantment Magic faction. Students from all factions were well aware of his notoriety.

The fact that this mad senior had brought up Verdus' name probably meant he wasn't from the Enchantment Magic faction—otherwise, he would have avoided it at all costs.

Since Iactus himself had deliberately chosen an unrelated alias, he felt certain.

Bakwantalana: "Weren't we gathered here to resist the tyrant's oppression? We can't keep trembling over a mere alias. If anything, this is a good opportunity. Let's all overcome our fears."

Iactus: "Fair point. Why don't you sleep with a skeleton hanging from your ceiling while you're at it?"

Though he grumbled, Iactus half-gave up on convincing the new member to change his alias.

A senior with that kind of personality wasn't going to back down just because of a few words from Iactus.

Besides, according to the club's rules, choosing an alias was a personal freedom—so there was nothing more to say.

Iactus: "Do whatever you want. I just hope none of us end up with heart attacks later."

Bakwantalana: "If you're a member here, you should be able to handle that much."

Gonadaltes: "Exactly, exactly."

Iactus: "......"

The headache from dealing with this insane senior was already creeping up. Iactus quickly made a decision.

'I need to change the topic fast.'

Iactus: "So, as a newcomer, do you have any news to share?"

Gonadaltes: "What kind of news are you talking about?"

Iactus: "Anything. A missing professor returning, a forgotten lecture resuming, the location of the Skeleton Principal's treasure... I'll pay generously, so just say anything."

Gonadaltes: "Professor Bendozol has returned. The Time Magic lectures have resumed."

"!!!!"

Iactus was startled by information that exceeded his expectations.

Professor Bendozol had returned and Time Magic lectures had resumed?!

The latter had little to do with him, but the former was relevant.

How on earth did Gonadaltes know such things?

'He's almost certainly a sixth-year.'

Iactus: "Is that really true?!"

Gonadaltes: "It's a fact you could verify with minimal effort—I wouldn't lie about something like this."

Having written this far, Lee Han subtly devised a scheme.

Now that he had a rough grasp of what the Watcher Club was about, he resolved to extract information from the other members in return.

Gonadaltes: "Quite a few students are attending the Time Magic lectures—why don't you all give them a try?"

Lee Han had two reasons for writing those exact words.

First, since Lee Han himself was taking Time Magic, it would help deflect suspicion.

If he got the number of attending students wrong, they'd assume he had indirectly obtained the information.

That would naturally remove Lee Han from their list of suspects.

Second, it was to place any new students joining the Time Magic lectures under suspicion.

If someone newly attended the lectures, they were likely an existing member of the Watcher Club.

Iactus: "No thanks. I barely have enough time for the magic I'm learning now."

Bakwantalana: "Time Magic is exceptional, but even mastering the basics demands too much time and effort. It's inefficient."

Iactus: "Exactly. Time Magic is a waste of time."

Iactus: "Friends, that was a joke just now. Couldn't you at least laugh?"

Gonadaltes: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠(bursts into loud laughter)

Iactus: "Thanks. Gokogyokko, Gonadaltes."

Bakwantalana: "Did you spill ink?"

Iactus: "No. My hand shook while writing the Skeleton Principal's name, so I rewrote it. It's seriously hard to write."

'This was a failure.' Lee Han felt bitter. It seemed few were interested in Time Magic.

Aside from confirming Iactus had no talent for jokes, he hadn't learned much.

'Bakwantalana seems like a senior from the Enchantment Magic faction... I should ask Professor Verdus about him later.'

Of course, he could have deliberately chosen a pseudonym unrelated to himself, but the artifact counter-control Bakwantalana had demonstrated was an ability only possible with deep specialization in Enchantment Magic.

With skills at that level, Professor Verdus would surely know of him.

Iactus: "Anyway, Professor Bendozol's back. They say his lectures are brutal."

Bakwantalana: "A man who cares more about animals than students."

Iactus: "Damn it, I'll probably have him this semester... Oh right, I promised compensation. Listen well, both of you. This is truly valuable information."

Bakwantalana: "Listening."

Gonadaltes: "Me too."

Iactus: "Elde of the Markang Family, Blue Dragon Tower. Third year."

Bakwantalana: "And what are we supposed to do with that?"

Iactus: "Hear me out. Apparently, he's the only one who succeeded in smuggling this year. Seems he's stockpiled a mountain of supplies somewhere."

Bakwantalana: "Impressive. Thanks. That really is valuable intel."

"......"

Lee Han eyed the Watcher Club with skepticism.

'Isn't there way too much fake information here?' Senior Elde was still in the Punishment Room and hadn't even distributed the supplies yet...

While he couldn't pinpoint exactly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how the rivalry between official clubs unfolded, Lee Han realized the clubs had shifted strategies.

Senior members from each club began visiting, urging him to come observe.

Of course, Lee Han avoided them as much as possible.

"Observation" was just a pretext—who knew what might happen if he went?

But even evasion had its limits.

As Lee Han exited his <Tragic History of Ancient Artifacts and Summoning Magic> lecture, a senior he'd seen before on the 7th floor stood waiting, arms crossed.

"Wardanaz?"

"Ah, Senior! I didn't notice you at all. What brings you here?"

Internally, Lee Han lamented, 'I need to react faster next time.'

But of course, he couldn't reveal such thoughts in front of a senior.

Maintaining nothing but perfect courtesy and deference, Lee Han looked up at the senior.

The other was a fourth-year from the Black Turtle Tower.

As a hamster beastkin, he was considerably shorter than Lee Han, and being extremely lean gave him a sharp, irritable aura.

"Pleasure. I'm Sebius."

"I'm Lee Han."

"I know you. Though you wouldn't know me. I'm a member of the Library Club. Do you happen to know what the Library Club does?"

"Not really..."

"Follow me."

Unconsciously, Lee Han checked his escape routes and considered possible exit strategies.

Sebius, oblivious to his junior's inner thoughts, continued speaking.

"Unlike other clubs, we have no intention of forcibly recruiting you, so relax."

"Yes."

Of course, Lee Han didn't trust the senior.

A senior who says "I won't force you to join" is even harder to trust than one who openly tries to recruit you. 'If things go south, I'll attack.'

"Our Library Club retrieves, preserves, and disseminates books. You've been inside Einrogard's library, right? Since you caught a Rock Drake."

"I got lucky."

"That's not something a first-year catches by luck. The library is a labyrinth. The most complex and convoluted maze in all of Einrogard."

Lee Han nodded at the hamster beastkin senior's words.

Though what he didn't know about Einrogard still far outweighed what he did, he'd felt keenly that the library was no ordinary place.

Any library where the layout changes each visit, monsters occasionally appear, and getting lost means never finding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your way out couldn't be called ordinary.

"From second year onward, you'll need more and more books. And most of these books are in the library. We map the library and retrieve magic tomes from inside."

"!"

Lee Han was astonished by Sebius's words.

To consistently enter that labyrinth, map it, and retrieve books...

The Library Club was far more rugged and dangerous than its name suggested.

"All this just for other students?"

"That's right. Though we do get paid."

"......"

Lee Han immediately understood.

The Library Club's income came from the wallets of students requesting book retrievals.

Occasionally, outsiders who obtained the Skeleton Principal's permission to retrieve books from Einrogard's library also became clients.

"Is it alright to give books to outsiders?"

"Any book that enters Einrogard's library never truly disappears. Even if burned or taken away, it reforms over time."

"That's not what I meant—if dangerous magic tomes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠given to outsiders cause problems..."

"Then that's the Headmaster's fault for permitting it. Not ours." 'Well, he's not wrong.' Lee Han found himself agreeing despite himself.

Sebius walked ahead as he spoke.

"You know the clubs are fighting now."

"...Yes."

"They'll probably compromise eventually. By having everyone join all clubs. It's in the rules, so no one can complain too much."

"Couldn't they just keep fighting?"

Lee Han cautiously offered this hopeful observation, but Sebius didn't even acknowledge it.

"That's why I said we won't force you. If you join all clubs, your time for each will shrink drastically. Forcing recruits would be pointless."

"!"

Lee Han was surprised by Sebius's words.

He hadn't expected such consideration.

"So... the Library Club has decided not to recruit me at all?"

"Not exactly. The other clubs would love that. We'll still have you join."

"......"

Lee Han stared sullenly at the senior's fluffy back of the head.