Episode 712
Episode 712
Unaware that behind him, a murder-weapon junior trained by a mad professor was glaring at him, Sebius spoke.
"First of all, the other club members are currently fighting over who gets to bring you in. If we don't even let you join, I'll be the first one they'll hang. Not literally hang, but give the bookshelf punishment."
"Bookshelf... punishment? Like a bookshelf table or drawer?"
"No. Not that kind. The bookshelf execution. You know how there's hanging or beheading? The bookshelf punishment is our club's penalty."
"......"
Lee Han was about to ask what exactly the bookshelf punishment entailed but stopped himself. He had a feeling hearing about it wouldn't be very pleasant.
"Our club gathers for a common purpose, but each member has different thoughts. I won't force you. Do what you think is right."
Though his tone was blunt and indifferent, as Lee Han conversed with Sebius, he thought this senior belonged to the fairly decent category at Einrogard. For starters, people at the Magic Academy who showed an attitude of 'do it if you want, don't if you don't' were extremely rare. Most wizards would say 'do it if you want, but do it my way'...
In that regard, Sebius, who said 'just join and do whatever you want,' was a very uncommon senior. Thanks to this, as the fear of being dragged to the club and possibly imprisoned faded, Lee Han's curiosity returned. 'I should do club activities.' It wasn't like Einrogard students had so much free time they did club activities for fun.
Of course, there might be a few such students, but fundamentally, students joined clubs because they had goals. And usually, those goals involved gold coins too. Starting from the second year, the costs for magic research skyrocketed, making it impossible to just play around and eat like in the first year.
In fact, Lee Han and his friends, who had just entered their second year, had barely seen any seniors around. Not because the Skeleton Principal's prohibition remained, but because the seniors were overwhelmingly busy. Lee Han had even seen seniors flying off at 5 a.m., bundled up thickly for glacier regions.
'How profitable is the Library Club?'
"Senior. You mentioned getting paid for retrieving books."
"That's right."
"May I ask for more details?"
"Once we arrive, the other members can explain better."
Though grumbling, Sebius didn't refuse to explain.
"Usually, we take requests to retrieve books, or we secure books first and then sell them from a catalog. The club has a few buildings. One on the 7th floor, one near the library... The camping sites are all inside the library."
Lee Han resisted the amateurish question, 'What kind of campsite is inside a library?' and simply nodded quietly.
"At the club buildings, you'll find requests. Team up with like-minded members, solve them, and split the gold coins. Same with books you bring. But selling too cheap or too expensive is prohibited."
"Selling too expensive is prohibited too?"
Lee Han was surprised by this unexpected rule. He understood prohibiting selling too cheap—from the club's perspective, if some newbie recklessly sold hard-earned books cheap, everyone's income would drop. But prohibiting selling too expensive?
"It's about making them pay a fair price, not preventing them from buying books at all."
"That's a noble statement."
"Not my words. The club president said that."
Though usually blunt and prickly, Sebius showed clear respect when speaking of the club president. 'What kind of person is he?'
"What is the club president like—"
"Ah, Senior Illeg."
In the distance, a massive, bespectacled bear beastman appeared. The man in priestly robes had a gentle demeanor, but what lay beneath wasn't so gentle. Lee Han worried the bear beastman's priestly robes might tear from his sheer bulk.
Fortunately, that didn't happen. The bespectacled bear beastman approached them warmly and said,
"Sebius. Good to see you. How have you been?"
"Yes. Have you been well too, Senior? No one's attacked you, I hope?"
"Attacks on Phoenix Tower students are rare."
The bespectacled bear beastman let out a hearty laugh, but Sebius responded coolly.
"The crazies in the club attack even Phoenix Tower students."
"But even they don't attack fifth-year students."
"......"
As the atmosphere grew solemn, the bespectacled bear beastman greeted Lee Han.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Illeg of the Chagla Family. A priest of the Sisenja Order, and a fifth-year this year."
"This junior here is that junior."
"Ah. So this junior is that junior?"
"......"
Lee Han wondered how communication was possible when he was being referred to as 'this junior' and 'that junior.' 'This doesn't seem like a good phenomenon.'
"Nice to meet you. Wardanaz. Feel free to look around. I don't want to force anyone to join, but I suppose the other members might think differently."
Illeg spoke in a slow, low voice. True to his nature as a Phoenix Tower priest, his demeanor was kind and gentle.
"Actually, Senior Sebius was just explaining things to me."
"Sebius is reliable, then. By the way, would you like to see us at work?"
"Oh, if it's no trouble..."
Lee Han didn't refuse the club president's offer. When someone showed goodwill, displaying sincerity in return made future interactions easier. Illeg and Sebius tapped a stone monument a short distance east of the library entrance with their staffs.
With a loud rumble, the ground beneath the monument split open.
"There was a place like this here?"
"Only club members can enter, so you wouldn't have known."
"Does that mean I can't go in?"
"Your application's already been processed. It's probably the same for the other clubs."
"......"
Unbeknownst to Lee Han, the official clubs had already completed all the membership applications. The current fights were just to make him give up on other clubs—his enrollment was already confirmed. With a slightly gloomier expression than before, Lee Han followed the seniors underground. - SCREEEECH!
KYAaaaaaah! '?' Lee Han froze at the monstrous screech that sounded like it came from some creature.
"Did a monster get in?"
"If a monster had gotten in, do you think it'd be this quiet?"
Sebius looked at Lee Han as if questioning what he was talking about.
"This is probably the sound of a book, Wardanaz."
"... Excuse me?"
No further explanation from President Illeg was needed. Once they descended the stairs, they saw a book rampaging in the middle of the vast underground space. Trapped within eight layered magic circles, the book shrieked and thrashed. -I'll kill you!
You mage bastards!
"We need to bleed it more."
"What if the text fades away?"
"Given its stamina, it should recover enough. Bleed it."
"Got it."
Thud! As the mages swung their weapons, the book spewed blood from its pages.
"You, <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites>! Surrender! Submit and let us read your contents peacefully!"
-SCREEECH! KYAaaah! Despite the mages' earnest persuasion, the book <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites> refused to surrender. It rammed against the magic circles as if trying to tear them apart, spewing curses all the while. As the text inside blurred and the illustrations distorted from the struggle, Illeg made a pained expression.
"Everyone. I'd like to help. Could you let me assist just this once?"
"President, we couldn't possibly—"
Before the words even finished, Illeg began walking into the magic circle. Seeing this, Lee Han panicked.
"Isn't that dangerous?!"
Walking into a containment magic circle like that was an extremely reckless act. Unless one had immense magical resistance like Lee Han, it was something that should never be done.
"That's insane. But Senior Illeg is different. You'll see when you watch."
Sebius observed calmly without panicking. As Illeg stepped onto the magic circle, a powerful force and restraints engulfed him. It was a formidable sealing magic circle that indiscriminately trapped both enemies and allies.
Illeg began chanting a spell, and surprisingly, it was divine magic. 'A defensive type of divine magic?' As holy mana enveloped Illeg, his body became as sturdy as a fortress. The magic circle relentlessly struck, lashed, pushed, and attempted to pierce through, but it couldn't break him.
His endurance was unbelievable.
"...!"
Finally, as he stepped inside the magic circle, the books began attacking him next. -You! Mage! I'll kill you!
"Mr. <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites>. I apologize for my rudeness. Would you kindly grant me permission to read you?"
Lee Han marveled at the senior's polite demeanor in such a situation. To attempt dialogue and persuasion in that state... His patience was on an entirely different level from other seniors...
Boom! A six-legged shadow monster leaped out from the book. A voice dripping with malice echoed from within. -No one gets to read me!
In response, Illeg cast another spell. Lee Han could sense enhancement magics embedding themselves into Illeg's body. Thud!
Illeg grabbed the six-legged shadow monster with one hand and forcibly shoved it back into the book. Then, gripping the book with both arms, he forcefully shut it. <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites> struggled desperately to open but couldn't break through Illeg's divine magic.
"Mr. <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites>. I apologize for my rudeness. Would you kindly grant me permission to read you?"
-Grrrrrrk!
"
-... Fine...!
The book finally surrendered and quietly disappeared. After checking for damage, Illeg handed it to the club members with a satisfied expression.
"Good news. Mr. <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites> has come to understand."
"As expected of the President!"
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if he had come to the wrong place. Seeing the bespectacled bear-beastman priest, drenched in blood and holding the book in both hands, only strengthened that thought.
'...No. This might just be the average Einrogard club.'
* * *
In the end, Lee Han watched the club members hunt, tame, and look after the books before he headed back. The Library Club's income certainly didn't look bad. <Zigolviero's Five Summoning Rites> was a grimoire with a bounty of no fewer than fifty gold coins, and the members happily split the earnings.
-The client is asking whether the fee could possibly be lowered...
-What lunatic haggles over the price of a book? Is it one of those Soup Club bastards?
-Ask them to step inside for a moment.
-Great news! They say they'll just pay the full amount!
It did seem like a slightly crazy club, but Lee Han expected the other clubs would all be much the same.
"Lord Wardanaz."
"Ah. Ratford."
Lee Han happily greeted his friend, whom he hadn't seen in a while (though it hadn't actually been that long).
"How's the Black Turtle Tower?"
"Painful and exhausting."
"Then it's not bad at all."
Ratford nodded as if he agreed. Painful and exhausting counted as doing well at Einrogard.
"Have you joined a club, Lord Wardanaz?"
"Uh... well. I suppose you could say I have. What about you, Ratford?"
"I've joined one as well. Someone I know recommended it."
"!"
Hearing that Ratford had already joined a club, Lee Han looked at him curiously.
"What kind of club did you join so quickly? Is it that good?"
"Ah. Would you like to come and take a look?"
"...Wait. Is it an official club?"
Since going to the wrong place could get him kidnapped, Lee Han checked first.
"No. It's an unofficial club."
"Phew. That's a relief."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. So, what's the club called?"
"It's the <Location Shift> Club."
'A space magic research club?'