Episode 742
Episode 742
'I should pretend I didn't see them.' Lee Han instinctively turned his body and lowered his head.
Since he was already a member of the Stonemason Club, he knew he'd eventually meet the seniors—but he didn't want that meeting to happen at the scene of today's workshop destruction.
Perhaps it was his instinctive desire to rest at least a little during the weekend secretly appealing to his heart.
Whoosh!
As Lee Han grew impatient, <Bagni's Flame Bull> trembled and spewed flames.
Seeing this, the seniors cautiously spoke up.
"Junior. Normally we don't interfere in others' business, but I think you should probably lift that curse."
"It looks a bit dangerous."
Einrogard students usually didn't point things out even if someone was half-turned to stone and walking around or had a basilisk's fangs embedded in their head.
Because they assumed the person knew best!
If they were suffering, they'd handle it themselves.
More importantly, quite a few students intentionally walked around like that for magical research purposes.
They might be testing petrification spells on themselves or figuring out which part of the head basilisks preferred—so students generally didn't interfere.
But the Wardanaz junior seemed far too dangerous to dismiss as mere eccentricity.
"It's not a curse, it's magic practice."
"What kind of magic practice? What kind of madman would curse themselves to practice—"
"Wardanaz!"
As the flames rising from Lee Han drew attention, someone from the Stonemason Club who recognized him stepped forward.
It was Elde of the Markang Family, who had just been released from detention this morning.
"It really is Wardanaz! Good to see you! Guys, look here? This junior is that junior! The one who came to visit me in the Punishment Room!"
"......"
"......"
The Stonemason Club members wore complicated expressions, unsure whether to believe Elde.
They knew about the outstanding junior who took every class and joined every club, but visiting the Punishment Room was a bit... 'Isn't that too much?' 'Sounds like Markang's bragging.' No matter how they thought about it, they suspected Elde was coaxing some naive junior to fabricate a forced 'admirable senior' story.
It wasn't unlike those dubious feel-good stories the Skeleton Principal occasionally published in the imperial newspapers.
Seeing his peers' disbelief, Elde grew irritated.
It was understandable—not a single soul from inside to outside the Punishment Room had believed him either.
"I'm telling the truth! Junior, answer me. You came to the Punishment Room, right?! To help me!"
"Yes. I visited because Senior helped me before."
"Tell them how you got in too!"
"I persuaded the Death Knights and asked the Punishment Room's spirit to let me pass briefly."
"...Hey. Explain properly."
Elde whispered urgently, flustered.
Even he wouldn't believe such a story if he heard it.
"But that's really how I got in."
"What? That's ridicu— No, never mind. Don't you have anything more plausible? Nobody's believing me here!"
The Stonemason Club members shook their heads and pulled Elde aside.
"Markang. We get it. We believe you. You're so amazing a junior would visit the Punishment Room for you."
"Honestly, the Blue Dragon Tower is so vulgar. Is honor really that important?"
"I'm telling the truth, you bastards!"
The Stonemason Club members changed to a serious topic.
"Lee Han of the Wardanaz family. Right? We're not that interested in Punishment Room visits. We're interested in club activities. Do you know what the Stonemason Club does?"
"You... build buildings, don't you?"
Einrogard was a place with surprisingly high architectural demand.
From students' hidden storerooms and cottages scattered across the territory to magical workshops and various fortresses.
"Right. Building is our main activity. But that's not all."
"You've got to be able to demolish them too. If someone doesn't pay or changes their demands, you have to tear it down. Quickly."
"And sometimes you need to stop others from destroying buildings."
"And you're uniquely suited for all of this. We're counting on you, junior."
"Huh?"
Listening to this, Lee Han was taken aback by the seniors' sudden expectations.
"I don't have much experience building structures... And I'm not from the guild either..."
Though he had followed the Skeleton Principal around last year to repair Einrogard and participate in fortress construction plans, Lee Han didn't consider himself an expert.
What exactly were these seniors seeing in him to make such judgments?
"You've got a lot of mana, right?"
"Yes."
"Exactly. You've got abundant mana. That alone solves nearly all the problems we just mentioned."
"......"
Surprisingly, the Stonemason Club members' words held truth.
Salko from the Tutanta Family, who had joined earlier, nodded knowingly when he saw Lee Han.
"I knew you'd come, Wardanaz. There couldn't be a club more suited for you."
"I was forcibly recruited, Salko."
Salko pretended not to hear and continued.
"As you can see, magical constructions require casting countless spells like stacking bricks. It's work where stamina is absolutely crucial."
"I see."
"Same goes for demolition. If you can't destroy something in one strike, you have to dismantle it methodically with magic. Again, stamina is vital."
Ultimately, stamina in magic essentially came down to mana capacity.
While mental focus and other factors played a role, spellcasting became significantly harder the moment mana ran low.
"Salko."
"What is it?"
"I'm done."
"...Wardanaz, you bastard! A worker like you should've joined the guild ages ago!"
Salko's beard trembled as he shuddered at Lee Han's work speed.
He had expected competence, but this far exceeded his expectations.
As Lee Han gathered the magically processed lumber in one place, he asked:
"Salko, did you join this guild for construction work too?"
While working in the Stonemason Club's designated area, Lee Han had overheard the members' conversations.
Though they occasionally had to demolish buildings or fight, the Stonemason Club members were fundamentally people passionate about creation.
Perhaps that was why so many students studying Enchantment Magic were present. Enchanters could pursue artifact crafting, but they could also branch into construction.
-Once we get the repair funds, I plan to finally complete the Azure Tower.
-Is that even possible? It's already so tall that monsters keep attacking it.
-Hehe. Once it's finished, just throwing this at the Skeleton Principal's face would get me to graduate. Difficult, but worth the effort.
Given that Salko studied Enchantment Magic and came from the Stonemason Guild, it was highly likely he had joined the Stonemason Club to build something he desired.
"Hm? What are you talking about?"
"I'm asking if you joined the Stonemason Club because there's a building you wanted to construct."
"No. I just picked this place because the pay's good."
Salko shrugged as if Lee Han had said something absurd. Lee Han felt slightly embarrassed.
"...Aren't the official clubs all decently paid?"
"Just the foundation work you finished is worth thirteen Imperial Gold Coins, Wardanaz. As long as requests come in steadily, no club pays better than the Stonemason Club."
"Now that I think about it, this club does suit my aptitudes."
Resigned to reality, Lee Han resolved to fulfill his duties as a member now that he was officially part of the Stonemason Club.
Upon reflection, being part of multiple clubs could be advantageous.
If there were no lucrative requests from the Stonemason Club, he could earn coins with the Polo Club. If there were no high-stakes matches there, he could turn to the Kitchen Club...
'It sounds slightly insane, but worth trying.'
With every report of club request rewards, Lee Han grew a little more optimistic.
Ding ding ding
The bell atop the Stonemason Club's fortress rang out, and a member shouted:
"Emergency request, emergency request! Double pay or more! Participants head to the western edge of the Nightmare Echo Forest!"
"An emergency request, Wardanaz. Coming along?"
"What's an emergency request? The Nightmare Echo Forest isn't exactly welcoming..."
"It's for buildings that need to be constructed faster for various reasons. The extra pay means you won't lose out by participating."
"Let's go!"
Lee Han marveled at the golden opportunities flowing into the Stonemason Club.
He couldn't believe what kind of people with overflowing gold coins would rush to build a structure while offering such hefty additional payments.
An Pagong, a member of the Blue Dragon Tower and the Enchantment Magic faction, frowned as he glared at the tower.
"It's not as effective as we expected."
"We clearly amplified it using the power of the Nightmare Echo Forest..."
"Has the forest's energy weakened? In any case, we'll have to draw power from elsewhere. We must complete it today."
An Pagong and the other club members pulled out the blueprints of the nearly completed Tower of Echoes again.
The students who had commissioned this tower were attempting to create a new workshop for their Music Magic research.
Since Music Magic differed significantly from conventional magic, requiring many unique elements, the Stonemason Club members had been diligently constructing the building according to specifications using their characteristic wisdom and perseverance.
But construction always came with unforeseen variables.
The sound-amplifying magic within the tower, which utilized the power of the Nightmare Echo Forest, had turned out weaker than anticipated.
It was a kind of natural disaster, but the members didn't make excuses. Having accepted the gold coins, they had to deliver by the promised deadline.
"Is everyone gathered? Let's begin. Right—we'll install additional magic circles from that shaded area over there to the tower stairs here to secure more mana!"
"Senior, that's impossible!"
"No. We must do it. Begin!"
The iron-willed temperament characteristic of the Enchantment Magic faction proved unexpectedly reliable in situations like this.
Though An Pagong wasn't the most popular senior in the club, seeing his composed demeanor in this chaotic and bewildering situation helped the members regain their calm.
Clank clank clank
Lee Han and the others who arrived late were astonished by the massive construction already underway.
"Are they seriously planning to build a new structure there and connect it now?"
"That seems to be the case... But to finish it all in one day? I can't believe it."
Though muttering among themselves, Lee Han and Salko joined the work.
The club members, already deep in construction, welcomed the newcomers.
"Glad you're here! Speak up if it gets too tough."
"Don't push yourselves to the point of collapsing!"
"Thank you, seniors."
The senior members, who had been keeping an eye out in case the juniors overexerted themselves or made mistakes, were startled by their work speed.
Salko was impressive enough, but the Wardanaz family student beside him was displaying terrifying efficiency.
"Is that him?"
"That's got to be him."
"All that bloody struggle was worth it."
"Damn. We should've monopolized him completely."
Before they knew it, time had flown by.
When the additional structure beside the tower neared completion, the club members let out cries of joy.
At this point, it was practically a success.
"We're done. All of you! Head back to your dorms and rest properly once this is over."
"Yes!"
Salko nodded vigorously in response.
Truthfully, even if the seniors hadn't said that, he would've planned to rest afterward. A massive construction project like this drained an enormous amount of stamina even without working alone.
Even that Wardanaz guy with infinite mana needed rest. Casting magic and constructing buildings must have drained his concentration and stamina considerably.
"Wardanaz. Once we're done, how about skipping other clubs today and just resting?"
Before Lee Han could answer, applause erupted from behind.
It came from the students gathered for Music Magic research.
"It's complete!"
"As expected of the Stonemason Club. You get what you pay for."
"Though it's way too expensive."
"Are those twin towers resonating with mana? Efficient."
"Though it's way too expensive..."
The wandering minstrel Ifadur, who had been chatting with the students, spotted Lee Han and waved.
"Wardanaz student!"
"Ah, so you're Wardanaz? I was just about to call for you."
The Music Magic students swarmed over, grabbed Lee Han, and dragged him into the tower.
Salko stared blankly at their retreating figures before shaking his head regretfully.
"W-Wait. Shouldn't he rest?"
"No way. That Wardanaz guy probably planned to minimize wasted time by diving straight into magic research after finishing here. He's that kind of ruthless bastard..."
Hearing Salko's words, the Stonemason Club members turned their gazes toward the tower with renewed awe.
Indeed, the madness of those who took every course in every faction was beyond what they could have imagined.