Episode 820
Episode 820
As an experienced and seasoned pirate (and as someone acquainted with the Skeleton Principal), Lagesa knew quite a bit about Einrogard's education system. Even when she had visited 17, 29, and 37 years ago, Einrogard had been much the same.
37 years ago.
"Why don't you have a staff?"
"I traded it for a loaf of bread."
"..."
"I see."
"Then why don't you have a cloak? Did you trade that for a loaf of bread too?"
"No."
"Then?"
"I traded it for half a loaf..."
"..."
29 years ago.
"At least you have a staff!"
"Yes! We found the kitchen yesterday! We raided all the food there and used it to retrieve our stashed staffs and cloaks."
"Kihihi, good! Well done. At least you secured food through your own efforts! But what's that iron chain around your ankle?"
"The Kitchen Keeper caught me and asked if I wanted to go to the Punishment Room or do kitchen chores... So I chose kitchen chores. Now I have to help in the kitchen for ten hours a day."
"I may not know much about teaching magic, but how do you expect to learn anything while working ten hours a day in the kitchen?"
17 years ago.
"Impressive! You caught quite a large beast!"
"Thank you."
"But why aren't the others eating? Why are they just lying there like that?"
"They tried to knock me down and steal it, so I fought back a little..."
"Tsk tsk! Not your fault. The idiots who tried to steal food from a half-troll deserve what they got."
"I offered to share, but they tried to ambush me from behind... Sniff..."
"Tch tch. You can't reason with starving brutes for a whole week. Violence is the only language they understand. Use those fists of yours."
"But I don't like violence..."
"If you dislike violence, you need even greater violence! At the very least, clench your fists tight! Starving brutes might give up after a few hits, but those who've been starving for two weeks won't back down no matter how many times you hit them."
"Doesn't seem like much has changed, does it?"
Finishing her reminiscence, Lagesa spoke decisively.
No matter how she thought about it, Einrogard would remain a painful and brutal place until the lord changed.
No wonder Lagesa often scolded her pirate crew, saying, "You have no right to complain about drifting at sea all year! There's a place called Einrogard..."
"Back when I was a first-year, everyone was hungry, but we still managed three meals a day..."
"Oh? Did you attend Baldrogard by any chance?"
"Lagesa!"
As Lee Han bristled, Lagesa cackled with laughter.
There was no word more perfect for teasing magic academy students than Baldrogard.
'Wait. Could it be because of Eandurde?'
The sudden thought made Lee Han flinch.
Eandurde, currently assigned to Black Turtle Tower, was battle-hardened and had a penchant for fighting.
Hadn't she mentioned last time, in Professor Voladi's lecture hall, that she was "extorting food from students in other towers"?
Lee Han had handed her a bundle of food and told her to share it with her friends, but honestly, he was skeptical she'd actually done so.
'Because if I were in her place, I wouldn't have shared either.'
'If it were me... I'd have secretly stashed it in the storage.'
No matter how much someone told you to look out for your fellow tower mates, it wasn't easy to share with those who'd jump at you the moment they saw you. What reason was there to be generous?
"I have a guess."
"What?"
"There's a junior of mine like this..."
Lee Han briefly explained about Eandurde.
But Lagesa remained unimpressed.
"One person stealing won't make much of a difference. And they're all mages. Even if stealing is hard, hiding food is something they can do easily if they put their minds to it."
"No. Eandurde is the type who, if she sets her mind to it, will steal ruthlessly."
"'Do you perhaps dislike it?' As Lee Han spoke with such seriousness, Lagesa momentarily wondered if he was a junior she disliked and felt flustered."
"Then I'll go ask them. You follow behind invisibly."
Lagesa strode forward confidently.
The first-year students, who had been ravenously devouring the large chunks of cheese, round loaves of bread, massive rice cakes, and fruits from the basket, belatedly noticed her and jumped in shock.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"Calm down! You brats couldn't even touch the hem of Torgerd's daughter's clothes even if you all rushed me at once. I'm the owner of that food basket!"
"...W-we won't give it back! Absolutely won't return it!"
"......"
"......"
Faced with the juniors' vehement reaction, not only Lagesa but even Lee Han felt embarrassed.
"...I didn't come to take it back. Did you really think I'd lose that food basket in the first place? I threw it there for you brats to eat."
"Th-thank you...!"
At Lagesa's words, the first-years wept with overwhelming gratitude.
Having quickly grown friendly, they answered Lagesa's questions without hesitation. They would've spilled all of Einrogard's secrets if asked.
"Why are you so starved?"
"The meal portions are too small... And food often disappears midway."
"With such vast lands, have you tried gathering food?"
"We've tried, but we fail more often than not..."
Foraging or hunting only made them hungrier when unsuccessful. This was especially true for Einrogard's newcomers, who were mostly beginners.
Roaming inside Einrogard's buildings was far more dangerous. With good luck, they might strike gold, but with bad luck, they'd be dragged to the Punishment Room.
"Tsk. Could it be that Eandurde's been stealing most of the food?"
"Eandurde? No way."
"Eandurde actually shared food with us last time. It's Priest Karre who keeps stealing everything."
"Impossible!"
Lee Han exclaimed in shock.
Naturally, the first-years were equally startled. Remaining calm wasn't easy when a voice suddenly echoed out of thin air.
"What was that just now?"
"Don't mind it. It's just a ghost pirate following me. Anyway, so it's not Eandurde's fault?"
The freshmen nodded and explained.
These students belonged to the White Tiger Tower and had frequently clashed with Eandurde, who was from the Black Turtle Tower.
-Ha. Turtle bastards. You think you can beat us who've trained with swords since childhood? Agh! Aaagh! I surrender! Surrender!
-Step on them! Crush them! Win!
-Aack! I was wrong! I admit it!
Eandurde, who beat up not only White Tiger and Blue Dragon Tower students but even Phoenix Tower priests when irritated (especially Priest Karre, who often got hit), was the pride of Black Turtle Tower's first-years.
To stop Eandurde, White Tiger Tower had to send out Ulgan from the Northern Mountains, while Blue Dragon Tower needed Alhidel, the prodigy from the prestigious Pengerin Family of the Empire.
But Ulgan rarely participated in inter-tower fights as he mostly wandered the mountains, and Pengerin also avoided them, saying, "I'm still far above such childish fights!"—making Eandurde stand out even more in these brawls.
"Then it is Eandurde's fault, isn't it?"
At the voice from thin air, the first-years answered with bewildered expressions.
"Well... Eandurde doesn't attack unless provoked first."
"She also stops taking food once she's full."
"'What kind of beast is this?'" Lee Han regretted not having taught his junior about the necessity of stockpiling food.
"And last time, she even brought a bundle of food to share. Said she got it from a senior whose name she couldn't reveal..."
"I see."
After hearing the full explanation, Lee Han felt deeply apologetic toward Eandurde.
His junior had faithfully followed his instructions, yet he himself hadn't trusted his junior.
Lagesa, who had been listening nearby, grew curious and asked,
"What's this about Priest Karre stealing?"
It was a natural question since priests normally don't engage in thievery.
"Priest Karre belongs to the Vildotskal Order..."
"Ah, Vildotskal! The Empire's true religious order!"
Lagesa clapped her hands in delight, living up to her pirate reputation. The first-year students looked bewildered.
"No wonder. So he was part of the Vildotskal Order."
"But shouldn't priests not steal?"
Hearing Lagesa's enthusiasm, the White Tiger Tower first-years spoke in exasperated voices. Lagesa merely snorted mockingly.
"How do you think those so-called knights beg? Earlier I saw them eating more greedily than beggars!"
"......"
"When you're hungry, you steal and take. The fool is the one who gets robbed."
"We didn't know priests could steal!"
"That's why it's well done! Kehehe!"
Worried the students might start guessing Lagesa's true identity if this continued, Lee Han intervened by pulling out food from his bag.
"Here. Take some more food."
"Th-thank you! Ghost Pirate!"
"I recommend eating these canned goods first. Don't just roast the corned beef cans when you're hungry. Put them in a pot and boil them with the bread you got. Even if it's hard, keep boiling it somehow."
The White Tiger Tower first-years sent looks of admiration toward the empty air, impressed by the ghost pirate's wisdom. Truly, the ghost pirate knew much from experience.
As Lee Han watched the first-years hastily gather the food and leave with a faint smile, he suddenly grew puzzled.
"Wait. If it's not because of Eandurde, why are they starving?"
"I told you, didn't I? That's just normal at Einrogard. No wonder they don't have their staves."
"Why don't they have them?"
"Are you seriously asking that!? They traded them for bread! Are you really an Einrogard student?!"
"...?!"
Lee Han was utterly bewildered by Lagesa's words.
"That didn't happen in our time. Except for Gainando secretly trading books for snacks..."
"That's strange. Was there somewhere you could get food regularly?"
"In my case, I went out periodically and managed a garden to secure food."
"......"
Lagesa looked at Lee Han with the expression of someone who'd discovered the Empire's dumbest mage.
"It's because of you!!!"
"Indeed..."
"This is unbelievable! There were actually students who got through that year comfortably at Einrogard!"
"Well... we had our struggles too."
Lagesa merely snorted at Lee Han's words.
Anyone who hadn't experienced being unable to use magic because they'd traded their staff for bread wasn't a true Einrogard student.
"Well then, Lagesa. I should get going to my lecture."
"Let's go together. Might as well watch. It's not like anyone will approach me anyway except those who see me as the fool who threw gold coins at Bible."
"Won't it be boring for you? It's a Healing Magic lecture."
Healing magic would be dull.
"Wouldn't somewhere else be better?"
"No, no. Wherever a rookie like you goes, something's bound to happen. It'll be entertaining enough."
'Isn't that a bit harsh?' Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
It wasn't like accidents followed him everywhere he went...
Anyone hearing this would get the wrong idea.
When Lagesa had taught magic last time and half the hallway got destroyed, it was because she'd taught the spells weirdly—not Lee Han's fault. Lee Han had quietly attended plenty of other lectures where... well, a few things had happened.
"Wait a moment, Lagesa. Have you seen Senior Yukveltire's research yet? If you haven't..."
"That arrogant brat was the one who looked down on me the most!"
"......"
Lee Han could only marvel at how even someone with such an impressive bronze golem could fail to secure patronage.