Episode 924
Episode 924
"Is the Teleportation Club Not a Secret Society Like I Thought?"
Among the unofficial clubs, some were so secretive that their very existence was hidden. Clubs like the <Professor Assassination Club> (Lee Han had never heard of it but was certain it existed) or the <Einrogard Truth Exposé Club> couldn't possibly operate openly.
Naturally, Lee Han had assumed the Teleportation Club was one of those secret societies.
After all, they had deliberately chosen an inconspicuous name, and their club location wasn't disclosed to outsiders...
"Is it really okay if the professors find out about the Teleportation Club?"
"Well, they probably already suspect."
Sebius didn't seem particularly concerned. This only confused Lee Han further.
"But is that really acceptable?"
"As long as we don't get caught in the act, it's surprisingly not a problem. No evidence means no punishment. The school rules don't send you to the Punishment Room just for forming a Teleportation Club."
'Sometimes I think the seniors are insane.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
Of course, spending time at Einrogard inevitably made everyone a little unhinged, but the seniors' madness was on another level.
"Can I join you?"
"Hmm."
Sebius frowned at the underclassman's question.
"Ah, if it's against club rules—"
"No. The others actually insisted on bringing you along."
"......"
Lee Han was more popular among the Teleportation Club seniors than he'd expected.
It was inevitable.
For a skilled thief—no, a skilled teleporter—what mattered was ability.
Whether the underclassman was a second-year or from the Blue Dragon Tower didn't matter. What mattered was where he had successfully infiltrated.
"But these jobs are riskier than you might think."
"I'm prepared."
Lee Han answered confidently.
In the past, he might have asked, 'How dangerous are we talking?' But his time at Einrogard had matured him.
Now, his first thought was, 'No matter how dangerous, it can't be that bad.'
'This is a legitimate chance to go outside. I can't pass it up.'
"I acknowledge your skills, but think carefully. If you get caught outside..."
"Would I end up in an outside prison?"
"No. The Headmaster would come to bail you out. Then you'd just get sent to the Punishment Room for getting caught outside."
"......"
It was even weirder than he'd imagined. Lee Han shook his head and said,
"Either way, I want to go."
"Fine. I'll put your name down."
As Sebius dipped his quill in ink to write Lee Han's name, a sudden thought struck him.
'Wait, hasn't this kid joined a lot of clubs already? Can he handle them all?'
"Underclassman. If another club prevents you from playing in the polo match, I'll assassinate every single one of them."
"......"
"Just kidding."
'That didn't sound like a joke.'
The Dark Elf senior's eyes burned with unwavering conviction.
It was the gaze of a madman who would set Einrogard on fire if it meant playing polo.
"Uh, Senior Hormasi."
"Yeah, underclassman."
"You know His Highness Jowurin has returned to the capital, right?"
"I heard."
Carnella let out deep, regretful sighs, her expression openly displaying emotions like sorrow, bitterness, and longing.
Then she added,
"Of course, the idea of riding His Highness Jowurin into the match was just a joke."
"......"
'I should never take this White Tiger Tower third-year's jokes seriously.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
"But you still have a griffin, a unicorn, a basilisk, a giant, and a Mountain-Destroying Sheep, right?"
"That list seems to have some odd inclusions."
-M-me?! I'm in that group?!
The baby basilisk shrieked in terror.
It wasn't yet confident in its ability to carry Lee Han on its back and fight giant monsters.
"Strange things? Well, I suppose the unicorn hasn't fully recovered from its injuries yet..."
"...I'll ride the griffin."
"Aren't you deciding too hastily? Being flexible and changing your mount based on what the opponent brings out is also part of a polo player's skill."
"I'll just ride the griffin."
Carnella sighed at the junior's firm response.
He had the makings of an excellent polo player, so why was he being so stubborn?
"Well, I get it. Even this Hormasi mostly rides our puppy out there."
-That person rides a puppy??
"No. The 'puppy' he's talking about is a Cerberus."
-......
While calming the startled baby basilisk, Lee Han asked,
"But, Senior. Who are we facing, and where will the match take place?"
"The location is Granden City."
It was the largest city closest to Einrogard and a familiar place to Lee Han as well.
"The opponents are the Baldrogard polo team."
"...Wait! Is that okay?!"
Lee Han was shocked.
Carnella, not understanding what the junior meant by his question, asked again.
"What is?"
"Einrogard students attack Baldrogard students on sight as if they want to kill them, don't they?"
"W-well, it's not that extreme..."
Even Carnella was slightly taken aback by that statement.
Of course, students from the Empire's magic academies had some degree of competitive spirit, but to that extent...?
"Won't this turn into a brawl instead of a polo match?"
"Hold on. Junior. What do you take honorable polo players for?"
Carnella sternly admonished the junior for belittling the pride and honor of polo players.
Of course, it had no effect on Lee Han.
The moment they considered fielding the Giant or Jowurin, any notion of honor had already gone out the window.
"And the Baldrogard polo team is quite skilled. You absolutely must not let your guard down."
'What?'
When the senior spoke so seriously, Lee Han was startled once more.
Baldrogard actually had something they were good at?
But it was true.
"Those bastards don't study magic, don't do assignments, and don't take exams, so they can freely use their spare time however they want. They can spend gold coins as they please, so they can deploy rare creatures however they like. ...Damn it. Just thinking about how we lost that hydra to those bastards last time..."
As Carnella explained, he suddenly seemed to recall past grievances and muttered bitterly.
The affluence of Baldrogard students always infuriated Einrogard students.
'I'd better pray the hydra doesn't make an appearance.'
The senior's grudges didn't matter much to Lee Han—what the opponents would bring out was far more important.
Hearing that the Baldrogard polo team had once bought a hydra, Lee Han regretted not building better relations with them.
Had he known they owned a hydra, he would've been a little nicer to them!
"But don't worry too much, junior. This Hormasi will take the lead and smash their skulls in."
"You meant 'score goals,' right?"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: <Urgent> Seeking info on unofficial clubs that allow outings.
Iactus: Wizard Card Club.
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: <Urgent> Seeking info on unofficial clubs that allow outings (Wizard Card Club excluded).
Iactus: ......
"!"
Unbeknownst to him, the Watcher Club members had resumed their conversation, so Lee Han took out his artifact.
With club outings already requiring a lot of preparation, information was always needed.
Gonadaltes: Why ask about unofficial clubs that allow outings?
Iactus: They probably want someone to fetch something from outside. Official clubs just don't meet the conditions.
Though official clubs had easier outings, their numbers were limited, and their locations and purposes were strictly defined, making it difficult to request anything if the conditions didn't align.
Gonadaltes: Why exclude the Wizard Card Club?
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: Those idiots just go to Wizard Card shops and stay there all day before coming back. There's no way to entrust them with a request.
"......"
Lee Han let out a sigh.
Not because of the single-minded tendencies of the Wizard Card Club members, but because he felt regret that Gainando hadn't been able to join them.
'What a shame.'
Gonadaltes: "Can I ask about the request details?"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Huh? What? My friend with the evil name. Are you interested in the request?"
Iactus: "Don't fall for it. Who knows what dangerous request they'll dump on you."
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Shut up. We're not freshmen—we all know how to judge for ourselves."
BeaverPenguinFox silenced Iactus and quickly explained the request.
Fortunately, the request wasn't too difficult. Two bundles of Purple Round Wood, a Swan Song preserved in a sealed crystal, and three bottles of Fairy Mead. Items that could be bought as long as one had the money.
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Don't worry, it's definitely not for any suspicious purposes."
'That kind of reassurance just makes it seem even more suspicious.'
Lee Han already knew that BeaverPenguinFox was Senior Ilendil.
Given that the dryad-blooded senior was the person who cherished and loved Einrogard's forests the most, this request was likely related to forest restoration.
The need for wood made sense, and he wasn't the type to do anything that suspicious...
'...'
Well, usually, but maybe not this time.'
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Five times. I'll pay five times the price."
Gonadaltes: "Fine. Just don't get your hopes up too much."
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Excellent! I don't even know why I thought you were crazy when you joined the club!"
Iactus: "I do. Just looking at the name in front of you should give you a clue. By the way, Gonadaltes, which club are you in that's confirmed for an outing?"
Gonadaltes: "A club whose name you don't know."
Iactus: "The Professor Raiding Club, perhaps?"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "There's a club like that?"
Iactus: "Dunno. Just sounded like something that might exist."
"Hello."
"?"
Iactus: "?"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "??"
Iactus: "..."
"What the—?"
"Hello. Um, can you not see my messages?"
A chilling silence instantly fell over the Watcher Club gathering.
Lee Han's eyes widened.
'New member!!'
New members of the Watcher Club were recruited in two ways.
One was through Bakwantalana, who served as the administrator, manipulating the Communication Artifact to connect them to the gathering.
Lee Han had been invited this way.
The other was by acquiring an artifact already linked to the Watcher Club gathering.
The unidentified stranger who had just appeared was clearly the latter.
The Einrogard students were extremely tense.
If the other party was a professor or one of the Skeleton Principal's minions...
"Hello. Hello. Hello?"
Gonadaltes: "I don't know who you are, but reveal yourself. Who are you?"
The first to shake off his fear and move his quill was Lee Han.
Since the other party didn't seem to be the Skeleton Principal or one of his minions, he stepped forward.
'Could they be a freshman?'
If a freshman had been wandering around Einrogard and accidentally picked up the artifact, their slow reaction would make sense.
An upperclassman from Einrogard would have immediately understood the meaning behind the members' silence.
"Ah. Sorry. I'm a third-year from Baldrogard... Wait, almost got tricked. How do I know you're not some evil artifact trying to trick me into revealing my name?"
Iactus: "......"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "......"
Iactus: "BAKWANTALANA!!! BAKWANTALANA!!!"
Beaver
- Penguin
- Fox: "Where's Bakwantalana?! Get here now!"
Iactus: "This isn't the time for anything else!!! A madman just joined the club!!!"
The Watcher Club members, utterly shocked by the unexpected identity of the newcomer, frantically called for Bakwantalana.
Just how the hell had a Baldrogard bastard gotten into the Watcher Club?!