Episode 930
Episode 930
'Damn it. I should've stopped them.'
In a way, it was his own fault. Lee Han regretted encouraging his friends to ignore school rules and go astray.
"Hmm. Even professors' requests aren't easy to fulfill—is it really right to take on additional requests?"
"Junior, you little...!"
At Lee Han's words, the gathered members of the Teleportation Club (all already wearing masks to conceal their faces) reacted fiercely.
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if his true feelings had been exposed.
"A second-year already knows how to control his greed?"
"You're really going places. Truly worthy of the guy who raided the Headmaster's villa."
"...Haha. I've never been the greedy type to begin with."
Lee Han lied with a sly attitude.
However, while the seniors might have been impressed, they didn't cancel the request.
"But this is something we have to do."
"Why is that?"
"Our club doesn't pick and choose which requests to take."
The Teleportation Club didn't exactly have good relations with students either, not just professors.
When club members relocated objects within Einrogard, they didn't always check who the owners were.
As such, the Teleportation Club worked hard to maintain its reputation through sheer competence.
No matter how much resentment there was, if they were needed, people would have no choice but to call them.
That was the reputation the Teleportation Club wanted.
"If we start being picky about requests, the information we receive will be limited too. That's fatal for us."
"He's right."
"And the biggest reason is that we got paid a lot in gold coins."
'Shouldn't have asked.'
No matter how he thought about it, the last reason seemed the most significant. Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
"Here, junior. This is your share."
"Among the Theater Club members are some of my friends. We must help them."
Lee Han tossed the heavy pouch of gold coins into his bag and declared with a serious expression.
The seniors offered advice, sounding somewhat concerned.
"Don't act too emotionally."
"Friendship is fine, but don't let it interfere with the job. Got it?"
Perhaps because the junior was still a second-year, there was a naive side to him. The Teleportation Club seniors felt slightly worried seeing that.
Work should always be handled with cold rationality!
* * *
The students rode a carriage through Einrogard's main gate. By sunrise, they would likely arrive at the White Sheep Gate of Granden City.
Professor Garcia advised the students:
"Start casting your magic now."
"Yes."
The Teleportation Club members waved their staffs. Then, their masks transformed like face coverings, settling snugly over their faces with new appearances.
Lee Han similarly altered his mask. Once he changed his outfit as well, his appearance completely shifted from that of a ragged beggar to an ordinary traveler.
"But, Professor."
"What is it, Lee Han?"
"Uh... well... why are you coming with us?"
"What kind of question is that, junior? Did you think we'd go on an external activity just by ourselves?"
The seniors laughed as if his question was absurd. Professor Garcia chuckled along.
"Lee Han is still just a second-year. Of course he wouldn't know."
"Haha. That's true. I sometimes forget our junior is only a second-year."
'Am I the only one who finds it weird that a professor is tagging along on this kind of request??'
Inside the carriage, Lee Han felt his common sense crumbling.
Was he really the only one who thought this was strange?
Yet Professor Garcia spoke as if it were the most natural thing.
"Everyone, once we enter Granden City, stay at the <Ten Thousand Schemes Inn>. If you need to relocate anything, say so first. Buying items for the request is fine, but remember to keep it reasonable—don't cross the line."
"We'll keep that in mind."
"I'll be staying nearby too, so contact me immediately if anything happens."
When students went outside, Einrogard's faculty naturally followed as overseers.
Moreover, Professor Garcia was among the more kind and lenient of the surveillance team. Just from her current words, one could sense the implicit suggestion that she would turn a blind eye within reason.
Wasn't she essentially saying that as long as they didn't act too blatantly, she wouldn't care if they bought what they needed and returned to school?
'Isn't this just blatant favoritism toward the Teleportation Club?'
Lee Han was dumbfounded by the fact that the Skeleton Principal monitored the Theater Club as if he wanted to kill them while blatantly favoring the Teleportation Club.
While his junior was bewildered, Sebius handed Lee Han a memo.
"Here. These are the items you need to bring. If it's too difficult or seems impossible, quietly let me know."
Originally, Teleportation Club members were each responsible for their own share of the task.
For thieves—no, teleportation specialists—an incompetent comrade was nothing but shackles dragging them down.
Yet Sebius was telling him to secretly inform him if things became too difficult.
"Senior..."
Lee Han looked at Sebius with moved eyes, only for the hamster beastman senior to recoil in disgust.
"What?"
"It's nothing. Don't worry. I'll do my best to bring everything."
"Good. Oh, about the Theater Club's request—this one we'll do together. We need to divide roles... Someone has to infiltrate and assist from the inside."
"Understood."
Just as clapping requires both hands, even an escape like this needed someone to assist from within.
A role that involved acting alongside Theater Club members, relaying instructions and communications.
"You'll handle it."
"Me?"
Lee Han was taken aback.
"Why me? Isn't this an important role?"
"Simple reason. You're the only one here with the refinement to blend into the Theater Club."
"......"
To thoroughly breach the blockade and make contact with Theater Club members, disguising as a cultured gentleman or lady from Granden City was the most plausible approach.
A refined person who had come to watch a play together.
And among the Teleportation Club members here, not a single one had any interest in theater.
"But I don't know much about Imperial theater either?!"
"What are you talking about? You're from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"That's just the Blue Dragon Tower's signature humility. Even if you know, you say you don't."
"Oh right. I forgot about that."
"......"
Lee Han cursed his seniors inwardly.
Was it okay to torment someone just because they were from a different tower?
"...Fine. I'll try infiltrating."
"Good. I'm counting on you. Well then, everyone—good luck. We'll share information every evening on the first floor of the inn, and let's wrap this up within the week. If it drags into next week, we'll overlap with other clubs..."
"Is overlapping with other clubs' schedules a problem?"
Lee Han was puzzled.
Einrogard's clubs each had their own circumstances, so they didn't usually go out to handle business on the same week or day.
But was there really any reason for overlapping to be an issue?
"Yeah. If items go missing while a lot of Einrogard students are out, misunderstandings happen. We should finish before that."
"......"
"Alright, everyone—good luck!"
'To think I'd get out this easily. It feels strange.'
Lee Han leisurely strolled down the main street of Granden City, savoring the long-awaited taste of freedom.
Of course, upon returning to Einrogard, a thorough search would be waiting, so he couldn't stockpile supplies on the same scale as his attempt at the start of the semester. Still, minor purchases should be possible.
'Hmm. My stockpile is still sufficient. Magical tools? Nothing urgent right now. I'll just buy the requested items and look for any useful artifacts.'
If this had been his first year, he wouldn't have had a moment to rest, running around frantically. But now, as a second-year, Lee Han had somehow gained experience and composure.
Like an ant that had worked all summer and now lived in abundance, it was all thanks to his continuous preparation and stockpiling.
With a relaxed and generous heart, Lee Han surveyed the street.
Along the main avenue of Granden City, carriages and horses of all shapes and sizes came and went, while countless people hurried past. The variety of races was so diverse that he even spotted a few rare species he'd never seen before—even at Einrogard.
"What kind of madman does this?! This is what happens when you make a wild boar pull a carriage—it's your damn half-starved horse that's the problem!"
"My boar was trained by a magic specialist from Illeinas! It's your pathetic excuse for a horse that's at fault!"
"Herbs guaranteed by the mages of Einrogard and Baldrogard! Herbs vouched for by the twin pillars of the Empire!"
"The bull rebellion in the south has ended! To celebrate, we're selling cheap—come and get them while you can!"
As Lee Han turned his gaze away, pleased, he spotted the Maykin family's villa.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to visit the home of a reliable friend and ask for the items he needed.
'Not sure if Yoanen will be there, though.'
"I leave it in your hands."
"Yes. We'll contact you immediately if students arrive."
"Kekeke... The students will learn yet another lesson."
"......"
Lee Han was horrified to spot Death Knights in the distance, visiting the Maykin villa and laying an ambush.
They were setting a trap in preparation for the upcoming club activities!
If students slipped out under the pretense of club meetings and visited their family mansions, they'd immediately walk right into the ambush.
'Why would they go this far?'
Lee Han repeated the question he'd asked himself countless times.
Why would they go this far??
'If the Maykin villa has an ambush, other places must be the same. I should assume any place students might visit is already trapped.'
Faced with tighter security than expected, Lee Han decided to postpone his errands and artifact hunting and focus on finishing his task first.
He had no desire to become the first one sent to the Punishment Room just because he got greedy.
'Exactly how far does the excuse of buying items for a request hold? Will the Death Knights confirm it with Professor Garcia? Though I think she'd back me up...'
"!"
As he turned to leave, Lee Han was startled to spot a familiar face.
Amur, who ran the stables near Einrogard, and Arian, the branch manager of the Kaako Merchant Guild, were walking down the street.
"Mr. Amur!"
"...Who are you?"
Amur scratched his thick cheek, puzzled.
No matter how he looked at it, a stranger was calling his name.
"The magic school student you helped escape last time. I'm in disguise."
"Ah!"
Amur immediately understood.
If the other party was a student from Einrogard, disguising themselves wasn't strange at all.
Of course, Arian didn't follow.
"Who are you?"
"The student you lent money to last year. I was really grateful back then."
"I lent you money last year? Me? That kind of person... Uh... Ah, no. The young master of the Wardanaz family???"
Arian felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget.
A noble-born boy personally coming to borrow silver coins, then proceeding to haggle like a seasoned merchant before leaving—how absurd was that?!
He and his coworkers had even discussed, 'Could he really be impersonating the Wardanaz family?'
If he hadn't received the silver coins back along with a letter during the break, he might've seriously believed it.
"How did you get out again?"
"This time, it's an official outing for club activities."
"Ah. I see..."
As he replied, Arian felt something was off.
If it was an official outing, why the disguise?
"...Come this way! I'd like to treat you to a drink."
Shaking off his doubts, Arian guided Lee Han to Granden City's popular café, the Hot Pebble Cafe.
What mattered to a merchant was the other party's value, not pointless truths.
Frankly, a student could very well be escaping under the guise of club activities...
"Wait. Could we sit by the second-floor window overlooking the street?"
"Of course."
Though puzzled by the odd request, Arian agreed.
Mages were always hard to understand, after all!