Episode 965
Episode 965
"Why are you acting like this?!"
"The Stonemason Club request got canceled..."
"Hey, hey, there's no need to be so devastated, right?"
The seniors flusteredly comforted Lee Han.
They weren't just saying it lightly—the Stonemason Club genuinely didn't care much about canceled requests.
If it were a club like the Wizard Card Collectors Club, they'd be crying their eyes out and attempting arson in the Main Building of Einrogard over losing an outing due to a canceled request. But the Stonemason Club received the most requests out of all clubs to begin with, so they weren't bothered by cancellations.
"Anyway, they probably have other requests piling up. Those guys would actually be glad they don't have to go out."
"...Is that so?"
Lee Han was slightly swayed.
He didn't fully believe it, but he wanted to, out of guilt.
"It's true. That... Anpagon, was it?"
"Ah. Senior Anpagon. That's correct."
Anpagon, a student of the Enchantment Magic school and one of the more sociable members within his faction.
Lee Han had met and spoken with him a few times before.
"That guy was supposed to go out for an external request last time, but he didn't want to, so he hid in Einrogard's underground mines. The Death Knights had such a hard time tracking him down."
"......"
Lee Han hesitated for a beat, unsure whether to point out the issue with Einrogard's underground mines or the fact that he had hidden there in the first place.
"Anyway, don't worry too much about it, Wardanaz."
"Right, right. And it's not even your fault, is it?"
"...Sniff!"
"!??"
-Waaaaah!
-Welcome back!
After finishing his volunteer work, Lee Han returned to Einrogard's gates alongside the Kitchen Club students.
With the Stonemason Club's request canceled and the outing already being unusually long, there was no reason to force themselves to stay out any longer.
But surprisingly, from far away, the sound of students cheering could be heard.
'Do they normally give welcomes or send-offs like this during club outings?'
"Uh. Do they usually do this?"
"Pfft. Nah. They're just waiting excitedly because they know we bring back ingredients when we return."
"......"
Upon closer inspection, the students' faces clearly showed an expectant "hand it over" expression.
Falkrius chuckled and opened the sack of food.
"Here, take it! These are the supplies our junior from the Wardanaz Family brought back!"
"Whoa... Waaaaah!"
"N-No way, you're actually giving them out?!"
The students were stunned by the far more generous response than they had anticipated.
The Kitchen Club usually just thinly sliced half a loaf of bread or a piece of cheese to distribute—who knew they'd be this generous?
Freshly baked, warm rolls were tossed out generously, followed by southern mountain cheese, peaches, apples, and more, handed out one after another.
"Senior Falkrius! Are we really allowed to take these?!"
"Uahaha. Have you only ever been tricked before? Like I said, our junior from the Wardanaz Family brought plenty."
"Did you use brainwashing magic or something?"
"What kind of crazy talk... Wait. Wardanaz, did you use it?"
Falkrius, who had been about to deny it, turned his head just in case.
Recalling the scene, he suddenly wondered if his junior might have actually used it.
But Wardanaz wasn't beside him. Startled, he looked around and spotted his junior walking far off in the distance with Professor Garcia.
"Pfft. He's really popular, huh."
Seeing his junior frantically waving his arm, Falkrius laughed and waved back.
Such good manners!
"Ah! Wardanaz, you're back!"
"Yeah."
"But what are you doing?"
"Writing a reflection essay."
Using psychokinesis, Lee Han moved the quill pen across the paper, leaving behind written words.
I will not fight Evil God Worshippers directly if I encounter them again.
I will not fight Evil God Worshippers directly if I encounter them again...
"......"
His friend from the Blue Dragon Tower stared at him in shock.
He had thought Lee Han was out for club activities—what in the world had happened?!
But unlike his friend's shock, Lee Han's heart was filled with tranquility and gratitude.
This was an extremely lenient punishment.
'As expected, Professor Garcia is the best professor in Einrogard—no, the best in the entire Empire.'
Professor Garcia was well aware that, given Lee Han's current magical prowess, he could easily replicate something like a reflection paper.
Yet, she had let him off with just writing it—something to be grateful for.
Lee Han left the self-moving quill to its task and opened his book. Since he had been away for nearly two weeks, he needed to catch up on his lectures over the weekend.
'Staff Materials and Magic Amplification... Hmm. I already finished making my staff, so I don't need to worry much about this. Skip. Life of a Wizard with Plants... Come to think of it, I already finished that one too. Skip. Advanced Illusion Magic and Theory of Ethereal Studies... This one as well...'
However, the review process ended much faster than expected.
Because he had pushed himself relentlessly before midterms, missing a week or two wouldn't set him back.
'...'
Huh?'
Lee Han scanned the material again to see if he had missed anything, but nothing had changed. Feeling slightly awkward, he closed the book.
'Well. I should probably think about the Stonemason Club's request.'
Professor Garcia, who had kidnapped—no, escorted—Lee Han to reprimand him, had said the following:
"From now on, never confront an Evil God Worshipper head-on again!!!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"And don't go attacking villains under the guise of 'Stedal Nago' either!!!"
"Yes, ma'am..."
"Oh, right. Lee Han, the Stonemason Club students are looking for Senior Zarun. Since it might benefit you too, help them look for him."
'Isn't her emotional fluctuation a bit too extreme?'
Reprimand aside, Professor Garcia didn't hesitate in the slightest when it came to providing students with necessary information.
Students affiliated with the Stonemason Club were usually busy with their respective requests.
So even if an external request was canceled, they'd just shrug and say, "Oh? Guess that's how it is."
But right now, the Stonemason Club students had gathered unusually to search for one person.
A senior Lee Han knew well—Zarun of the Steel Shoe Family!
This dwarf senior from the Transmutation Magic school had a narrow social circle and an obsession with gold.
He loved gold so much that even during lecture hours, he'd hole up in his underground workshop, obsessively mining.
Because of this, he'd been caught by professors and dragged to the Punishment Room more than once.
"Why is everyone looking for Senior Zarun? And when you say it might benefit me... is this about magic? I don't think I need to learn more Transmutation Magic right now—I still have plenty left to study."
"Lee Han. You really need to stop associating everything with magic. You'll hurt yourself at this rate."
'That's not fair!'
Lee Han felt wronged.
He had only mentioned magic because, logically speaking, it was the most plausible explanation—yet they made him sound like some magic-obsessed lunatic.
"Zarun is also a member of the Stonemason Club."
"Really... Huh? I've never heard of that?!"
"Not all club members are active participants. Anyway, Zarun had only registered his name and never really participated—until he submitted this application."
Application
Zarun of the Steel Shoe Family
The undersigned student submits this application for the following reasons:
-Requires mining Artifacts for orichalcum extraction
-If Einrogard provides support for orichalcum mining, the dwarves will honorably commemorate this contribution (payment in gold coins is realistically unfeasible)
-Hiring external mages is acceptable, but they must follow my instructions (failure to comply will result in immediate expulsion)...
'Did Gainando write this?'
Lee Han was speechless.
Asking Einrogard to lend mining Artifacts for orichalcum extraction was one thing, but trying to pass off the cost as "honorable commemoration" was downright absurd.
Even Gainando wouldn't write such a shamelessly greedy application...!
And the idea of hiring external mages to exploit their labor was equally outrageous.
What kind of mage would travel all the way to Einrogard just to accept such a ridiculous proposal?
From Lee Han's perspective, any mage who would accept such a rude proposal was highly likely to be secretly nursing a grudge.
They would probably ambush Zarun from behind and try to monopolize the orichalcum...
"Wait. Professor. Then does that mean Senior Zarun actually found an orichalcum vein?"
"It's highly probable. That must be why the Stonemason Club students are searching for it."
"...!"
Lee Han was shocked.
No matter how much Einrogard had monsters underground, ancient archmages in the mountains, and even dragons in the dormitories, he never expected an orichalcum vein to be discovered in the mines.
"I hadn't heard about it... Ah. It seems the news was delayed since I was away."
"Hmm..."
Professor Garcia hesitated. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"Even if you hadn't been away, I doubt anyone would have told you..."
"......"
"Actually, not even all the Stonemason Club students know about it. Everyone's trying to keep it a secret."
The students of Einrogard were all ruthlessly pragmatic.
If Senior Zarun had found an orichalcum vein, the smart move was to quietly follow and take a share—broadcasting the news would only reduce their own portion.
"Anyway, Lee Han, if you're interested, you should seek out Student Zarun later so you don't regret missing out."
"Thank you, Professor. But how did you come to know about this?"
"...That's a secret. Ha, haha. Hahaha."
Professor Garcia dodged the question with an extremely awkward laugh.
'Now that I think about it, this is a bit strange.'
Finishing his recollection, Lee Han felt slightly puzzled.
No matter how exceptional Professor Garcia was as a mage, it was odd that she was so well-informed about matters between students.
But that puzzlement didn't last long. The immediate concern was the Stonemason Club's request.
Though calling it a "request" might be a stretch...
'If Salko were here, I'd suggest teaming up. But he's in the Punishment Room, so that's impossible. Should I contact Senior Anpagon?'
"Gasp, pant—Lee Han! You're back?!"
The lounge door burst open as Gainando rushed in, out of breath.
"Yeah. How've you been?"
"Whew, huff... Actually, I was away too!"
"What? Really?"
This was completely unexpected, so Lee Han was startled. Gainando puffed out his chest proudly and exclaimed,
"Listen! You won't believe this—I was staking out some guys who were stealing and reselling Wizard Cards! But then suddenly, the building next to me exploded..."
"Hold on. Sorry, Gainando. I have something to do right now. Tell me the story later."
"But this is seriously amazing! You'll regret it if you hear it later! Lee Han! I mean it!"
Gainando grumbled as his friend mercilessly walked away.
He'd been about to share the shocking news of a terrifying new mage attacking various parts of Granden City...!
"Senior Anpagon. Are you here?"
Visiting the Sacred Pavilion Hall, Professor Verdus's magic tower, Lee Han quickly turned around when he spotted another familiar senior standing nearby.
'Hmm. I should probably look into this alone. Now that I think about it, orichalcum isn't absolutely necessary yet.'
Such a high-grade reagent would only be useful in later years—as a second-year, Lee Han doubted he'd have much use for it even if he got some.
"Why are you leaving?"
The familiar senior beside him, Yukveltire, tilted her head in confusion.
She couldn't understand why the junior was about to leave when Anpagon was clearly here.
"Actually, I came looking for another senior. Since they're not here, I'll head back."
"Which other senior?"
"......"
Lee Han froze for a moment.
Now that he thought about it, he knew too few seniors in the Sacred Pavilion Hall.
The only other person he knew was the one standing right in front of him, but choosing her would be putting the cart before the horse...
'I absolutely don't want to move around with this person.'
Her skills were undeniable, but teaming up with the "mini Verdus" senior was something he'd rather avoid.
He already had to assist with research during breaks—did he really have to do it during the semester too...?
"It's someone you wouldn't know, Senior."
"Is that so? Alright. More importantly, I have a proposal for you, junior of the Wardanaz Family."
"......"
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Lee Han.
Don't tell me...
"By any chance, do you know someone from the Steel Shoe Family named Zarun?"