Chapter 487

Yi-Han became serious for the first time in a while.

Priestess Siana, who still hadn't realized the strangeness, tilted her head while blinking her vertically-shaped pupils, characteristic of a snake mixed-blood.

"Didn't you threaten him?"

"How could I threaten the professor..."

Suddenly, Yi-Han remembered what he had said earlier, "If Professor Bagrak hears about the traces of the Sea Serpent, the mission and the negotiation will turn into a mess."

'That wasn't a threat. It was closer to an earnest request.'

After quickly rationalizing, Yi-Han explained the situation.

"The task of persuading the other guilds ended quickly."

"How?"

"...Because I helped?"

"..."

Priestess Siana briefly said with her eyes, 'That seems even less likely than threatening...'

Yi-Han noticed the suspicious look in her eyes and asked back.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Aren't you mistaken?"

"Just get ready to go out. Let's all stop what we're doing and go out."

At Yi-Han's words, the princess, who was taking out a new balance scale from the corner, nodded her head with a bright face.

"Huh? She didn't go out?"

Yi-Han asked Yonaire in surprise. Yonaire was rather dumbfounded by that reaction.

"Then you thought she went out?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"...Why?"

The princess was also one of the top students among the students.

How could such a person go out on their own?

"Uh, because there are a lot of snacks sold outside?"

"..."

Yonaire was shocked.

"Yi-Han, do you perhaps think of the princess the same as Gainando..."

Yonaire couldn't finish the question.

While asking the question, the other friends had all gathered.

"Then shall we depart? Is anyone missing?"

"Wait. Wardanaz. Wouldn't it be better to first check where the guys who left earlier are before departing?"

Asan raised his hand and asked.

Then Yi-Han asked back as if asking what he was talking about.

"We should play first and then find the guys who left. We don't have time."

"Huh?"

When Asan was startled, the other students opened their mouths.

"That's right."

"I think so too."

"Me too..."

"R-Really?"

Asan felt his common sense slightly shaken by the firm answers of his outstanding friends.

Ratford pondered seriously and opened his mouth.

"I think we should move the location of the wallet at least once..."

"No, no!"

"If you get caught, it'll be big trouble!"

His friends hurriedly stopped Ratford, who was trying to pickpocket.

Of course, they were short on silver coins, but they couldn't make their friend steal.

"We can play even if we have a little."

"But what if the professor gets angry?"

"It's okay. Even if he gets angry, he can't do anything."

"But what if Wardanaz gets angry?"

"..."

"You bastard, why are you saying such ominous things while playing?"

The friends all scolded the White Tiger Tower student who brought it up.

"Then let's all find a way to earn money."

"That's a good idea. Wardanaz also earned money every time he went out."

At Ratford's words, the students stirred.

"With what? Did he threaten with a staff or something?"

"I think I heard he ran errands..."

"While going out? In such a short time?"

"That's impossible for us... Let's find something else."

Renjid from the Black Tortoise Tower suggested a realistic idea.

"If we go around the stores, there will be places that need magic. When I worked at the Chef's Guild, I often called mages. If we say we're from Einroguard, they'll gladly accept."

Since most of those who claimed to be mages and acted arrogantly were suspicious and incompetent, there was no guarantee as certain as being from Einroguard.

The problem was...

"So Renjid. Are you saying that we, who came from Einroguard, should go around the stores on the street and say, 'We're from Einroguard, please give us work'?"

When the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower asked in a sharp voice, Renjid was slightly discouraged.

"I-Is it a bit like that?"

"No. It's a very good idea."

"Let's do it quickly."

"..."

The students from the Black Tortoise Tower muttered as they watched the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower hurrying away, afraid of losing a good spot.

"Are those guys really from noble families?"

The main street that started from the water statues, the pride of Isran City, and led to the port was so noisy that even the sound of the person next to you couldn't be heard due to the long-established stores and buildings.

The stalls connected in front of the stores were full of seafood brought in from the port and cookies baked with sugar unique to the south, and next to them, customers sitting at the tables of cafes and teahouses were basking in the sun and watching people.

These stores were bright enough for even the city's children to come and go, but they weren't the only stores.

The alleys connected to the taverns and inns were full of suspicious antique shops that dealt with shady goods and shops that sold artifacts that may or may not work.

Travelers entering these alleys were only a minority among the many crowds, and the atmosphere was so dark and gloomy.

"Why are we doing this even though we're from Einroguard? Uh... well... it's... to improve our magic skills."

"Th-That's right. The skills of magic are from the small actions experienced in daily life..."

The students came up with the best excuses for the store owner's question.

Fortunately, the store owner was impressed by those words.

"My goodness...! Mages are really amazing! Not avoiding such menial tasks. Is this silver coin really enough? I'm sorry..."

"No. What's important to us is training."

After persuading the store owner, Renjid asked Bartreck.

"Hey, you have good quick-wittedness. How did you come up with that?"

"I just followed what Wardanaz said."

"..."

Anyway, the students who found a place worked hard.

Casting fire resistance magic inside the furnace, fixing scrolls that could be fixed among the scrolls...

Clang!

"Thank you. Mage."

The store owner bowed politely and held out a pouch of silver coins.

The students received the pouch with dignity and turned around, shouting.

"It's money!!"

"With this money, we don't need Einroguard! We don't have to go back! Let's start a new school!"

"That's a great idea!!"

"...???"

The students, intoxicated by the charm of the silver coins, ran out while saying crazy things.

"Gasp...!"

"What? What's going on?"

"Over there, Wardanaz! Next to the redhead!"

"Gasp!"

The students let out a gasp.

They saw Yi-Han and his friends walking from far away.

'They came to catch us!'

They had barely earned silver coins, so they couldn't just end here.

The students gritted their teeth and lowered their stance.

"Hey. Shouldn't we call Wardanaz..."

"Hey! Cover Ratford's mouth!"

"Mmph! Mmph mmph!"

"In the opposite direction! In the opposite direction!"

The friends hurriedly ran away. Thanks to the large number of people, running away wasn't very difficult.

"We survived...!"

"We can't get caught yet! We have to play more!"

"Yeah. Even though we're from different towers, this time we'll join forces."

'Is this something to be so determined about?'

Ratford was puzzled as he watched his friends making a determined resolution with solemn voices.

They only do this when taking exams at school...

"You seem to be mages."

"!"

The students were startled by the voice coming from inside the alley.

A long robe that even covered the face. The voice coming from inside was so strange that it was impossible to guess the race or gender.

In front of the foreigner sitting on a chair, there was a table made of paulownia wood, and strange, unfamiliar patterns were engraved on it.

"Don't you want to see the future once?"

"..."

"A primitive mage?"

"Probably a scammer. What else."

In the border regions of the Empire, there were still peculiar magics that had not been explained by the principles of Imperial magic or were not even known to exist.

In the Imperial magic world, such magics were called primitive magics.

However, in a place like this, someone offering to tell the future was much more likely to be a scammer than a primitive divination mage.

"Khuhu... I understand that you can't believe me. Then how about this? I won't take any money. And if I can't guess correctly? I'll give you a silver coin in return."

"Oh...!"

If it were Yi-Han, he would have stopped them, saying, 'In this world, those who do this for free are even more suspicious,' but the students were now very thirsty for silver coins.

Bartreck stepped forward first and said.

"Let's try it once. What family am I from?"

"There's no need to be hasty. Now, try placing your hand on this."

The mage, Ianop, flashed his eyes from inside the robe.

The wooden table that looked ordinary now had eight spells cast on it, making it an extraordinary artifact.

Of course, just because eight spells were cast on it didn't mean this artifact was powerful or expensive.

Surprisingly, this artifact with eight spells cast on it had no effect at all.

It was just that the eight spells were intricately overlapped with each other to make it look like no magic was cast at all.

In a way, one might think, 'Why are you doing such a prank with that ability?' but truly outstanding mages were different.

At the level of an ordinarily excellent mage, they wouldn't notice anything even if they put their hand on the table, but...

If it was a mage with an exceptional talent that could be counted on one hand in the Empire, they would be surprised first by the fact that magic was cast on this table, and then they would be surprised again by the intricacy that made it feel like there was no trace at all despite that.

Yes.

This table was an artifact made by Antagondal.

'To be able to distinguish the good from the bad with a single artifact.'

Ianop admired the Great Mage's ability once again.

If it was an exceptional and outstanding mage, the moment they realized this artifact, they couldn't stop their curiosity.

Who made this artifact?

Why did they make it with this idea in the first place?

What else does the mage who made this know?

Such curiosity was like a curse that inevitably came with innate talent, and it was impossible to resist.

"I placed it."

"Did you place it all?"

"Yes. I placed it, but?"

Ianop made a disappointed expression inside the robe.

The dull dwarf in front of him didn't seem to know what was what.

Ianop threw out a rough answer to make him leave after giving him a silver coin.

"You... are from a knight family."

"Gasp! How!"

"..."

"Just a little more! Guess a little more! Do I have an aptitude for any magic?"

"..."

Ianop really hated Bartreck, who wouldn't leave when he wanted to quickly check the other students.

"I'm currently learning alchemy, but there are so many students who excel in alchemy that I'm worried. Moreover, I'm also from a knight family. While I wonder if alchemy is the right path for me, my family has a deep knowledge of alchemy, so I'm also reluctant to give it up... Ah. It's difficult."

"...Yes... But this is the future, you see, Mage. It's not something that can be guessed so accurately..."

Ianop's roundabout words seemed to give Bartreck more trust.

Don't scammers usually say they can guess what they can't?

The opposite of that, Ianop...

"An omen! Please give me an omen! What should I do?"

'Why is this talentless bastard keep...'

Ianop held back his curses and threw out another rough answer.

"...I see a dragon, a noble, and a Great Mage. Follow these omens."

"...Gasp. Isn't that Wardanaz?"

"It seems like Wardanaz???"

The students whispered in shock.

When it came to nobles and Great Mages, they could only think of Wardanaz.

Moreover, he had a lot of mana like a dragon...

"Follow Wardanaz?"

"It certainly seems like it would be helpful in the future..."

"But you'll get beaten up."

"Were you guys there?"

At the familiar voice, the students screamed in a hoarse voice.

Outside the alley, Yi-Han and his friends were standing, each holding a cotton candy.

"Wa-Wardanaz...! Pl-Please. Please have mercy! Please have mercy!"

'What are these guys doing?'

Ianop was puzzled.

They seemed to be fellow students, but they were trembling as if a runaway criminal had met an executioner.