Chapter 490

"Pardon...?"

The mercenaries felt the greatest perplexity they had felt today.

Participating in the subjugation itself wasn't a problem.

The port would be crowded with not only the city guards and adventurers but also nearby guilds participating as self-defense forces.

A few suspicious groups mixed in wouldn't stand out.

However...

'Could it be that he's trying to approach the Einroguard mages again?'

'If we recklessly poke the hornet's nest...'

There was no way a mage like Ianop would participate in the subjugation out of pure goodwill for the city.

Naturally, he must have had the ulterior motive of approaching the Einroguard mages.

Chiiik!

With a creepy sound like burning flesh, strange patterned ropes appeared on the necks of the mercenaries in the room.

Feeling a sudden choking sensation, the mercenaries made gagging sounds.

"Ma... Mage..."

"Mage, please spare us! We, we have been loyal!"

"Of course. I naturally trust you too."

Ianop swung his staff and hung ropes around the mercenaries' necks.

Now that the mercenaries might run off somewhere, he had to pay proper attention.

"Cough... I apologize for not recognizing the great dark magic... Please spare us!"

"..."

Ianop was momentarily annoyed at the mercenary bastards who recognized this beautiful bestowment magic as dark magic, but he endured it.

Now was the time to focus solely on the raw gem that came from Einroguard.

"Don't you think this quill is nice, Wardanaz?"

"Hmm... But it seems a bit expensive."

"Still, it's pretty. Aren't you tired of getting goose feathers at Einroguard and making quill?"

"I should ask them to lower the price."

"...Really? Truly?"

Asan whispered with a shocked face. But Yi-Han was serious.

"Hello. I saw that in the next store..."

"..."

Asan respected Yi-Han more now than when he defeated the King of Frost Giants or showed his abilities in front of the Dargard siblings.

However, the students' enjoyable market tour ended there.

The Shadow Patrol hunters had come again.

Seeing them, Yi-Han let out a deep sigh.

There was only one reason they would come back now.

"The Sea Serpent is definitely approaching."

"I understand."

Yi-Han really didn't want to go, but he prepared to tell Professor Bagrak.

Now that it had come to this, they had to prepare on a city-wide scale.

"...Sorry."

Nillia apologized with a very sorry face.

It was a rare sight from her usual self.

"It's not your fault, it's just the Sea Serpent's fault... Guys! Gather around! Stop playing and it's time to go back to the mansion! If you have something to buy, buy it quickly!"

Yi-Han shouted like that and slyly asked the quill store owner.

"If we subjugate the Sea Serpent approaching the port, is there any discount or something?"

"..."

"..."

Nillia briefly considered just leaving first.

Meanwhile, the friends gathered, each with a bundle of purchases tucked under their arms.

Yonaire, who had picked up a new small bronze pot (much thicker than the ones used at Einroguard, so it could hold harsh ingredients), Ratford, who was pleased to have bought slightly bloodstained lockpick equipment cheaply, Bartreck, who grumbled about whether the fracture healing ointment he bought was effective or not...

Adenart was slightly flustered.

Everyone had bought something.

Noticing that, Yi-Han kindly said.

"You don't have to buy anything. Princess. Nillia here didn't buy anything either."

"...!"

Nillia glanced around and then stuffed the book <The Wasteland Stargazers, They are the Empire's Sentinels!> she had purchased to read earlier deep into her bosom.

"Th-That's right. It's more tacky to try to buy something after coming all the way here. Right?"

"It's not tacky... If everyone's here, let's go."

When they returned to the mansion, they saw Professor Bagrak also returning from the opposite direction.

Yi-Han greeted him and asked.

"Where have you been, Professor?"

"To find something useful."

Professor Bagrak answered indifferently.

The professor gave a short answer, but Yi-Han had to let his imagination run wild.

'What does he mean by something useful? Could it be that he was looking for a new opponent for me to face in the 2nd semester? He didn't kidnap some criminal from a back alley, did he?'

They were all things Professor Bagrak was fully capable of, making it even scarier.

For some reason, it seemed like there was some blood on Professor Bagrak's outerwear...

"Ah. Professor. I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well... they say the Sea Serpent is coming."

Yi-Han explained the information the Shadow Patrol hunters had asked in as much detail as possible.

So that he wouldn't be misunderstood by Professor Bagrak as 'Did you deliberately not tell me?'

"The Sea Serpent?"

"Yes."

Professor Bagrak's facial muscles, which were as hard as granite, loosened very slightly.

Yi-Han realized that Professor Bagrak was feeling pleased right now.

"...Ah, no. Professor. I'm not saying let's go subjugate the Sea Serpent together right now, it's just that procedurally..."

When a large monster comes to the port, the procedure is to first inform the people at the port and also inform those who can participate from the city, right?

Of course, it was also the procedure to tell Professor Bagrak.

But if he interpreted it as 'What a remarkable disciple, coming to find me to subjugate the Sea Serpent,' it would be very troublesome for Yi-Han.

"I see."

'I don't think he understood.'

"So the Sea Serpent is finally approaching?"

Professor Uregor, who had heard the news, walked out with a frown.

"We'll have a hard time at night."

"Professor. Here's your wallet."

"Oh. Thanks."

Professor Uregor took it without much thought when Yi-Han returned the wallet.

The wallet was empty.

"..."

What a thrifty kid!

"The monster has no tact when we've finished all the work."

"I know, right."

The people from the Maykin family also clicked their tongues.

If it had come out before the negotiations were all resolved, they could have used it for something, but now that the negotiations were neatly finished, the Sea Serpent hunt was close to a bothersome extra work.

"Let's think positively. The Sea Serpents have always provided useful things... The professors will have to work hard."

At Professor Uregor's words, the professors nodded.

Now that a large monster like the Sea Serpent had appeared, it was natural for the professors to take the lead at the forefront.

"You guys wait in the rear. There won't be any danger, but don't let your guard down. We don't know when we might need your help."

The students might be 1st years within Einroguard, but outside, they were mages properly carrying on the legitimate line of the Empire.

Considering the uneven and unstable skills of the mages commonly seen outside, the students from Einroguard were more than worthy of respect.

"Yes!"

The students stood up from their seats with determined faces.

Although they had experienced all kinds of trials and tribulations at Einroguard, experiencing this outside felt different.

Yi-Han tried to move together with his friends.

Then Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was doing.

"Where are you going?"

"Huh? You said to wait in the rear..."

"Aha!"

Professor Uregor burst into laughter as if he had forgotten.

"Of course not you!"

Professor Bungaegor also roared with laughter.

"Why would you go to the rear!"

"..."

The people from the Maykin family were confused and flustered by the dwarf professors' laughter.

Yi-Han didn't find it very funny either.

'Annoying dwarves.'

"Light!"

Yi-Han swung his staff.

A sphere of light that seemed to be burning rose up.

The professors had roared with laughter, but it wasn't completely without reason.

In a situation like this where they had to hastily prepare for a large monster, there was no way they would leave behind a mana source close to infinite like Yi-Han.

The first thing Yi-Han started working on was preparing light sources.

The sun had already gone far beyond the horizon, and darkness was creeping into the port.

Naturally, they had to prepare light because it would be advantageous for the monster if a melee broke out in the dark.

The city people also had expectations like 'Won't it be resolved somehow with magic?' since the mages had come, but...

This was...

"...What the hell is this?"

"Did I mistake the time?"

The city guards who had rushed over were shocked by the dazzling appearance of the port.

They wanted light, but wasn't this too bright even if it was bright?

Even so...

Is this okay??

"Is magic originally capable of this?"

"Since they're mages from Einroguard..."

However, even the guard who said 'It might be possible because they're mages from Einroguard' lacked confidence in his voice.

Honestly, they were still dumbfounded.

"Light, light, light, light, light..."

Yi-Han went around the port without rest, floating all the spheres of light.

The adventurers waiting with bows in hand muttered in amazement.

"Isn't he... a student?"

"Can students at Einroguard use magic to that extent? No, the mage who participated in the party last time complained terribly while creating a light the size of a lantern..."

Unaware that he was leaving a very strong impression on the port people, Yi-Han went around and around.

Although he had an abundance of mana, it was hard work to install the spheres of light one by one because the port was so wide.

'They say if you're not smart, your body suffers.'

Yi-Han sighed inwardly.

He felt like he understood why the skull principal urged people so much to learn magic.

If he knew how to use higher-level magic, he could have filled this entire area with light with a single flick of his finger!

"I'm done."

"Good work."

"Then I'll cast enchantment magic on the equipment."

"...O-Okay."

Professor Uregor was about to say 'Take a break' but was flustered.

Yi-Han didn't notice the professor's inner thoughts and immediately set off to do the next task.

The Shadow Patrol hunters had already received it earlier, but now there were many people at the port holding bows and crossbows without magic cast on them.

Considering the installed ballistae and such...

"Uh, shouldn't he rest a bit?"

The people from the Maykin family hesitated and spoke.

It could be seen as quite rude to comment on the education policy in the presence of an Einroguard professor, so they were cautious, but it wasn't easy to hold back their words this time.

Professor Uregor glanced at the outsiders and made an excuse.

"For Wardanaz, this level of work is just like taking a walk."

"...Pardon?"

The people from the Maykin family looked at the spheres of light floating all over the port and were dumbfounded.

What kind of bullshit is that...

However, Professor Uregor was confident and brazen. Once he pushed through, he tried to maintain the lie to the end.

"Rather, telling him to rest is an act of hurting Wardanaz's pride. Please never mention it."

"Aha..."

"I see."

If Yi-Han had heard it, he would have kicked Professor Uregor in the back and made him fall into the sea, but Yi-Han was now busy casting magic on the equipment of the city guards.

The people from the Maykin family were newly impressed by what they had just heard.

It made them think that he was indeed from the Wardanaz family.

'Come to think of it, with that kind of personality, it's no wonder Lady Yoanen took a liking to him.'

The people from the Maykin family respected Yoanen for her outstanding abilities, but that didn't mean they didn't notice Yoanen's shortcomings.

Objectively speaking, Yoanen was indeed a crazy workaholic.

Being told by such a person, 'I really like you, I want to invite you to my workshop after graduation,' might be a dangerous signal in terms of personality, even if not in terms of ability.

The other person might also be a bit crazy about work...