Chapter 38
“Aren’t you a student at the Black Turtle Tower?”
Lee Han watched carefully to see what his opponent was doing.
The opponent was a rat-beast boy. He was short and slightly stooped, but his steps were so quiet that no sound was heard.
Lee Han suspected that the opponent had undergone special training.
As the old knight Allarron said, footsteps often revealed the identity of the opponent.
The steps of a knight, the steps of a wizard, the steps of a hunter, the steps of a thief…
and those steps were close to those of a thief.
‘The Rat Beasts aren’t welcome in the Empire, though.’
Even if they said that all races in the empire were equal, it was difficult to truly do so.
In reality, there was no choice but to divide the popular and non-popular races.
And the rat beast people were the latter.
Because there are many thieves, outcasts, pickpockets, and rag-pickers, the people of the Empire always look suspiciously at them.
That was the rat beast people.
‘It must be my prejudice. There’s no way that all the rat beasts will go stealing unconditionally.’
Lee Han thought he had gone too far.
Aren’t all rats and beasts trained as thieves?
Click—
“……”
However, the opponent took out a crude and crude fake key from his waist and began to turn it vigorously against the locked door.
The intention was obvious to anyone.
‘Well, it’s not the time for me to curse at others either.’
Lee Han could not blame others as he was currently in a situation where he was violating school rules and was looking for a way out.
Rather…
‘It might be better to cooperate.’
Seeing as how he even made and brought a key like that, it wasn’t the first time he came out today.
Lee Han couldn’t be the only student trying to get out of school.
Lee Han approached cautiously.
If the opponent screams in surprise, even Lee Han will be ruined.
Shuk-
Lee Han quietly stopped behind the rat-beast boy who was frantically focused, then pointed his cane at his neck and whispered in a low voice.
“hey. If you make a loud noise, you will die.”
“…!!”
* * *
Ratford was a professional thief belonging to the thieves’ guild < White Crow > even before entering school.
In fact, Ratford couldn’t believe it from the moment he received the offer to enter the magic school.
No matter how talented he is, he wants to accept even a thief as a student.
Fortunately, the Black Turtle Tower students did not ostracize Ratford.
But Ratford himself couldn’t help feeling a strange sense of alienation.
Boys and girls born into wealthy merchant families and Ratford, who practiced stealing through the alleys at night, were bound to be different.
As much as that, Ratford wanted to show something with his own ability.
Like Nilia, a former hunter, (of course, Ratford didn’t think there would be another person like her), she wants to be recognized by her peers in the same tower with her abilities!
So, Ratford prepared meticulously.
-As it is a large school, there will be kitchens and storage rooms. If you find it and rob it, you can pack plenty of food and various daily necessities that will suffice!
As the other students casually made their way through the hallways to the classrooms, Ratford took notice and inspected the keyhole in the area behind the central staircase.
Examining the keyhole with only the senses of the fingertips and then making a simple key on the fly to open the door was a highly difficult acrobatics that not even a thief could do… Ratford finally succeeded after pouring all his spare time into it
.
I thought there was only glory left now, but suddenly this kind of surprise.
‘Who… who…’
It was obvious who the opponent was.
The guards guarding this school were evident.
Professional thieves have always been prepared for this situation.
Ratford carefully lifted his hands over his shoulders and spoke as servilely as he could.
“Don’t hit me. I will surrender.”
Even if they were the same thief, the number of hits was different between the one who went crazy after being caught and the one who readily acknowledged it.
If you have already been caught, admitting it is a better choice in some ways.
“Shh. I sneaked out just like you.”
“…?!”
Only then did Ratford look back.
A stout boy in priestly clothes removed the staff from Ratford’s neck and looked around.
‘Were you the same freshman!?’
Ratford was stunned.
He threatened so viciously that Ratford naturally assumed he was a security guard.
No, a freshman like him is threatening to live like ‘If you make a loud noise, you’ll die’…
“What is this…
”
“who are you?”
Even as he asked, Ratford was able to somewhat guess who the opponent was.
With his tall and solid physique, he approached like this and even handled his cane like a weapon.
It must have been one of the students from the White Tiger Tower.
‘I don’t know how he got the priest’s uniform, but he’s a bit crazy, isn’t he?’
Walking around in priestly clothes was bound to attract less suspicion.
To think that a former knight with a mass of muscle up to his head could demonstrate such a wit.
“It’s the Tower of the Blue Dragon. It’s Wordanazda.”
“……”
Ratford opened his mouth in astonishment.
* * *
Ratford accepted the situation quicker than expected.
Actually, I wasn’t completely convinced.
‘Anyone from the Wardanaz family on this night… what… no, how about priestly clothes…’
However, the current situation was very tight, so he decided to just accept it and move on.
More than anything, the proposal brought out by the boy of the Wodanaz family was more shocking.
“You want to move together?”
“No matter what happens, a team of two is more efficient. Wouldn’t it be better for you to move together rather than alone?”
“…Can’t you see who I am??”
Ratford asked in bewilderment. At that question, Lee Han hesitated.
“Could you be the principal’s son?”
“……”
Of course, he wasn’t the principal’s son.
Ratford was dumbfounded.
If he had eyes, he could tell that Ratford was from the rat beast race.
And in the middle of the night like this, didn’t he try to open the door by clicking a fake key?
If he had a head, he had to recognize ‘Oh, he’s a thief!’
“You look like a thief! Is a high-ranking person from the Wardanaz family hanging out with a thief like me?”
“hey. What do you think I am doing right now?”
“……”
At Lee Han’s question, Ratford became dumb.
…I know?
“You want to move together?”
“okay. You must have been looking for a grocery store? Neither do I.”
“!”
Ratford was startled once, then came to his senses and asked.
“Are you really from the Wardanaj family?”
Ratford looked suspiciously.
No matter how much you think about it…
“Are you going to move together? Or should I knock you down and move alone?”
“Jin calm down. to calm down let’s move together Two are better than one.”
Ratford hurriedly waved his hand as Lee Han’s cane thrust menacingly.
I didn’t know anything else, but when we faced each other, I definitely felt that I couldn’t beat my opponent.
“so. Have you prepared the key?”
“okay.”
“Is it open?”
“Not open. Originally, it should have been opened, but it seems to be protected by magic.”
Ratford nervously poked the keyhole.
If it was protected by magic, there was no way to open Ratford either.
I don’t know if there’s even a thief’s treasure, but I’m completely naked here…
Clap!
“?”
A key flew out of Lee Han’s pocket and was inserted into the keyhole.
Then he turned around and opened the door.
“???”
“Where is my key?”
“The key you stole from the principal’s office.”
“Nong… are you kidding?”
“no. It’s true.”
The other day, while staying behind with Asan to clean up, he not only learned magic, but also had a key with him.
What key was it? Is this the key to the area behind the main entrance?
‘…I’ll have to be careful.’
If the principal had left the key, he could never be caught off guard.
Lee Han was determined not to be caught off guard by this good fortune.
Past an empty banquet hall without a single person, past a large hall, past several closed doors…
“Wait.”
Ratford suddenly fell to the floor.
“Looks like there are people in the basement? I can hear it.”
“…!”
At that moment, Lee Han seemed to know where the workers were coming from.
‘It’s underground!’
If you come and go through the main gate or passageway on the ground, you will not only be noticed by the students, but they will have no choice but to use it.
In contrast, students had no easy way to find out when they entered and exited the underground passage.
Somehow, I thought it was strange that I couldn’t see the shadows of the workers even though the students were walking
around like that… ‘Why does this school go that far?’
“It must be talking in the basement warehouse. Find a way down to the basement!”
“And indeed…”
Ratford hurriedly began to move at Lee Han’s words.
Fortunately, the stairs leading to the basement appeared in front of them shortly after. It was only down one
flight
of stairs, but the air changed.
The moonlight still came through the windows from above, but there was only cool darkness here.
Lee Han contemplated whether to bring in the light.
However, Lee Han’s instincts prevented him from doing that.
Above all, the fact that the key in the principal’s office opened the door raised Lee Han’s alertness.
‘If it’s the personality of the principal I’ve seen so far, it’s not strange to set up a few traps in a place like this.’
Ratford rustled beside him. Lee Han said softly.
“Don’t turn on the lights.”
“…?”
“Someone might be waiting.”
“!”
Ratford was taken aback by the Wardanaz boy’s words.
It was definitely an unknown place where I didn’t know what was there. Because of unfamiliarity and nervousness, he tried to light a fire without knowing it.
If Lee Han hadn’t said it, he would have made a mistake.
‘…No, but what is it really??’
Rumors of a boy from the Wardanaz family had been heard by Ratford several times inside the Black Turtle Tower.
– I heard there’s no blood or tears? He seems to be holding the Blue Dragon Tower with his charisma.
– Neither the prince nor the princess can breathe in front of the Wodanaz family.
-I saw it in magic class the other day, and it succeeded at once when others failed no matter how many times.
-A thunderbird attacked in riding class, and he subdued it with magic. can you believe that
At first, I thought it was an exaggerated rumor.
I’m a freshman, but isn’t it too harsh?
But this view made Ratford think that the rumors might not be exaggerated.
The feeling of intimidation is no joke!
hook!
“!”
Lanterns flashed in the distance, illuminating the surroundings.
Lee Han and Ratford did not take a deep breath and lowered their posture.
I didn’t realize it when it was dark, but the whole underground space was like a huge warehouse.
Shelves and tables were packed tightly together, and it was dimly seen that all sorts of things were crammed into them.
The warehouse keeper slowly picked up the lantern and started walking. Thanks to the silence where you could hear the sound of a needle dropping, you could clearly hear the warehouse keeper muttering.
“Cheese… Eight. check. maple syrup… 5 bottles. check. Baekhwaji (白火紙)… 22 sheets. check. Young Eun Acupuncture (靈銀鍼)… 3 pieces. check.”
‘I’m memorizing all the numbers!’
“The warning magic has weakened. I have to walk again.”
Along with the wave of magic, I felt the storage keeper cast a spell on the object.
Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine.
All objects have an alarm spell.
He was almost dragged into the punishment room if he accidentally touched something without knowing this.
“who are you?”
“!”
Both of their hearts sank.
The warehouse keeper turned his head in the exact direction the two of them were and opened his mouth.
‘There’s no way I can see it from an angle?’
Lee Han tried to stay calm in the midst of the chaos.
How did the other person find out? Are you trying to float it? Wouldn’t it be too late to use the invisibility magic now?
“…!”
Lee Han was shocked to see the warehouse keeper slowly approaching.
Surprisingly, the warehouse keeper was blind with his eyes tightly wrapped in bandages.
