Chapter 370
People who suffer losses like Diret always say it’s only this time, and their hearts become weak.
Lee Han looked at the senior with pity.
“I brought snacks, so you can tell me whenever you need them.”
“Chocolate tart? Where did you get it from?”
“I made it myself.”
“…Ughhhhhhhhhh.”
* * *
The warlocks gathered at the city gate set off in a wagon they had rented in advance.
It was like going on a picnic.
If it wasn’t for the old wagon that creaked like it was about to break
.
“Coke. I’ll have to cast some magic again.”
“Wait a minute!”
The seniors stopped the wagon, ran out, and cast spells on the wheels, axles, and doors in turn.
Seeing this, Lee Han became ominous, as if he had glimpsed an unfortunate future with the Foresight Magic.
‘I’ve heard that black magic doesn’t get support, but seeing it for yourself like this.’
“I think this is enough.”
“Is it still creaking?”
“If you cast magic enough to catch it completely, the waste of mana is too great. I have no choice but to put up with this much.”
“Whoops. If you dig a good mushroom in the undead world this time, you can change the wagon too. Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“…yes!”
Lee Han vowed to learn the magic to get rid of creaking sounds in the second semester.
As we rode the Imperial Highway away from the city, the number of houses gradually decreased and only forests and fields began to increase.
Gainando looked outside the carriage while munching on tart. Raphael, who was sitting by the window, pushed Guinando’s head as if he was annoyed.
“stop!”
Armed soldiers and knights were seen at the end of the quiet road. They stopped the wagon on alert.
“For what purpose did you come?”
“Coke. We are wizards who came to study this phenomenon.”
Professor Mortum took out the permit and held it out to the soldiers.
The driver’s face softened when he saw the document with the seal on it.
“You must be a wizard.”
As the land mass of the empire was so large, it was not an ordinary task to control the phenomena occurring in various places.
If the phenomenon of overlapping undead systems was not properly controlled, a situation could arise in which undead waves were generated everywhere.
Even if I managed to find it first and control it, I couldn’t be completely relieved again.
As the land mass of the empire was so wide, there were many crazy people, so there were people who tried to take advantage of the phenomenon.
It was only natural that the nerves of the knights and soldiers under control in such a sparsely deserted place were sharp.
“Coke. Everyone is having a lot of trouble.”
“Really… I don’t know why the undead dimension overlaps. Not bad luck… It would have been better if it was in the plant spirit dimension.”
“The damage to the plant spirit dimension must have been formidable.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better than the undead dimension?”
“Well…”
“Yes. What school does the wizard belong to…
”
Professor Mortum suddenly coughed as if he had heard it.
The disciples next to him patted the master’s back and said,
“professor. Here is water!”
“Because your health is so bad…”
“Oh no. sorry. I’ve been holding on to the sick for too long. hey. Let me pass.”
As the soldiers got out of the way, the carriage ran.
Professor Mortum stopped coughing and looked up.
“Coke. did you go?”
“Went.”
“……”
The first year students who were watching from inside the carriage looked at Diret in amazement.
“…You really got the right permission, right?”
“You got it!? Junior! Of course, it just looked a little ugly, but we’re not so reckless as to treat this as unauthorized or counterfeit!”
Diret went into explanation.
Roughly, when this anomaly broke out, these nearby passages were deployed and controlled to block the approaching madmen.
There was a high possibility that they were forming a siege by using a few nearby military camps or small villages to prevent them from approaching.
“What does that have to do with what you’re doing now…?”
“Listen to the end.”
In other words, not just the soldiers I just saw, but quite a lot of people staying around here!
There were not only soldiers standing guard, but also people who helped them stay in the village, people who brought them something to eat and drink, people who bought magicians cards to play while they were still, etc. An ecosystem was formed around here as well.
“??”
Of course, Lee Han did not understand.
What does that have to do with ‘I’m a warlock’ now?
“In a situation like this, when it is known that we are black magicians, we are the first to be suspected when an incident occurs. That’s why I avoided answering a little.”
“……”
“……”
When the first year students did not answer, the seniors asked in an anxious voice.
“We are not cheating. He just coughed a little.”
“that’s right. I got the permit right.”
“You juniors, don’t you think you’re changing schools because of something like this?”
‘I’ll have to say I’m a plant elemental wizard.’
Lee Han glanced at the staff.
I never thought the Tree Spirit’s Staff would help me at times like this!
* * *
The students of the School of Dark Magic got off the wagon and entered the rented inn in advance.
As Diret had said, the townsfolk were not surprised when travelers poured in. Apparently, there were already some people wandering around the village.
A mercenary who came to confirm the truth after hearing rumors, a mercenary who seems to have come to solve a suspicious request, a wizard dressed up as a fire elemental wizard, and so on.
“Coke. Everyone had a hard time. Let’s take a good rest today and start working tomorrow. The town walks around moderately. Please give me some hot green tea.”
“yes. Wizard.”
Thanks to renting the entire inn, there were only students on the first floor. The owner held out the boiling green tea to Professor Mortum.
It showed the respect that the people of the Empire usually show to wizards.
“How does it taste?”
“It’s okay.”
“Fortunately, the. I used pretty good green tea leaves. I’m glad the wizard drinks it, not the other guests. Anyway, the people who came to the village because of this incident are all suspicious and full of bad guys… After the end, the empire will reward you, but in the meantime, how hideous the atmosphere in the village will be. It would be great if only magicians like you could come.”
“…colloccolloc.”
When Professor Mortum coughed, the students quickly threw their belongings and ran out of the inn.
When they were asked what kind of magic they were doing, they got into trouble with each other.
“There won’t be much to see in a town like this, but don’t wander around too much.”
“Don’t drink. It will be affected when I use magic tomorrow.”
“Don’t talk too long with a suspicious person.”
“Actually, the problem is that we look the most suspicious. Avoid magic as much as possible. The town is small, so rumors spread quickly.”
The seniors asked how many times they had experienced it.
Even though he was dressed as a farmer, as long as he was holding a staff, people couldn’t help but wonder what kind of wizard he was.
“Where are you going, old man?”
“I’m going to meet the merchants and check what materials are needed and what the market price is.”
“I am going to meet the knights. If you ask the knights, you can kick out the suspicious guys.”
Lee Han admired the seniors who were more competent than he thought.
“You can go and have a look.”
“no. I will help too.”
Gainando was disgusted by Lee Han’s words and pulled the ends of his clothes.
He wanted to run around and play.
“It’s really okay…”
“It’s okay. Lee Han.”
“I have nothing to do anyway.”
“Nothing is missing. Lee Han.”
“You go over there and look.”
Lee Han, who had driven out Gainando, followed Diret and approached the nearby merchants.
“It is not very difficult. There are merchants here to sell goods, but there are also merchants who come to get materials.”
Merchants also knew that when an overlapping phenomenon occurs, materials come out from within.
As such, the quick-witted merchants would quickly run and wait in front.
Tired adventurers didn’t carry all the ingredients.
“It’s good to know in advance that there are materials that are currently expensive or have a bounty on them.”
“Are the merchants obedient?”
“I tend to speak well to wizards. Sometimes you need help.”
One of the imperial proverbs was, ‘If you are not a fool, do not be an enemy of a wizard.’
It meant that there was a lot of work to be owed to the wizard.
Merchants came here to do business, so there was no reason to fight the wizard…
“I’m sorry. I cannot tell you.”
“…uh?”
Diete was perplexed.
Did you find out that he was a warlock?
“Why?”
“Ugh. Mister Wizard. I say this out of respect for the mage. That… There is an adventurer who signed a contract first. Other merchants will be like me.”
‘this.’
Diret clicked his tongue inwardly.
If there was an adventurer who received a request from a merchant, the story was different.
Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if someone else took the expensive ingredients for no reason…
“Does this happen often?”
“no. I don’t usually even hire them. It’s more likely that you won’t be able to find it by throwing a party or two.”
From a merchant’s point of view, it’s convenient to just buy something that anyone can bring, but hiring a party to let them in was risky in many ways.
If the party returns barehanded, the silver coins are spent as much as the silver coins and nothing is gained.
“I don’t know what kind of material it is, but there must have been competition. I didn’t know you would invest that much.”
“Mmm.”
Lee Han wanted to help his senior who was struggling, but he couldn’t think of a way.
It was possible to deceive the knights with a single word, but it was not so easy for the merchants.
‘for a moment. That pattern…’
Lee Han realized that the merchant’s wagon pattern was familiar.
That was the crest of the Richmond family.
The family of Shiles Richmond of the Black Turtle Tower, who runs one of the leading transport guilds in the empire.
“Are you from the Richmond family by any chance?”
“ah. yes.”
“I am really close with Shiles.”
“…Ah, is that so? You know Shiles…”
“Yes. You could call them best friends.”
The merchant hesitated in embarrassment at the sudden appearance of the family’s best friend.
In the meantime, Lee Han talked about how close he was to Shiles and what happened during the lecture.
“We were all isolated because of the sudden heavy snowfall. Shiles yelled at him to leave him alone. I threw away my coat because I couldn’t leave Shiles alone. I got a silver coin, but it doesn’t matter, and Shiles thanked me with tears in his eyes.”
“That… I see.”
The merchant who listened felt something strange.
Why is there heavy snow at school?
“Just as I helped Shiles, Shiles wanted to help me with anything I had to do.”
“……”
“He’s such a good friend.”
“……”
“When I go back, tell Shiles that I met a family merchant by chance here…” “
…I’ll just tell you two. You really shouldn’t go anywhere and tell me.”
“Thank you.”
Seeing that, Diret placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head.
Other juniors should have seen this in person…
* * *
“Why is mountain mushroom so popular?”
Upon hearing the list, Diret tilted his head.
Sanhwan mushrooms were actually not a very popular ingredient.
Materials that were popular were generally good for health or general-purpose materials that were good for all mages to use.
On the other hand, wild mushrooms were mainly used by black magicians.
A material often used as a reagent when making a curse or poison that reduces or consumes an opponent’s magical power.
“Isn’t it important that it is expensive?”
“…you’re a freshman, right?”
While I was talking, I saw other dark magic school students talking with the knights in front of me.
As if it didn’t work out well, the students asked for a stretch with a troubled expression, but the knights stubbornly shook their heads.
“Looks like you’re not having too much luck over there.”
“senior.”
“huh?”
“Among the knights over there, is there any knight related to the Choi Moradi Alpha Grahl Bach family, or to the Knights of the Beech Tree and the Knights of the White Sheep?”
“……”
