Chapter 44

Chapter 044

For a while, only silence came from the next room.

Lee Han, thinking he might have said something wrong, cautiously asked, "Did I make a mistake?"

"No, no. I was just a bit surprised. A freshman... you're really talented."

"But I was caught, right?"

‘If you don’t get caught there, you should be the principal...’

That was what the other person was thinking.

It wasn't a normal situation when the Empire's anti-magic advocates came.

The school's outstanding professors must have gone out to fight.

To hope not to be discovered after fighting together in such a situation was too much.

"What were you doing before you came in, senior?"

"Senior? Stop saying such embarrassing things. You can call me casually. After all, we'll all be magicians after graduation."

"Got it. So what were you doing before you came in?"

"......"

The person on the other side of the wall suddenly became very curious about Lee Han's face.

What is this guy really doing?

"I came in after failing an experiment."

"No way. You come to the punishment room after failing an experiment??"

Lee Han was shocked.

Isn't that too much?

However, the person on the other side of the wall was calm.

"Don't be surprised. You'll find out later."

The fourth-year student explained what had happened.

He was trying to obtain materials needed for a magic experiment he was researching but failed to get them within the time limit.

So, the fourth-year student broke into one of the principal's secret storerooms, stole the reagents, and took them out.

However, he failed to completely bypass the principal's traps and was eventually caught and brought to the punishment room.

"......"

Lee Han, who was listening, paused.

‘You didn’t come in because you failed an experiment, did you?’

You just got caught while stealing, right?

But Lee Han didn't point that out. After all, the longer you stay in graduate school, the more your common sense breaks down.

It wasn't the senior's fault that the senior's common sense had broken down; it was the fault of the magic school.

"From what I see, with your abilities, many professors will want you, so it's best to be careful. Be careful not to fail when you do experiments."

"I'll keep that in mind. But I don't plan to stay in school for long."

"You're modest."

"No, I really don't plan to stay long..."

"Yeah. That makes sense. You seem like a model student. Are you from the Blue Tower? No, that's probably not it."

"......"

No matter what he said, the other person wouldn't listen, so Lee Han gave up.

But he couldn't shake off the ominous feeling.

"Senior, can I ask you something more?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Is it impossible to reopen the underground passage now? Is there any other way out?"

In response to Lee Han's question, a snort came from the next room.

"Of course there is. But, junior, aren't you asking for too much? Why should I tell you?"

Instead of answering, Lee Han lifted his head from the wall and shouted at the door.

"Guard!"

"!?"

The student next door straightened up in shock.

What is this guy doing!?

Is he trying to get us both killed?!

-What's the matter?

"Can you pass this to the next room?"

-Understood.

He did it just in case, but the undead summoner surprisingly agreed to the request.

When he tried to see if the professor's gift could be brought in, it worked.

A basket containing cookies, hot tea, and sugar was sent to the next room.

Bang!

"???"

"Ah, no. I was surprised... How did you get this in?"

"I received it as a gift."

"......"

At this point, the student on the other side of the wall really wanted to know who Lee Han was.

Within a week of entering, he had secured a way out, actually succeeded (if not for a natural disaster), and when he was caught in the punishment room, he managed to get other students to send him gifts, and most importantly, he had the skills to secure such private provisions...

‘Is this guy from a criminal guild??’

The Black Turtle Tower sometimes admitted students who had committed crimes, and Lee Han seemed to be one of those cases, a big fish at that.

Otherwise, his abilities couldn't be explained.

"Anyway, senior, can't this work?"

"...No, it's fine. Since you received it, I can tell you."

The student on the other side of the wall cleared his throat.

Receiving an unexpected gift and the possibility that the other person was from a criminal guild made it unwise to create an enemy.

If he found out and sought revenge later...

"But before I tell you, let's be clear. We fourth-year students don't know all the ways to get out of the school. Many have never succeeded."

After the first year, students are allowed to go out occasionally, so many upperclassmen have never successfully escaped.

In fact, most of them have never succeeded. Getting out of the school secretly was that difficult.

‘...But a first-year student succeeded.’

"The method I know is one I heard from above, and I've never tried it. I don't know if it will succeed or not."

According to the student on the other side of the wall, one of the special stables was located at the top of one of the main building's towers.

A stable for flying creatures!

It was a place where the animals professors rode and the eagles that delivered official documents rested.

The animals there were blessed with special protection, allowing them to fly over the school's walls.

"The problem is that they wouldn't just let anyone ride those animals."

"......"

Indeed, that made sense.

Just as there was a custodian for the storeroom, there must be something for the stables.

‘But it's not bad.’

Just knowing there was a way was quite hopeful.

Moreover, this method had been successful at least once.

So, Lee Han had a good chance of succeeding.

"Thanks, senior."

‘...This, this guy... He figured out a method just by hearing this?! How?!”

The misunderstanding of the person on the other side of the wall deepened.

* * *

-You are released. Lee Han of the Wodanaz family.

The next day, the undead summoner opened the door.

Before leaving the corridor, Lee Han added a few chocolates to the next room.

He had been able to hear various stories thanks to the senior he didn't know.

Although the other person spoke less and hesitated more as time went on, Lee Han thought it was probably because of the annoyance.

Who wouldn't be annoyed if someone they didn't know kept talking to them?

Still, he was grateful for the responses.

‘If I meet him later, I should thank him.’

Lee Han went through the same complicated process to get out, just as he did when he came in.

Outside the main building, the darkness was dispersing, and the sun was slowly rising.

‘Hmm. It looks like a kitchen.’

Lee Han, who had entered the Blue Dragon Tower and headed to his personal room, was surprised to see the room's appearance.

It looked like a well-organized kitchen or a grocery store.

With all the food he had received from various places, it looked even more like one.

Salt, sugar, tea leaves, and various spices and seasonings were stacked on the shelves, along with canned fruits like apricots, peaches, and pineapples.

There were also canned beans, salmon, and salted beef.

It seemed like enough to last Lee Han for a few weeks.

‘I could seriously start a business with this.’

Deciding to think about the business later, Lee Han opened the door and went out.

Since he had woken up early, he planned to go to the stables and try the task given by Professor Flash Step.

"Lee Han?"

As he was preparing to leave the lounge, a red-haired girl yawned and came down, surprised.

"Where were you all day!?"

"Punishment room. Didn't the professors tell you?"

"Yeah. Professor Garcia said you were resting because you were injured from setting up a big goal."

"......"

Lee Han understood why Professor Garcia had lied.

Honor was more important than he thought to the children of noble families.

Since Lee Han was from the Wodanaz family, it would be embarrassing if it was known that he went to the punishment room for a mistake.

Moreover, he hadn't made a mistake; he had helped Professor Garcia.

"No, I got caught trying to leave the school and went to the punishment room."

Of course, Lee Han didn't care about such things. Fortunately, Yoner didn't care either.

"Why did you go alone?"

"I wanted to check the information first since it wasn't certain."

"Next time, let's go together. Two is better than one."

"Then should we take Nillia too?"

"Yeah. That's a good idea. Let's take Nillia too."

Nillia, who wasn't there, was forced to join, but the two of them didn't mind.

Yoner tilted her head and asked, "So, what exactly happened?"

While walking to the stables, Lee Han slowly began to explain what had happened.

His speculations about the underground passage, the method to pass through it, and the storeroom and the storeroom keeper.

Yoner listened quietly with wide eyes.

"So, you got out, but there were people waiting."

"The principal?"

"No. The Empire's anti-magic advocates."

"!??"

Yoner was shocked.

It turned out that what Professor Garcia said was true.

Anti-magic advocates were hiding around the school.

"Then you did set up a big goal, right?!"

"And I went to the punishment room."

"…Why??"

Yoner couldn't understand.

Why exactly?

* * *

A few students from the Black Turtle Tower were already at the stables.

When they saw Lee Han and Yoner, they flinched and slowly backed away.

Yoner didn't seem to care, but Lee Han was slightly hurt.

‘This custom of judging people by their appearance and family should be abolished!’

Of course, the Black Turtle Tower students were afraid of Lee Han's reputation, but Lee Han didn't know that.

"Hey..."

"!"

When one of the Black Turtle Tower students spoke, Lee Han was delighted.

Is it Nillia?

But it wasn't Nillia. It was the rat shapeshifter, Ratford.

"Good morning, Mr. Wodanaz."

Lee Han was taken aback by Ratford's respectful attitude, as if serving a superior.

Anyone would think he was being forced to do it!

"Hey, be more casual."

"I find this more comfortable."

For Ratford, who had lived by the principle of "the weak must serve the strong" in the thief guild, speaking casually to a superior was actually difficult.

Thorough hierarchy and obedience.

That was true comfort.

"......"

Lee Han saw the fear in the Black Turtle Tower students' eyes deepen and shook his head.

‘This is bad.’

"Alright, I understand."

Lee Han, half-giving up, looked at Ratford. In fact, Lee Han was also curious about what happened after their fight.

Since he had passed out right after the fight...

"What happened after the fight?"

"Yes. As you said, I hid during the fight. When it was over, the principal and other professors arrived."

"Good job. It's better to stay out of it and not get hurt."

"The workers were distracted, and it seemed like an opportunity, so I searched the boxes in the carriage, picked the locks, and took useful items. I had to choose small items to hide on my body, but I brought them to offer you."

Ratford handed over a small box. Inside, vials were jingling.

"......"

Lee Han was speechless and impressed.

‘A real professional thief is different, after all!’