“Why are you acting like this?!”

“The Stonemason Club commission was canceled...”

“Y-you don’t need to be that disappointed, do you?”

The upperclassmen panicked as they tried to comfort Lee Han.

And they weren’t just saying it to make him feel better. The Stonemason Club really didn’t care much about canceled commissions.

If it had been somewhere like the Mage Card Collectors Club, they would have wept their hearts out and attempted arson on Einroguard’s main building if an outing was canceled because of a commission falling through. But the Stonemason Club received more commissions than any other club, so cancellations didn’t bother them much.

“There are plenty of other commissions piled up anyway. Those guys are probably happy they don’t have to go out.”

“...Is that so?”

Lee Han was slightly tempted to believe them.

He didn’t believe it completely, but his guilt made him want to believe at least a little.

“Really. That... what was it, Anpagon?”

“Ah. Senior Anpagon. That’s right.”

Anpagon of the enchantment magic school, the student who played the role of the most sociable person in that school.

Lee Han had met and spoken with Anpagon several times.

“Last time, Anpagon had to go outside for an external commission, but didn’t want to go, so Anpagon hid in Einroguard’s underground mines. The Death Knights had a terrible time finding Anpagon.”

“...”

Lee Han’s reaction came a beat late as he wondered which part he should point out first: the underground mines, or the fact that Anpagon had hidden there.

“Anyway, don’t worry too much about it, Wardanaz.”

“Right, right. And it’s not even your fault, is it?”

“...Sob!”

“!??”

***

-Waaaaaaah!

-Welcome back!

After the volunteer work ended, Lee Han returned to Einroguard’s castle gate with the Kitchen Club students.

The Stonemason Club’s commission had been canceled as well, and since they had already been outside for quite some time, there was no reason to force themselves to stay out any longer.

Surprisingly, however, students could be heard welcoming them from far away.

‘Do they usually send people off and welcome them back during club outing week?’

“Huh. Do people usually do this?”

“Puhehe. No. When we come back, we usually bring ingredients, so they’re waiting in anticipation.”

“...”

Looking closely, the students’ faces were clearly full of expectation, as if they were hoping something would be handed out.

Palcrius laughed heartily and opened the food sack.

“Come on, take some! This is food brought back by our Wardanaz family junior!”

“Wa... Waaaaaaah!”

“N-no way! They’re really giving it out!”

The students were shocked by the much more generous response than they had expected.

Who would have imagined that the Kitchen Club, which usually handed out half a piece of bread or a thin slice of cheese, would be this generous?

Freshly baked warm rolls were tossed out freely, followed by southern mountain cheese, peaches, apples, and more.

“Senior Palcrius! Can we really take these?”

“Uhahaha! Have you all lived your lives being tricked? Like I said, our Wardanaz family junior brought plenty!”

“Did you perhaps use mind-control magic?”

“What kind of nonsense is that... Wait. Wardanaz, did you use it?”

Palcrius started to deny it, then turned his head just in case.

Thinking back on the scene, it suddenly seemed possible that his junior might really have used mind-control magic.

But Wardanaz was no longer beside him.

Startled, Palcrius looked around and saw his junior walking away in the distance with Professor Garcia.

“Puhehe. He really is popular.”

When his junior frantically waved both arms, Palcrius smiled and waved back.

Such good manners!

***

“Oh. Wardanaz, you’re back!”

“Yeah.”

“But what are you doing?”

“Writing a reflection paper.”

Lee Han moved a quill with telekinesis, writing line after line on the paper.

I will not directly fight evil deity worshippers even if I encounter them in the future.

I will not directly fight evil deity worshippers even if I encounter them in the future.

...

“...”

His Blue Dragon Tower friend stared at him in shock.

He had thought Lee Han had gone out for club activities, but what on earth had happened?

Contrary to his friend’s shock, however, Lee Han’s heart was full of peace and gratitude.

This was a very lenient punishment.

‘As expected, Professor Garcia is the best professor in Einroguard—no, in the entire Empire.’

Professor Garcia knew perfectly well that with Lee Han’s current magical ability, he could easily duplicate a reflection paper like this.

Yet the professor had ended the matter with only a reflection paper. Lee Han could only be grateful.

Leaving the quill to move on its own, Lee Han opened a book. Since he had been outside for almost two weeks, he needed to review his lectures over the weekend.

‘【Wand Materials and Magical Amplification】... Hm. I’ve already finished making my wand, so I don’t need to worry about this much. Pass. 【A Mage’s Life with Plants】... Come to think of it, I finished this last time too. Pass. 【Advanced Illusion Magic and Spirit Theory】... This too...’

However, the review ended faster than expected.

Because he had studied so intensely before midterms, missing one or two weeks hadn’t set him back much.

‘...Huh?’

Lee Han checked again in case he had missed something, but nothing changed. Feeling oddly awkward, he closed the book.

‘Hm. I should think about the Stonemason Club commission.’

Professor Garcia, who had kidnapped—no, taken Lee Han away to scold him, had said this:

-Never engage evil deity worshippers directly again!!!!

-Yes!

-And don’t attack villains as Stedal Nago either!!!!

-Yes...

-Oh, right. Student Lee Han. The Stonemason Club students are looking for Student Jarun. It would be helpful for you too, so help them look.

‘Isn’t that emotional shift a little too extreme?’

Reflection was reflection, but Professor Garcia never hesitated when it came to giving students necessary information.

Students belonging to the Stonemason Club were usually busy with their individual commissions.

That was why, even when external commissions were canceled like this, they usually just said, “Oh? Is that so?” and moved on.

But now the Stonemason Club students had unusually united to search for one person.

A senior Lee Han knew well: Jarun of House Steel Boot.

This dwarf senior from the transformation magic school had narrow social relationships and loved gold.

Jarun loved gold so much that even when it was time to attend lectures upstairs, Jarun would hole up in an underground workshop and devote everything to mining.

Thanks to that, Jarun was often caught by professors and dragged to the punishment cells.

-Why is everyone looking for Senior Jarun? And what do you mean it would be helpful for me... Are you talking about magic? I don’t think I need to learn more transformation magic right now, since I still have some left to study.

-Student Lee Han. Stop thinking of everything in terms of magic. If you keep that up, you’ll really hurt yourself.

‘No!’

Lee Han felt wronged.

He had only made a logical deduction that magic was highly likely based on the flow of the conversation. Yet Professor Garcia was talking as though he were some kind of magic fanatic.

-Student Jarun is also in the Stonemason Club.

-I see... What? I’ve never heard that before!

-Not all club members are active participants. Anyway, Student Jarun more or less only put a name down and was doing separate activities, but then submitted this application.

Application

Jarun of House Steel Boot

The above student submits this application for the following reasons:

-Need mining artifacts for orichalcum extraction.

-If orichalcum is mined with Einroguard’s support, I will leave my name behind in honorable service to the dwarves. Payment in gold is realistically impossible.

-Hiring outside mages is acceptable, but they must follow my instructions. Immediate expulsion if they refuse.

...

‘Did Gainando write this?’

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

It was one thing to ask Einroguard to lend mining artifacts because Jarun planned to extract orichalcum, but trying to settle the cost with “the honor of having my name remembered” was absurdly greedy.

Even Gainando wouldn’t write an application this shameless...!

And the idea of hiring outside mages and working them to the bone was equally outrageous.

What outside mage would be desperate enough to come all the way to Einroguard after receiving such a rude proposal?

In Lee Han’s view, any mage who came after receiving something like this was likely hiding a knife in their heart.

They would probably be planning to ambush Jarun from behind and monopolize the orichalcum...

-Wait. Professor. Does that mean Senior Jarun found an orichalcum vein?

-I think there’s a high possibility. That’s probably why the Stonemason Club students are looking for Student Jarun.

-...!

Lee Han was surprised.

Even though Einroguard had monsters underground, ancient archmages in the mountain range, and dragons in the dormitories, he had never expected an orichalcum vein to appear in the mines too.

-I hadn’t heard about it... Ah. I must be getting the news late because I was outside.

-Hmm...

Professor Garcia looked hesitant.

After thinking for a moment, the professor finally opened their mouth.

-I think even if you hadn’t gone outside, no one would have told you...

-...

-...Actually, not all the Stonemason Club students know either. Everyone is trying to keep the news secret.

Einroguard students were all cold-hearted.

If Senior Jarun had found an orichalcum vein, they should have quietly followed along and split the profits. Spreading the news widely would only reduce their own share.

-Anyway, Student Lee Han, if you’re interested, go look for Student Jarun before you regret it later.

-Thank you, Professor. But how did you know about this?

-...That’s a secret. Ha, haha. Hahaha.

Professor Garcia dodged the question with an extremely awkward laugh.

‘Now that I think about it, that is a little strange.’

After finishing his recollection, Lee Han felt slightly puzzled.

No matter how excellent Professor Garcia was as a mage, it was still somewhat strange for the professor to know so much about affairs between students.

But that doubt didn’t last long.

What mattered now was the Stonemason Club’s request.

Though he wasn’t sure whether this could really be called a request...

‘If Salco were here, I would have suggested doing it together. But he’s in the punishment cells, so that’s impossible. Should I contact Senior Anpagon?’

“Huff, gasp. Lee Han. You’re back?!”

The common room door opened, and Gainando burst in, panting heavily.

“Yeah. How have you been?”

“Whew, huff. I actually went ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) outside too!”

“What? Really?”

Because it was something Lee Han truly hadn’t expected, he was startled.

Gainando shouted with a triumphant expression.

“Listen! You won’t believe this. There were people stealing and selling Mage Cards, so I was waiting to catch them by the tail, right? But then suddenly, the building next door exploded...”

“Wait. Sorry, Gainando. I have something to do right now. I’ll listen next time.”

“This story is really amazing! You’ll regret hearing it later! Lee Han! I’m telling you, you’ll really regret it!”

Gainando grumbled at his friend’s back as Lee Han ruthlessly walked away.

He had been about to tell Lee Han about the terrifying new mage attacking various places across Granden City...!

***

“Senior Anpagon. Are you here?”

Lee Han visited Professor Verdus’s mage tower, the Hall of Stars, and saw a familiar senior standing beside one more person.

He immediately turned around.

‘Hm. I should look for Anpagon alone. Come to think of it, I don’t absolutely need orichalcum.’

Such top-grade reagents became necessary for upperclassmen, but as a second-year, Lee Han might not have much use for it even if he obtained some.

“Why is he turning around?”

The familiar senior standing beside Anpagon, Princess Yukbeltire, tilted her head.

She couldn’t understand why her junior was trying to leave when Anpagon was right there.

“Actually, I came to look for a different senior. Since that senior isn’t here, I was going to go back.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Which other senior?”

“...”

Lee Han hesitated for a moment.

Come to think of it, he knew far too few seniors in the Hall of Stars.

The only other person he knew here was standing right in front of him, but saying that would be putting the cart before the horse.

‘I absolutely don’t want to move together with this person.’

Her abilities were certainly reliable, but moving together with this Professor Verdus-like senior was something he would much rather avoid.

He already had to help with her research during vacation. Could he at least be spared during the semester?

“It’s someone you don’t know, Senior.”

“Is that so? I see. But I have a proposal for you, Wardanaz family junior.”

“...”

Lee Han suddenly felt an ominous chill.

Surely not.

“Do you happen to know Jarun of House Steel Boot?”