Published at 3rd of April 2026 8:04 am

Chapter 931

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

This should be enough to check ahead and escape.

Lee Han coldly checked the presence of people outside the window, below the stairs, and among the cafe customers sitting nearby.

There didnt seem to be any potential Einroguard spies.

Ting-

With a clear sound, Lee Han spun a small crystal top. As his mana was consumed, the top spun round and round.

This was one of the divination techniques he had newly learned after advancing to second year Crystal Top Divination.

If the top kept spinning, it meant relatively safe, and if the top stopped, it meant danger was approaching.

The divination upperclassmen didnt rate this technique highly since it required paying a price while giving ambiguous results with limited applications, but Lee Han had memorized it thinking it might be useful later.

Most of all, the fact that it only required paying mana without needing separate reagents was very attractive.

Safe for now.

Inside Einroguard, there were so many mages of higher level than Lee Han that he rarely had occasion to use it, but outside was a different story.

If spies bought by Einroguard approached, there was a high probability Lee Han could catch them with divination.

Young Master of Wardanaz Family. What club business brought you outside?

First I went out for business related to the drama club

Ah. Drama club. That suits you.

After that, cooking club, masonry club, ball game club, library club

Arien almost spat out the coffee he was drinking, but maintained composure with a merchants experience.

Come to think of it, this Young Master of Wardanaz Family had peculiar and eccentric aspects befitting that familys reputation.

For such a person, joining various clubs and enjoying social activities wasnt particularly strange.

The Wardanaz Family isnt a very social family, but hes truly unique.

Unaware that he was being falsely accused, Lee Han carefully brought up the topic.

A situation where he had to ask an outsider for help while simultaneously hiding his purpose from that outsider.

He had to choose his words carefully.

Hmm. The first item to retrieve is

Retrieve Asens Polarizing Mirror held by mage Uap and deliver it to Professor Verdus.

Uap confirmed at Dwarves Oath workshop in the western district of the city.

I dont want to do this from the start.

Lee Han frowned after checking the paper.

Having to steal from innocent imperial citizens for Professor Verdus.

No matter that it was a professors request, he didnt want to do it.

Do you happen to know about mage Uap?

Yes. Ah. Are you perhaps retrieving Einroguard items, Young Master?

This time Lee Han almost spat out his coffee.

How did someone he just met today know Einroguards deepest secret?

I dont know what youre talking about.

Ah. Oh my. How tactless of me. I apologize.

Arien apologized sincerely.

Asking this so openly in front of an Einroguard student was tactless behavior.

Im curious about the reason you asked such a question.

Well Young Master of Wardanaz Family. The thing is, Einroguards item retrieval is more famous than youd think.

Arien spoke cautiously, wondering where to begin.

He was worried about hurting the pride of the proud Einroguard student before him.

Excuse me?

Think about it. Precious magical items disappear without a trace, and the people who were robbed remain silent. There arent many places capable of such things.

Lee Han felt deep shame.

Did I really enter Einroguard for nothing?

He had thought they werent caught, but even outside merchants knew about it to this extent.

If he went up to the capital, he might hear conversations like Youre from Einroguard? Shh. Everyone hide your purses behind his back.

No. Even if Einroguard mages live without imperial law, how does that make sense? People who were robbed staying silent!

What? I think you misunderstood. Do you perhaps think Einroguard mages rob belongings from innocent, good imperial citizens?

Yes? Yes.

Ahaha! What a joke!

Not only Arien but Amur burst into laughter.

The joke from that statue-like boy hit just right.

Such a joke in this situation!

Isnt that right?

Hahahaha! You can stop joking now. Of course not.

Arien was laughing so hard that tears gathered in his eyes. Wiping his tears, the merchant explained again.

It was easy to mistakenly think Einroguard mages were particularly evil due to how often they were mentioned in imperial newspapers and rumors, but that wasnt the case.

Einroguard mages caused large-scale accidents because they were capable, not because they were particularly evil among mages.

Imperial mages were basically all on the evil side.

Creatures who only cared about themselves and their magic!

Among magical items, there are many dangerous and contaminated goods or items obtained through illegal channels. Einroguard mages retrieve such items. Naturally, the mages who had their items taken cant speak up anywhere since they did wrong.

Arien was an experienced merchant well-versed in rumors from all over the empire.

As such, he could sometimes connect incidents where evil mages with bad reputations lost or had artifacts stolen to Einroguard.

If only those who touched items that Einroguard mages were trying to retrieve or purchase got robbed

When you mentioned mage Uap from Dwarves Oath workshop, thats why I asked. Uap is a mage with many bad rumors. Recently I even heard rumors that he stole an artifact from an Einroguard professor, so I brought up the retrieval story.

Is that professor perhaps Professor Verdus?

Probably so.

My goodness.

Lee Han was shocked.

An outside mage stealing Professor Verduss artifact.

If Einroguard students knew this fact, they might erect not just a medal but a statue within the magic school territory.

Honestly, I want to erect one too.

Lee Han felt a different kind of guilt than before.

Having to punish with his own hands a righteous thief who had punished Professor Verdus on behalf of the students.

But this is a job.

Now he understood what the upperclassmen meant about not letting personal feelings interfere with work.

Lee Han stopped his sympathy and decided to retrieve the other persons item.

I understand your anger too, Young Master. That bastard Uap is an endlessly greedy mage! I hope he learns a lesson from this incident.

Yes? Ah. Yes.

Arien mistook Lee Hans feelings as anger as a disciple.

Who could imagine he was thinking about a statue of gratitude?

***

The western guild district of Grandden City was full of noises qualitatively different from street noise.

The sound of failed alchemy potions exploding and spewing smoke, the sound of failed medicinal herbs escaping from fields and screaming loudly, the sound of runaway magic needles from the seastress guild breaking down walls

And now rhythmic hammering sounds echoed through Dwarves Oath workshop.

Dont rest, you idiots! This is why you Eastern Dwarves!

Dwarven mage Uap shouted while swinging his hammer.

In the empire, there was a prejudice that unlike Eastern Dwarves who loved alcohol, food, and feasts, Western Dwarves loved only solitude and gold.

Uap was a Western Dwarf who seemed to embody all such negative prejudices.

The dwarf workers muttered curses under their breath while swinging their hammers.

Damn mage bastard.

Shh. Hes incredibly temperamental.

If you dont complete the ingots by evening, Ill cut all your wages, so keep that in mind!

Uap shouted and headed to the basement.

The spacious first floor had been converted into a workshop with facilities and equipment arranged for various workers, but the basement was the mages personal workshop, off-limits to outsiders.

When he unlocked the triple seal and opened the door, a strange and complex flow of mana rushed out from inside. Uap hurriedly closed the door.

Damn it! What a waste of mana.

Maintaining the workshops interior with high-density mana required considerable cost.

For the miserly Uap, such expenses were always a nagging concern, like a thorn stuck in his finger.

But it cant be helped.

Though no one was in the dark underground workshop, Uap looked around once before slowly walking to the center.

On the work table made of pure silver sat a dazzling box engraved with ancient characters.

It was Asens Polarizing Mirror.

Beautiful beautiful. Asen truly was a genius.

Uap, who had been admiring the ancient mages wisdom anew, suddenly scowled deeply.

An unpleasant face had come to mind at the mention of genius.

Verdus, you bastard! Just wait and see. Ill definitely crush your reputation!

Many people disliked Professor Verdus, but Uap disliked him for a somewhat unique reason among them.

He hated him because he was jealous of his genius.

If Einroguard students had heard this, they would have said, Why choose that reason when there are 99 other reasons to dislike him? But Uap didnt care at all about Professor Verduss character or personality.

Once my magic is complete, his reputation, his disciples, and all the mages who help him will flock to me!

Uap shouted toward the air as if making a declaration.

Actually, there was some delusion in this too.

Professor Verduss reputation aside, his disciples and supporting mages werent there because they particularly liked it.

Even if Uap completed his magic and achieved outstanding accomplishments, the professors disciples and nearby mages wouldnt flock to Uap.

To begin with, it was hard to say they had flocked to Professor Verdus either. The disciples and nearby mages all did their own work rather than following Professor Verdus.

Ugh. Im dizzy.

Uap, who had been peering into the polarizing mirror, suddenly staggered.

Lately, every time he looked at that polarizing mirror, inexplicable headaches and dizziness would strike.

Rationally thinking, he should have stopped immediately and checked what was wrong, but Uap, blinded by jealousy, couldnt bring himself to have such thoughts.

I should go back upstairs.

After a brief rest and regaining his composure, Uap tried to go back up.

These workers would try to slack off at every opportunity, so Uap had to keep cracking the whip

Thud!

Uap collapsed to the side. It was a perfect ambush.

Even as his consciousness faded, Uap was shocked.

Impossible! The defensive magic!

The underground workshop was protected by various magics starting from the entrance.

The door was enchanted with a magic called Asens Soul Scream that would separate an intruders soul from their body the moment they touched it, and the magic circle beneath it was loaded with powerful illusion curse magic.

Excluding those, the other magics also had enough power to tear intruders apart, so how could such an ambush happen?

Uap held onto his fading consciousness and expanded his senses.

Surprisingly, all the magics from the door to where Uap stood had been completely destroyed.

Uap had meticulously planned countermeasures assuming invasion by other mages, but he had never once considered such a barbaric intrusion.

A monster? A demon?

He couldnt even guess what kind of terrifying being had attacked in this manner.

Phew. Fortunately, hes an illusion mage.

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