Chapter 1145
“How many commissions have you taken on, exactly?”
Until now, they had heard stories of Einroguard students being upset because they could not secure commissions, but this was the first time they had seen someone troubled because too many commissions were pouring in.
“Hmm. Several dozen...”
“Several dozen?!”
“...aside from those, it seems all the remaining Einroguard commissions are coming to me...”
“......”
Once again faced with an answer that defied their expectations, the guild members were left speechless.
They had not realized the scale would be this far beyond imagination.
“I had no idea it was that many. Then again, it would be stranger for someone talented enough to beat up Count Bouillon not to receive commissions.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah. That was a slip of the tongue. I was talking about Pocketknife Fortress. I meant it would be strange for someone talented enough to help design Pocketknife Fortress as a first-year not to receive commissions.”
“......”
Lee Han felt uneasy, but decided not to point it out.
Meanwhile, Princess Yukbeltire arrived last. The senior from the Blue Dragon Tower revealed faint anger in her voice.
“You ran away by yourself...!”
“Ah. I apologize. I had no chance to give you a signal. Are you perhaps angry?”
“It is not because of such an irrational emotion, but because of your reckless behavior in failing to follow proper procedure...”
The members of the capital’s stonemason guild cleared their throats lightly. Unlike Professor Verdus, Princess Yukbeltire had at least memorized what social etiquette was, so she stopped reprimanding him.
“What were you discussing?”
“We were asking whether he would consider participating as an adviser in the construction of a magical structure.”
“!”
Princess Yukbeltire was greatly surprised by the offer.
To think a mere second-year would receive an offer for such a commission.
The other foolish third- and fourth-year juniors in the enchantment magic school ought to look at this junior from House Wardanaz and learn something.
“But I refused.”
“Why?!”
“As I told you before, my current list of commissions...”
Lee Han took a scroll from his pocket. Only then did Princess Yukbeltire’s memory return.
“I see. You refused the proposal because of those commissions.”
The commission proposal had been sent to Princess Yukbeltire, whose reputation was already widespread, and to the junior who was rapidly building a new reputation at a terrifying pace.
Naturally, Lee Han had refused for the time being. He could not even estimate how much time he would have, so how could he accept it?
“Yes. But I only refused for now, so later, depending on the situation, if it is still possible...”
“Right. You said you would accept the proposal once you finished those commissions, did you not?”
“No. I did not go that far.”
Lee Han was dumbfounded by the senior’s attempt to rewrite the past.
'What kind of Professor Verdus-like person is this?'
“I think you did...”
No matter what the senior muttered, Lee Han ignored it and said what he wanted to say.
“More importantly, is this really such a good commission?”
“It is. Being able to participate in a commission like this as a second-year is a rare opportunity.”
Besides being able to polish one’s own magical abilities, one could build many connections and earn a reputation during the work process.
A structure that had been completed would not easily disappear.
With enough luck, this structure would remain like a monument praising a king’s achievements, continuing to stand as proof of the mage’s skill.
And such proof would naturally lead to invitations from other outstanding magical craftsmen or guilds, so objectively speaking, if an opportunity like this came during one’s second year, it was right to seize it.
“How about stopping your work helping Diret and accepting the commission?”
“......”
Lee Han gave his senior the coldest and most contemptuous look he had shown all day.
Princess Yukbeltire became flustered and explained.
“That is something Diret said...”
This was not something Princess Yukbeltire had come up with. It was something Diret often said.
Whenever a good commission came to a junior, Diret would repeatedly expound an unwanted theory that the junior should temporarily stop helping Diret—and Princess Yukbeltire as well—and focus on the commission.
That was why the words had slipped out without thought!
“You are blaming Senior Diret because Senior Diret is not here? Seriously, how can a person... Even Professor Verdus would not do that.”
“...Bring Diret here! Right now!”
'As expected of someone from the same Imperial Family as Gainando, you are making the same kind of unreasonable argument as Gainando.'
To think Princess Yukbeltire would take advantage of Diret’s absence to make such an absurd claim.
Lee Han shook his head from side to side.
When it seemed as though the two students were arguing, the members of the capital’s stonemason guild hurriedly stepped in.
“Do not fight over the commission.”
“We are not fighting over the commission... Hmm. Never mind.”
“It is our fault for not realizing that Student Wardanaz would receive so many excellent proposals. Then again, we should have noticed when we heard that the Daylily Magic Tower had entrusted you with a spirit-relic commission.”
The stonemason guild members exchanged regretful remarks among themselves, asking why they had not realized it sooner.
When they heard that the Daylily Magic Tower had specifically entrusted a second-year student with a spirit-relic commission, they had wondered whether it was a rumor that had spread incorrectly, but after coming here and hearing everything directly, it made sense.
“That was... Hmm... Never mind.”
Lee Han tried to speak again, then gave up.
It felt as though there were more and more things he began to explain before giving up on today.
“How about this, then? What if the magical structure is built inside Einroguard?”
“!”
The members of the capital’s stonemason guild made an unconventional proposal that neither student had expected.
The work they were currently responsible for was a medium-sized magical lighthouse to be installed near a rapid.
When people heard the word lighthouse, it was easy to think only of light, but once magic was involved, it had to possess a considerable range of complex functions.
In particular, a magical lighthouse installed near rapids had to control the violently churning currents, soothe the enraged water, river, and sea spirits that arose as a result, and at the same time assist ships passing nearby.
It was a magical structure of considerable difficulty, difficult enough that even Professor Verdus might find it secretly interesting.
In any case, the commission for this magical structure was still nearly a blank slate. They had not yet hired laborers or mages, and the design itself remained incomplete, so changing the location flexibly would not cause much of a problem.
Moving the structure after it was completed would not be particularly difficult either...
“Would that truly be acceptable?”
“Of course. Student Wardanaz. If it were an unreasonable proposal, we would not have brought it up in the first place. The capital’s stonemason guild is absolutely not some foolishly generous organization that would willingly suffer losses to force work upon someone incapable.”
Lee Han had been feeling grateful when a sudden question occurred to him.
“But if something like this was possible, why have I never seen a commission like this being carried out inside Einroguard before? Was it perhaps conducted somewhere away from the main building?”
“That is part of it, but they probably simply avoid doing it inside Einroguard because of Professor Verdus.”
One of the stonemason guild members answered coldly.
If they tried to erect a structure while looking at Professor Verdus, their rage and hatred would create mistakes that otherwise would never have happened.
“Hey! How can you say something like that!”
“He should know what needs to be known. And Student Wardanaz seems to know everything already.”
“...In any case, thank you.”
Tap, tap-
When Princess Yukbeltire tapped his shoulder again, Lee Han turned his head.
“Senior. I told you to bring Senior Diret later. I already said I understood for now.”
“......”
Princess Yukbeltire completely withdrew the thought that this junior resembled Diret in any way.
This junior often gifted Princess Yukbeltire an emotion that Diret could never provide.
That emotion was anger.
With fingertips trembling faintly, Princess Yukbeltire spoke calmly. Even so, the point that needed to be made still had to be made.
“It will probably be impossible.”
“Pardon? Do you mean the commission?”
Princess Yukbeltire nodded.
Neither the members of the capital’s stonemason guild nor the junior from House Wardanaz had noticed it, but as a fifth-year student, Princess Yukbeltire could see the hidden flaw in this commission.
It was the manpower required.
There were fewer people than expected who were willing to come all the way inside Einroguard to work. Whether mages or stonemasons, quite a few people were irrationally frightened of Einroguard.
'It does not seem particularly irrational.'
Lee Han thought it seemed rather reasonable.
And there was one more thing.
“If only a few people come from outside, can we not use people from inside?”
There was hardly any place with a higher concentration of mages than Einroguard. As for the professional abilities of stonemasons, there was also the Stonemason Club.
“You might think that. But that is the mistake.”
“Why?”
Lee Han did not understand.
Participating in work like this would be a good opportunity for the other students and for the Stonemason Club as well.
It was a commission that would bring both reputation and compensation, so why would they refuse it?
“The commission is probably difficult, and there are few students confident in their abilities. They refused when I proposed it before as well.”
“Did they not all have something else keeping them busy at the time?”
“No. It was not merely one or two people.”
Princess Yukbeltire answered firmly.
If it had been only one or two, that might have been possible, but since everyone who received the proposal had firmly refused, it could not have been a coincidence.
Even so, Lee Han still could not understand and tilted his head.
'I do not understand. Why would they refuse?'
Lee Han first sent paper birds asking the intentions of the seniors in the Stonemason Club whose faces he knew.
Then he sent them to the seniors participating in today’s lecture, the seniors in the enchantment magic school, and even seniors from other schools who seemed likely to be interested.
To Wardanaz,
Thank you for the excellent commission. I feel ashamed that, instead of bringing such a commission to my junior, I have been offered one by my junior, but now that I have received the proposal, I will do my utmost to help.
Anpagon
To Wardanaz,
Was it proposed by the stonemason guild members who came to today’s lecture!? Truly amazing, Wardanaz! To think you would take on a commission to construct something within Einroguard’s grounds. Actually, some insane senior made a proposal like this last year, but everyone stopped me, so I refused at the time. In any case, thank you for letting me participate! Having such a good junior has finally paid off!
Markang
...
...
As the replies rapidly returned, Lee Han’s expression stiffened.
Seeing that, Princess Yukbeltire answered as though this was exactly what had been expected.
“It seems everyone refused.”
“...No. More people than I expected say they want to participate.”
“How many? How many have refused so far?”
“Z...”
“Ten?”
“Zero.”
“......”
Princess Yukbeltire fell into confusion.
How?!
Having realized the truth, Lee Han met the eyes of the members of the capital’s stonemason guild.
Experienced in this sort of construction work, the guild members nodded with expressions showing that they had already guessed what was happening.
In work such as construction, a mage’s magical skill was important, but character was important as well.
One only had to look at someone like Professor Verdus to understand. No matter how outstanding Professor Verdus’s magic was, that was absolutely not a mage capable of directing dozens of people.
“I do not understand. The difference between this year and last year...”
“Perhaps the weather was poor last year, the light of the guest star had dimmed, and even the King of the Lightning Spirits had been imprisoned.”
Lee Han picked up some random nonsense and threw it out. Princess Yukbeltire became even more confused.
“Is that divination magic I do not know? I have never heard of such fortune-telling...”
“It is not your primary field, Senior. More importantly, Senior. What role did Senior Anpagon take in the previous commission?”
As a current fourth-year in the same enchantment magic school, Anpagon was one of the relatively sociable students in the school.
If Princess Yukbeltire had proceeded with the commission, Anpagon would probably have taken on a fairly important role.
“Anpagon refused. I told you. Everyone refused.”
“...Ah.”
Lee Han read the letter again.
Now that he thought about it, Anpagon had not written anywhere that Anpagon had taken part last year.
Though Anpagon had not written that Anpagon had not taken part either...
'Would it not be better for the enchantment magic school to remove the word school from its name altogether?'
With this level of solidarity, calling it a school seemed too generous. Even calling it a group seemed excessive.
They should change it to something like or ...