Episode 721
âNow that I think about it, itâs Angago. âI told them not to be interested in the festival, but they said they would continue to participate.â
âOops.â
Angago realized that he had made a mistake again and blamed himself.
It seemed like my intelligence had gone down because the food I ate had become poor since the semester started.
âLike thisâ¦â
âIt takes more magic power than you think.â
âItâs like that. âI will also help you recharge whenever I get the chance.â
âIt will take quite some time, but itâs okay.â
Salchow rejected Lee Hanâs offer.
Even just listening to the explanation, the process of charging magic power to an artifact took more work than expected.
It was a waste of time for Wardanaz, who was already busy, to help with each task.
âno. âI just meant charging it with my magic power.â
ââ¦I see.â
After temporarily recharging everyoneâs paper artifacts, Lee Han asked.
âSo⦠what do you think? âWhat about gathering together periodically?â
âI agree. Although Moradi may not agree.â
âI agree. Of course, Tutanta may not understand the current situation and may cause internal strife.â
Lee Han made a disgusted expression.
Tigiling, who was listening in front, nodded.
âLook at both. âEven the Tigiling priests are sick of it.â
ââ¦We agreed to get together.â
âah. Right. okay. âI take it you agree.â
âCooperation is always welcome. Wardanaz.â
âThatâs right. âIt wouldnât be a bad idea to join forces and burn down our seniors.â
The other students looked away, pretending not to hear what Nigisor said.
Although there were some extreme opinions, the current second graders had to stick together.
The fantasy of meeting reliable and dependable seniors and receiving advice has long since disappeared.
Lectures became more difficult and complicated, seniors had no choice but to take advantage of their juniors with greater responsibilities than when they were freshmen⦠The only way
to endure this situation was to unite.
âBut Wardanaz. âDid you bring a lot of food with you?â
Giselle suddenly felt puzzled and asked.
As before, Wardanaz was talking as if he had secured quite a bit of food.
Surely there was no chance of smuggling during admission?
âTo some extent.â
âhow?â
âthis. Itâs time to go to the lecture. Then, see you all at the next meeting. Cheer up everyone.â
To Lee Hanâs words, not only Giselle but also the others responded in confusion, saying, âYes, thank you for your hard work.â
Giselle realized that it was night only after Lee Han completely disappeared.
âfor a moment. âItâs night now.â
ââ¦Amazing. âIt didnât sound strange at all when I said I was going to the lecture even though it was definitely night.â
* * *
In the morning, Lee Han visited the 7th floor and headed to the kitchen club.
Before the lecture started, I wanted to check the stories I heard yesterday.
âWhaha wodanaz!â
Falkrius, who had been lighting a fire in a pot as large as himself and preparing the ingredients since dawn, was delighted when he saw Lee Han.
As he was a junior who was considered to be a talented person who would lead the kitchen club in the future, I couldnât help but be glad of his appearance.
âNice to meet you, nice to meet you! Are you here to help our soup club?â
âyes. âSenior Falkrius.â
âPhew. But thereâs nothing I can do to help. âOne of the rules of our soup club is, âYou boil your own pot.ââ
When Lee Han tried to help, Falkrius stretched out his hand to stop him.
The Kitchen Club was one of the clubs often misunderstood as having strict rules.
It was misunderstood because the clubâs membership conditions were strict, the clubâs buildings and grounds were strictly managed, and members moved around in an orderly manner at every meal time, but in fact, it was quite free.
Selling food to Einrogard students in the clubâs cafeteria is also an individualâs freedom.
All you had to do was procure your own ingredients, cook them, and sell them.
The club simply helped its members.
âThen is it true that even one gold coin per piece of food is a false rumor?â
âItâs real.â
ââ¦â¦â
âWhaha! I canât post it any more because itâs the tradition and identity of . âIâm sorry, but please understand.â
âI wondered if it was possible to lower it rather than raise it.â
â???â
Falkrius was taken aback when he was asked a question he had never thought of.
It was a question that no junior or senior had ever asked.
There were a lot of people who wanted to raise the price, but they wanted to lower it?
âIs it possible to get off?â
âyes.â
âwhy?â
ââ¦Uh, Iâm just curious?â
âJunior. Have you ever wondered why there is no dance hall near Einrogard?â
Originally, near imperial schools, there were usually social clubs as well as dance halls and banquet halls where members of the social clubs could dance or drink.
Basically, students were playful beings, and their families were often wealthy enough to enroll in boarding schools.
Naturally, citizens of cities adjacent to the school also welcomed these students as moneybags.
But Einrogard had nothing like that. Since it is rare to go out in the first place, you have to go far to reach the village.
âIâve never really been curious about it, butâ¦â
âThink about it. Why do you think that is?â
âYou canât run it for the villagers without the students going out, right?â
âPhew, thatâs right! You know me well. If you think about it, it makes sense. Thatâs why no one bothers to ask.â
â??â
âTo me, the question of whether the price can be lowered sounds exactly like this!â
ââ¦â¦â
Lee Han made a shocked expression as he watched the senior burst out in laughter.
Isnât this such a funny question?
After laughing for a while, Falkrius wiped away his tears and apologized.
âSorry. You might be curious! âDid you laugh too much?â
âSo is that okay?â
âhmm! It wonât work. Because other members suffer losses.â
âindeed. So when do you take your oath?â
âWhat oath?â
âI swear I wonât sell it cheapâ¦â
âAh. Have you heard the story from anyone other than a club member? Hahaha! Half of the rumors about Einrogard are nonsense. I would even swear to something like that. âWhat kind of idiot would sell it for cheap!â
The kitchen club wasnât big enough to make people swear that they wouldnât sell things cheaply while using expensive reagents and ingredients.
âPhew. Donât believe too much in rumors. I also once heard that there was a firefly in Einrogard. âBut I looked for it for over a year and couldnât find it.â
âThatâsâ¦â
âSenior. âWe are here.â
Other members appeared from behind with tired voices.
Even though it was morning, the faces of the seniors looked tired.
When I looked down, I saw that they were holding a bronze goose in one hand and a basket full of screaming mushrooms in the other.
âWardanaz? âWodanaz, right?â
âhello.â
ânice to meet! âI really wanted to meet you.â
âI had no choice but to give up a bit due to the interference from other clubs, but I think you will like our club the most.â
The seniors smiled brightly.
thud!
Then one person fell to the side. Lee Han shouted in horror.
âAre you okay!?â
âah. are you okay. donât worry. âItâs because I heard too much screaming on the farm.â
The sound emitted by the screaming mushrooms was so toxic that even wizards could faint or be seriously injured if they heard it too much.
âI originally wanted to pick some crescent moon honey fruits, but there were too many monsters there today.â
âWe really need to increase our mercenaries. If we continue like this, we will have to abandon the east side of the farm without even being able to enter.â
ââ¦for a moment. Seniors.â
âoh. why? âDo you have any questions?â
âWhy do monsters appear at the club farm or ranch?â
âhmm? Of course monsters appear on farms and ranchesâ¦â
The senior tilted his head and paused.
ââ¦Now that I think about it, donât monsters often appear outside on farms and ranches?â
âI guess itâs like that. âUnless itâs someone who comes in from outside very occasionally.â
âOops. I see. sorry.â
The senior apologized and explained again.
The concept of the ranch or farm owned by the Kitchen Club was a little different from the outside world.
How can I get food efficiently in Einrogard?
Originally, they would have had to farm and raise livestock, but it was not easy for busy students to secure the necessary amount through such hard labor.
But magic can sometimes create miracles.
In places where magical power was concentrated, unpredictable changes and strange phenomena occurred, including the rapid growth of crops and livestock.
A miraculous land where crops and livestock prosper even if left alone.
Kitchen Club students had identified several of these locations and were using them as farms or ranches.
âI think youâve experienced something similar?â
Lee Han was lost in thought while listening to his seniors.
Come to think of it, Lee Han also had a similar experience.
When I was managing Professor Thunderâs Step Garden, didnât the crops grow much more abundantly than I expected?
I was guessing that it was because of the staff given to me by the tree spirit, but after listening to what my seniors said, it seemed like Lee Hanâs magic had a significant impact.
âBut monsters also flock to places where magical power accumulates. âItâs something that canât be helped.â
âItâs no big deal once you get used to it. haha.â
Because of the concentration of magical energy, the Kitchen Clubâs farms and ranches had to be viewed as mere dens of monsters.
Whenever members wanted to secure food ingredients, they formed a party and went in prepared for battle.
âI had high expectations again.â
Lee Han, who had expected a normal farm or ranch, closed his eyes tightly.
Again, I had expectations for nothing.
When I looked back, I saw that the senior who had collapsed due to the screaming mushroom was still unconscious.
âlate! âDid you guys go there by yourself?!â
âokay. âYou lazy bastard.â
âIâm sorry. âCanât you give me some just for today?â
A senior who arrived late looked at the ingredients the members had brought and earnestly asked for them.
However, the members were cool. Falkrius burst out laughing and shouted.
âWoohaha! âItâs quite a joke, isnât it?â
âSenior Sun. Please help me just this once.â
âIf youâre preparing a dish, Iâll help you!â
âThere are no ingredients! âIf you could lend me the ingredientsâ¦â
âThere are some ingredients over there, right?â
Falkrius stretched out his finger. The senior who came late turned his head.
There was a rock on the ground.
âI guess I can just put it in and boil it!â
ââ¦Who eats that!â
âThen you should wake up early and get the ingredients. Phew. âWhy did your friends get attacked by bronze geese and knocked out by screaming mushrooms in the early morning?â
Falkrius laughed heartily and patted the latecomer on the back.
âIf you donât earn money today, you can earn it tomorrow. Phew.â
âI have equipment I need to buy today. Seniors! âThen lend me some money!â
âWoohahaha!â
âSeniors!â
âWhahahaha!â
The senior who came late realized that it was pointless to say anything more and lowered his head.
âHehe. âThere is one less competitor.â
âI rule the restaurant today.â
Lee Han couldnât understand the seniorsâ voices muttering with enthusiasm, so he asked a question.
âIs there any reason to compete?â
âOf course there is. Junior. They all sell food for one gold coin. So which food will students buy? Delicious and plentiful food? Or a soup made by boiling water with only rocks? If you prepare it poorly, you wonât get a single penny.â
ââ¦!â
Lee Han realized the sight of his seniors preparing with a burning sense of competition with each other.
The Kitchen Club was never a friendly social club.
Rather, it was a fierce battlefield that felt like a replica of Einrogard!