The people who had been discussing how much Imperial gold to send on a regular basis were startled by Intarendals’s bold proposal.

This kind of sponsorship was not something one simply sent once and finished with. It required considerable resolve, since support had to be sent steadily for as long as the research continued.

Moreover, high-risk, high-return investors were one thing, but most of the people visiting Einroguard during this club week were sponsors who had come purely for honor.

Because of that, when a stranger they had never seen before declared, “I’ll handle it alone,” they did not grow angry or competitive.

Instead, they showed respect.

“Amazing. There are still people in the Empire who know how to spend gold like this!”

“Indeed. Honorable people come to honorable magic schools.”

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP—

As the people began applauding, Intarendals responded with courtesy according to old customs.

Though it differed somewhat from modern etiquette, everyone assumed Intarendals must be from some unfamiliar region and let it pass.

“Then we’ll leave this sponsorship to you.”

“We’ll sponsor other students instead!”

“Thank you, everyone!”

Palcrius tried to hide the delight and wiped beneath the nose.

Though Palcrius had thought this junior was an outstanding genius, not even the senior had expected this much.

To extract so much gold from a single person.

Thanks to this, wouldn’t the other students in the Kitchen Club benefit from the spillover effect too?

“Wardanaz. Thank you!”

“You wonderful kid!”

“Wait, where did Wardanaz go?”

The Kitchen Club upperclassmen were about to give Wardanaz a congratulatory toss when they grew puzzled.

Wardanaz, who had been right beside them only a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

Where had he gone?

“What is the matter?”

Intarendals approached and asked.

There was no particular hostility or suspicion mixed into the question, but Palcrius felt pressured by the attitude, which carried the refinement and dignity characteristic of nobles.

People like this were originally harder to deceive—no, harder to deal with.

Thinking one slip of the tongue might make the sponsorship money this junior was about to receive fly away, even the bold Palcrius broke into a cold sweat.

“My junior seems to have had something come up briefly. I’ll call him over soon!”

“There is no need for that, is there? I will leave the gold here and go. In the name of House Dalcard, I, Intarendals, shall grant this gold...”

At the honorable sight of Intarendals proceeding with the sponsorship regardless of whether the recipient was present, Palcrius almost teared up.

Wardanaz... you bastard. Where on earth did you bring a sponsor like this from?

If Lee Han had been in front of the senior, Palcrius felt like giving that back about ten pounding pats out of sheer joy.

“...There. That is done. I apologize for troubling you.”

“Not at all.”

“By the way, what are you cooking in this pot? It smells delicious.”

“W-wait! That’s the meal we eat! Please have the meal prepared for the guests over here!”

Palcrius was startled and tried to stop Intarendals.

Since outside guests were coming, the Kitchen Club had naturally prepared meals to serve them.

They had selected only the finest ingredients from the food storage.

White, soft bread and pea soup. Crayfish soup. Whole roasted lamb seasoned with garlic, peppers, oil, and spices. Apricot pudding and cheese soufflé.

Of course, there wasn’t only the meal for the guests. The Kitchen Club members also needed to eat while waiting, so they had made a meal for themselves as well.

A stew made by throwing in all the leftover ingredients from preparing the guest meal.

That was it. The members usually made do with this alongside some hard bread or rice.

But now, a guest who was clearly of noble birth was approaching the members’ meal!

“It has a homey taste. Excellent, isn’t it? Very good. The Kitchen Club is not called that for nothing!”

However, Intarendals ladled a little into a bowl, tasted it, and gave it very high praise.

“...”

“...??”

The Kitchen Club members looked at one another in bewilderment.

Had some strange alchemical reaction occurred without their knowledge, transforming the tasteless stew into something else?

Otherwise, there was no way anyone would call that delicious...

*****

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Lee Han exhaled roughly.

He had cast invisibility magic, strengthened his body with mana, then sprinted at full speed without resting once.

“Good to see you, Wardanaz. Did you come to see the guests?”

The leader of the Library Club, Ileg of House Chagla, welcomed Lee Han warmly upon seeing him.

At the sight of the bespectacled bear beastkin upperclassman, Lee Han realized he had arrived at the Library Club area.

I was fleeing so frantically I couldn’t even check the direction...

“Hello, Senior Ileg. Is the Library Club also receiving guests?”

“Something like that.”

What’s this?

The Library Club’s atmosphere was different from the Kitchen Club’s earlier.

It seemed that outside guests had visited this place too, but this atmosphere was...

“<The Perfect Method for Raising Kingdom Thrushes>! This book! This book is mine!”

“Can’t you back off right now? I’ve been searching for that book for over ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) ten years.”

“Our family has been searching for this book since my grandfather’s time! You people can just look for it at the Dawn Library!”

“Is that supposed to be an argument? You go to the Dawn Library yourself!”

“Everyone, please calm down!”

The book-obsessed guests had discovered rare editions and were, without exception, locked in fierce battles to get their hands on them.

Lee Han asked in confusion.

“Is this all right?”

“Of course. They’re all doing this because they love books.”

Here, unlike at the Kitchen Club, there was no need to serve meals or give introductions.

A few rare books brought out by the members were enough. The sponsors threw punches and shouted as they fought.

A moment later.

Once the commotion settled, the sponsors regained their composure and returned to being normal people.

“Phew. That was an honorable fight.”

“Please lend me <The Perfect Method for Raising Kingdom Thrushes> later.”

“Oh. Isn’t that student Sebius? How is the object-passing cloak we discussed last time progressing?”

“...”

Lee Han was dumbfounded at the sight of people who had just been fighting disgracefully now acting refined, as though nothing had happened.

However, the Library Club members were nonchalant, as if this was nothing special. They had already witnessed scenes like this many times.

No matter how refined they were, and no matter what great noble houses they came from, bibliophiles’ eyes were bound to roll back when they saw rare books.

“Who might this student be?”

“Hello. I am Lee Han of House Wardanaz...”

“Ah. So you’re Lee Han of House Wardanaz. The second-year top student of every school, already recognized by outside mages! You’ve received recognition from Lady Yoanen of House Meikin and Master Puyo, and you’re already discussing research with fifth-year upperclassmen, correct? A second-year completing fifth-circle magic—if this weren’t Einroguard, truly no one would have believed it.”

“...By any chance, do Einroguard’s guests have communication artifacts among them?”

Lee Han was dumbfounded by how systematically and accurately the rumors had spread.

To think they would say exactly the same thing as the Kitchen Club guests from earlier.

“A student like this can be trusted with support. I’ll sponsor you.”

“I’ll sponsor you too.”

“Well, I hear Rock Drakes have been appearing in the Einroguard library lately, so I do worry whether a second-year student can break through.”

“So you’re saying you won’t?”

“Th-that’s not it. I’m simply saying I’m worried. After all, we can’t ignore experience, can we?”

Lee Han listened to the guests’ conversation with a troubled expression.

Sebius asked in a small voice from beside him.

“Didn’t you say you caught a Rock Drake?”

“Where did you hear such a rumor?”

“Your friends were saying that.”

“...”

While Lee Han was feeling troubled, a thud came from behind him.

It was a thud similar to the one he had heard earlier.

The sound of something heavy being set down, and from inside came the jingle of gold coins...

Lee Han suddenly got goosebumps.

No way.

“Is this where Lee Han of House Wardanaz is?”

“That’s correct, but who might you be?”

“I alone am sufficient to sponsor Lee Han of House Wardanaz! Those gathered here should go help other mages.”

“...!”

Surprisingly, Intarendals had returned.

Even after spending so much gold earlier!

No. Just how much gold did that person bring?

Lee Han couldn’t believe it.

How much of House Dalcard’s wealth had Intarendals secretly siphoned off to make this possible?

The guests who had arrived first did not notice Intarendals’s evil true nature and simply showed respect at the sight.

“To think there would be such an honorable person in the Empire!”

“As expected, rare book collectors are all honorable people without exception.”

“If it’s you, I can give up <The Perfect Method for Raising Kingdom Thrushes>!”

“That’s a common book, you fool.”

When large amounts of Imperial gold coins circulated, a warm atmosphere was bound to form.

The Library Club members were very pleased by the appearance of this big shot and looked for their junior.

“Wardanaz. Your passion for taking every school of magic has brought in such gold coins... Wardanaz? Wardanaz?”

“Where did Wardanaz go?”

*****

Lee Han fled in fear.

He had known that the Skull Principal’s insane duplicate was a dangerous existence, but he had never expected it to corner him like this.

Indeed, the evil shown by an ancient archmage was something Lee Han could neither predict nor imagine.

“Junior! I knew you’d come!”

Karnella, who was brushing the horses’ manes, waved upon spotting Lee Han.

As expected of a junior raising griffins and basilisks, Karnella had known he would visit the pasture on a day like today.

Moreover...

“...Hello, Senior.”

“Yes. How are the animals doing? There are many people who want to see the animals you raise.”

“Uh, isn’t that dangerous?”

“That much risk is only natural. Attractive animals are bound to be dangerous.”

The baby basilisk made a satisfied hissing sound at those words.

Lee Han looked inside his sleeve with a reluctant gaze.

“I understand for now. Um... what should I help with?”

Although he had arrived unexpectedly, Lee Han was also a member of the Jousting Club.

Since they were already receiving support funds from the Imperial Jousting Association for their rare animals, he wanted to help with the club’s work if needed.

However, Karnella shook the head and said,

“You don’t need to help.”

“What? I really don’t need to help?”

“Yes. I said you don’t need to help.”

“The griffin does manage well on its own and doesn’t require much care...”

The baby basilisk made a hissing sound full of puzzlement.

“...Of course, the basilisk also manages well on its own and doesn’t require much care.”

—That’s right!

“Anyway, even aside from my animals, doesn’t the Jousting Club have many strange—I mean, rare animals?”

Karnella alone was raising a cerberus.

Even if the animals Lee Han raised required relatively less care, there were many animals raised by the upperclassmen that required a great deal of attention.

Especially in a situation where several guests were visiting from outside, they needed to be even more cautious.

Even creatures that normally behaved docilely could throw tantrums when they saw unfamiliar strangers.

“Yes. That’s true. Actually, it would be good if you helped. But you don’t need to. Junior, you’ve already fulfilled your role sufficiently.”

“??”

Lee Han was puzzled, unable to understand what that meant.

Was Karnella talking about the basilisk and griffin?

But somehow, the feeling was different. It felt like something else. As if...

“...!”

Lee Han felt goosebumps rise along his spine and asked,

“By any chance, did a suspicious person with a lot of gold coins come and sponsor the club before I arrived?”

“Huh? That’s right. How did you know? Was it someone you knew?”