"By the way, what kind of riddle did the talking oak tree give you?" Lightning Step asked curiously.
"Well... it gave me some strange and bizarre riddles," Ihan replied.
The shadow riddle was one thing, but the dwarf and candle riddle was just absurd.
"Talking oak trees are known for giving nonsensical riddles," Lightning Step nodded as if he understood.
The talking oak trees were famous for confusing mages with riddles that sounded plausible but were actually meaningless.
Inexperienced mages would often be dazzled by the majestic appearance of the talking oak trees and mistakenly believe there was some profound mystery hidden within the riddles.
But there was none.
The talking oak trees were just spirits who enjoyed lame riddles.
"... Is that so?"
"That's how it is. Most things in the world are disappointing once you figure them out," Lightning Step explained.
Hearing this, Ihan felt a bit dumbfounded.
So, was the goblin problem at the orc feast also just a lame riddle? Thinking back, the candle riddle did have that vibe.
"The riddle I heard was..."
Ihan began to recount the riddles he had heard from the talking oak tree.
"Several orc tribes gathered for a feast, but a mischievous goblin snuck in and ate and drank to his heart's content. How was that possible?"
"Easy. The answer is that he disguised himself as an orc."
"... What?"
"Don't overthink the talking oak tree's riddles. Think simply. For a goblin, disguising himself as an orc wouldn't be that hard."
"......"
Ihan suppressed his frustration and focused.
Sure, it was a ridiculous riddle, but it wasn't just thrown out there for no reason.
Wasn't this riddle a hint from the talking oak tree to escape the school? There had to be some meaning behind it.
'So... the meaning of the riddle is to disguise myself?' It was an obvious statement, but when you thought about it, it was also a clever one.
This magic school wasn't a completely closed-off space.
After all, priests from other sects had entered the school from the outside. 'Moreover, there are supplies.' From food to various reagents and materials, these things had to be brought in from outside.
And the people transporting these supplies were usually laborers who didn't know magic.
Even without magical means, there was a way to escape this school! Ihan clenched his fist.
In the pitch-black darkness laid out by the skeletal headmaster, it felt like a ray of light had just flashed.
"...?" Beside him, Professor Lightning Step looked at Ihan's face with curiosity.
Clearly, the young mage had just had an epiphany.
What was it? 'How did he gain insight from those lame riddles of the talking oak trees?' Whether it was his skill in farming or his mysterious nature as a member of the Wodanaz family, this boy was endlessly fascinating.
After Ihan finished tending to the garden, Professor Lightning Step brought him a few chickens from somewhere.
Judging by Thunder Step's sad expression, it was clear whose chicken coop they had come from.
"Take good care of the animals, Wodanaz. If you treat them well, they will always repay you."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy them."
For the first-year students who were so hungry they could chew on stones, freshly laid eggs were a luxury that would make their heads spin.
With those eggs, he could become the king of the dormitory.
"Take this too. Hmm, this will do."
Professor Lightning Step seemed eager to give his new disciple something, so he filled a basket with various items.
From eggs to freshly harvested cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, butter, cheese, and thick slices of venison.
With each item added to the basket, Thunder Step's wrinkles deepened, and his sorrow grew, but Ihan pretended not to notice.
"Then, see you in the next class." 'Suddenly, I have plenty to eat.' The meal with the two dwarves had been chaotic, but he had gained a lot.
Not only the secret of the wand but also a hint on how to escape the school.
And the extra food was a bonus.
His food supplies had been running low. 'How did the other first-years before me manage to survive?' Ihan had been working under the professor and receiving food, but the other students probably hadn't been so lucky.
Did they just starve and endure?
"Wodanaz!"
"Wodanaz is here!" The students of the Blue Dragon Tower were sitting in the first-year lounge with tired and hungry expressions.
Those who had been playing chess or cards to pass the time jumped with joy when they saw Ihan.
And when they saw the basket hanging from his arm, they were even more delighted.
"Wodanaz! My honorable friend!"
"The most honorable family in the empire!" 'It's not for me to say, but for a noble family, they all lack a bit of dignity.' But he understood.
Whether you're royalty or a beggar, hunger makes people weak.
As the news of Ihan's arrival spread, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower rushed out of their rooms and crowded around him.
They were like baby birds waiting for their mother to bring food.
"Everyone seems hungry. Wait a moment."
With the vegetables and meat he received from Lightning Step, he could make a decent soup.
Even if all the students here ate together, there would be enough for everyone.
Ihan placed a pot over the fireplace, cut up the venison and onions, and fried them until they were golden brown.
Next were the vegetables.
With skillful hands, he added water, tomatoes, and potatoes, then seasoned with salt and pepper.
Even common seasonings were precious to the first-years now.
The soup, tinged red from the tomatoes, bubbled and boiled, and the students looked at Ihan with eager eyes.
-Isn't it ready to eat now? But Ihan firmly stopped them. 'Now it's time to add the cabbage.' He added the cabbage, a bit of butter, adjusted the seasoning again...
His solemn expression and serious demeanor as he cooked made him look like a seasoned alchemist.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower unconsciously straightened their clothes and postures.
"It's done. Bring your bowls."
"Yes!" 'Why the formal speech?' Ihan was puzzled but didn't ask.
Instead, he picked up a ladle and generously filled their bowls.
Yonnel, who had heard the news, came to help with the ledger, dipping his quill in ink.
"Kilenen family, eight silver coins... Gainando, eleven silver coins..."
"Wodanaz. Isn't one silver coin too little?"
"Couldn't you ask for more? It's too little compared to your efforts."
The young nobles lacked a sense of money.
Ihan and Yonnel sighed at the sight. 'How do they plan to live independently later with that kind of attitude?!'
"Um, Wodanaz."
"Yes?"
"Could you bring some to the princess too?" A couple of Blue Dragon Tower students cautiously asked.
They were probably followers of Adenart.
At their words, Ihan's face darkened slightly.
"Uh, it's not that we're forcing you..."
"We know you're close to Prince Gainando, but you don't have to fight with him. We just thought it would be nice if the princess could have some decent food too."
'Huh?' Ihan realized his friends had misunderstood.
The reason Ihan hesitated to bring food to the princess wasn't because he supported Gainando.
It was just that he didn't want to give away food for free.
"You seem to have misunderstood. I'm not refusing to bring food to the princess because of Gainando. I wouldn't do something so childish."
"Wodanaz...!"
"As expected!" The students' faces brightened at Ihan's words.
Feeling better, Ihan casually asked, "But who's paying the silver coins? Shouldn't the princess pay?"
"We'll pay for her! We'll each pay double."
"Thank you, Wodanaz!"
"Wait... is that okay? (To spend money like it grows on trees?)"
"Compared to what you're doing for us, this is just pocket change, Wodanaz."
"Thank you so much. You must be stressed because of the prince."
The students were genuinely grateful.
Ihan was surprised.
He was surprised they were willing to spend their own money for the princess, surprised by their lack of financial sense, and surprised by how highly they regarded Gainando. 'Gainando has almost no political ability to create and lead his own faction as a royal.' There seemed to be a lot of misunderstandings, but since they viewed him favorably, there was no need to clarify.
"I hope all the royals can get along. For the sake of the empire."
"Wodanaz...!"
"You...!"
Ihan knocked on the door of the princess's private room with a bowl of soup.
After a moment, Adenart appeared.
"?" Adenart raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes asking why he had come.
Ihan held out the steaming bowl.
"I cooked some soup in the lounge. Would you like some?" Adenart hesitated instead of taking it immediately.
She seemed unsure of Ihan's intentions.
Having already heard the misunderstanding about Gainando downstairs, Ihan decided to clear it up.
"All the other students have already taken some. It's fine for you to have some too."
He didn't mention that they had paid silver coins for it.
Adenart hesitated a bit more before finally accepting the bowl with both hands.
Hunger seemed to have overcome her hesitation.
As a gesture of thanks, she slightly bowed her head and began to eat the soup with a spoon.
After a few spoonfuls, her pace quickened, indicating she liked it.
"You can go inside to eat if you'd like."
At Ihan's words, Adenart paused the hand holding the spoon.
"......"
Then she bowed her head once more, closed the door, and went inside.
'Did I say something unnecessary?' When Ihan returned to the lounge, the waiting students expressed their gratitude.
"Wodanaz. The princess..."
"Ah. She seemed to like it."
"Amazing! You're truly a great alchemist!" 'Well, if you're hungry, you'd eat anything...'
"Can we ask you to do this in the future too? We'll pay the silver coins, so if you make food, could you bring some to the princess too?"
"... Devotion to the imperial family is an honor for a noble."
The words flowed smoothly from Ihan's mouth.
Even he was surprised. 'By the way, royals are truly amazing.' Just by their bloodline, they could attract so many followers.
He felt the power of lineage anew.
Of course, Gainando was a bit of an exception...
In the basement of the main building, the <Repetitive Study of Basic Magic Combat> was underway.
The vampire professor, Voladi Bagrek, was pondering.
Though his expression didn't show it.
How could he keep that one remaining student attending his lectures? 'It's truly difficult.' Originally, Professor Voladi had little interest in making students attend his lectures.
His contract was to teach here, not to gather students.
But the current situation was a bit exceptional.
That boy from the Wodanaz family, with his considerable magical power.
Could he find another talent like him? If he missed this chance, it might take years to move on to the next part of the lecture.
And there was no guarantee the next student would have the same talent.
After much deliberation, Professor Voladi opened his mouth.
"Do you have any questions?"
"... Yes?" Ihan, who had been focused on spinning a bead, looked up in surprise.
Why the sudden question? Had his dark intentions of trying to get by without effort been discovered?