Yi Han watched carefully to see what the other person was up to.
The other person was a rat beastkin boy.
He was short and slightly hunched, but his footsteps were so quiet that they made no sound at all.
Yi Han suspected that the boy had undergone some special training.
As the old knight Alarron had said, footsteps often revealed a person's identity.
The footsteps of a knight, a mage, a hunter, a thief... and those footsteps were closer to those of a thief.
"Rat beastkin aren't exactly welcomed in the empire," Yi Han thought.
Although the empire claimed that all races were equal, the reality was far from it.
In truth, some races were more popular than others, and rat beastkin fell into the latter category.
They were often viewed with suspicion by the empire's people because many of them were thieves, vagrants, pickpockets, or ragpickers.
That was the reality for rat beastkin.
"Maybe it's just my prejudice. Not all rat beastkin are thieves," Yi Han thought, realizing he might have jumped to conclusions.
Not every rat beastkin would have been trained as a thief, right?
Click
"......"
However, the boy pulled out a crude, fake key from his waist and began fiddling with the locked door.
It was obvious what his intentions were.
"Well, I'm not in a position to judge," Yi Han thought.
After all, he was also trying to find a way to sneak out of the school, breaking the rules in the process.
He couldn't exactly blame someone else for doing the same.
In fact...
"Maybe it would be better to cooperate," Yi Han considered.
The fact that the boy had gone so far as to make a key suggested that this wasn't his first time sneaking out.
It was unlikely that Yi Han was the only student trying to leave the school.
Yi Han cautiously approached.
If the boy got startled and made any noise, Yi Han would be in trouble too.
Shhh
Yi Han quietly stopped behind the rat beastkin boy, who was completely absorbed in his task.
He pointed his staff at the boy's neck and whispered in a low voice, "Hey. If you make a loud noise, you're dead."
"...!!"
Ratford had been a professional thief in the White Crows guild even before enrolling in the school.
In fact, Ratford couldn't believe it when he received the admission offer to the magic school.
Even if he had talent, who would accept a thief as a student? Fortunately, the students of the Black Turtle Tower didn't ostracize him.
However, Ratford couldn't help but feel a strange sense of alienation.
He was different from the boys and girls born into wealthy merchant families.
Ratford had spent his nights honing his skills in the dark alleys.
Because of this, Ratford wanted to prove himself through his own abilities.
Just like Nylia, who came from a hunter background (though Ratford didn't think there would be someone else like him), he wanted to earn the recognition of his fellow tower mates through his skills!
So Ratford meticulously prepared.
- Since the school is large, there must be kitchens or storage rooms.
If I can find and loot them, I'll have more than enough food and supplies to last me a while!
While other students mindlessly walked through the corridors to their classrooms, Ratford carefully observed the keyholes in the central staircase area.
Using only the sensitivity of his fingertips, he examined the keyholes and then crafted makeshift keys on the spot.
This was a high-level feat that even most thieves couldn't pull off... but Ratford poured all his spare time into it and eventually succeeded.
He thought all that was left was glory, but then he was suddenly ambushed.
'Who... who is it?'
It was obvious who the other person was.
It had to be one of the school's guards.
Professional thieves were always prepared for situations like this.
Ratford cautiously raised his hands above his shoulders and spoke in the most submissive tone he could muster.
"P-please don't hit me. I surrender."
Even among thieves, those who resisted and threw tantrums when caught received more beatings than those who admitted their guilt.
If you were already caught, admitting it was sometimes the better choice.
"Shh. I snuck out too, just like you."
"...?!"
Only then did Ratford turn around.
A sturdy boy in priest robes was lowering his staff from Ratford's neck and glancing around.
'He's a fellow freshman!?'
Ratford was stunned.
The threatening way the boy had spoken made Ratford assume he was a guard.
But for a fellow freshman to say something like "If you make a loud noise, you're dead"...
"What is this...?"
"Keep your voice down."
"Who are you?"
Even as he asked, Ratford could somewhat guess who the other person was.
Tall, solid build, and the skill to wield a staff like a weapon...
He had to be one of the students from the White Tiger Tower.
'I don't know how he got the priest robes, but he's definitely sharp,' Ratford thought.
Wearing priest robes would naturally make people less suspicious.
Who would have thought a muscle-headed knight could be so cunning?
"Yi Han Wodanaz, from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"......"
Ratford's jaw dropped in shock.
Ratford accepted the situation faster than expected.
Though he wasn't entirely convinced.
'A Wodanaz family member sneaking out at night... what is he... no, how did he get the priest robes...?'
But given the urgency of the situation, he decided to just go along with it.
More importantly, the proposal from the Wodanaz boy was even more shocking.
"Let's work together?"
"Two people are more efficient than one. Isn't it better for you to move together rather than alone?"
"... Do you not see who I am??"
Ratford asked incredulously.
Yi Han paused at the question.
"Are you the headmaster's son or something?"
"......"
Of course, he wasn't the headmaster's son.
Ratford was speechless.
Anyone with eyes could see that Ratford was a rat beastkin.
And here he was, in the middle of the night, fiddling with a fake key to pick a lock.
Anyone with a brain would think, 'Ah, he's a thief!'
"Can't you see I'm a thief!? A high and mighty Wodanaz family member wants to team up with a lowly thief like me?"
"Hey. What do you think I'm doing right now?"
"......"
Ratford was left speechless by Yi Han's question.
...
Good point?
"Let's work together?"
"Sure. You were looking for the food storage, right? Me too."
"!"
Ratford was shocked for a moment before regaining his composure and asking, "Are you really from the Wodanaz family?"
Ratford looked at him suspiciously.
No matter how he thought about it...
"Are you going to work with me? Or should I knock you out and go alone?"
"Calm down, calm down. Let's work together. Two heads are better than one."
Ratford hastily waved his hands as Yi Han's staff threatened to strike.
He could clearly feel that he stood no chance in a fight against the other boy.
"So, did you prepare a key?"
"Yeah."
"Is it working?"
"No. It should work, but it seems like the door is protected by magic."
Ratford anxiously fiddled with the keyhole.
If it was protected by magic, there was no way Ratford could open it.
Unless he had some thief's treasure, but here he was completely empty-handed...
Click!
"?"
A key flew out of Yi Han's pocket and inserted itself into the keyhole.
It turned with a click, and the door opened.
"???"
"Wh-where did that key come from?"
"I stole it from the headmaster's office."
"Are... are you joking?"
"No. I'm serious."
When he had stayed behind with Asan to clean up last time, he hadn't just learned magic—he had also pocketed a key.
He hadn't known what it was for, but it turned out to be the key to the central hall's back area.
'...
I need to be more careful.'
If it was a key left by the headmaster, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Yi Han firmly resolved not to get complacent with this stroke of luck.
They passed through an empty banquet hall, a large hall, and several closed doors...
"Wait."
Ratford suddenly crouched down.
"I think there's someone underground. I can hear voices."
"...!"
At that moment, Yi Han realized where the workers were coming from.
'It's underground!'
If they used the main gate or the wall passages above ground, they would be easily spotted by students, and the students might try to use those paths too.
But if they came and went through underground passages, the students would have no way of knowing.
No wonder the students hadn't seen any workers despite wandering around...
'Why is this school going to such lengths?'
"They're definitely talking in the underground storage. Let's find a way down!"
"R-right..."
Ratford quickly moved at Yi Han's words.
Fortunately, the stairs leading underground soon appeared before them.
Creak
Even though they had only descended one set of stairs, the atmosphere had changed.
Upstairs, moonlight still filtered through the windows, but down here, there was only a chilly darkness.
Yi Han considered summoning light.
But his instincts stopped him.
More importantly, the fact that the key from the headmaster's office had opened the door heightened his caution.
'Given the headmaster's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if there were traps set up here.'
Ratford rustled beside him.
Yi Han whispered, "Don't light anything."
"...?"
"There might be someone waiting."
"!"
Ratford was startled by the Wodanaz boy's words.
Indeed, this was an unknown place.
The unfamiliarity and tension had made him instinctively want to light something.
If Yi Han hadn't spoken, he might have made a mistake.
'...
But seriously, what is this guy??'
Ratford had heard a few rumors about the Wodanaz family boy within the Black Turtle Tower.
- He's ruthless, they say.
He's already dominating the Blue Dragon Tower with his charisma.
- Even the princes and princesses don't dare breathe in front of the Wodanaz family.
- I saw him in magic class once.
He succeeded in one try what others failed at multiple times.
- In riding class, a thunderbird attacked him, but he subdued it with magic and made it submit.
Can you believe that?
At first, Ratford thought the rumors were exaggerated.
How could a fellow freshman be that impressive? But seeing him now, Ratford began to think the rumors might not be exaggerated after all.
The aura he exuded was no joke!
Whoosh!
"!"
A lantern flickered in the distance, illuminating the area around it.
Yi Han and Ratford held their breath and crouched low.
In the darkness, they hadn't realized it, but the entire underground space was like a massive storage room.
Shelves and tables were densely packed, filled to the brim with all sorts of items.
The warehouse keeper slowly began walking with the lantern.
The silence was so profound that even the sound of a needle dropping would have been heard.
The keeper's muttering was clearly audible.
"Cheese... 8 pieces. Check. Maple syrup... 5 bottles. Check. White Fire Paper... 22 sheets. Check. Spirit Silver Needles... 3. Check."
'He's memorizing all the numbers!'
"The alarm magic has weakened. I'll have to reset it."
A wave of magical energy followed as the keeper cast a spell over the items.
Yi Han felt a chill run down his spine.
Every item was protected by alarm magic.
If he had carelessly touched anything, he would have been dragged to the punishment room.
"Who's there?"
"!"
Both their hearts sank.
The keeper had turned his head precisely in their direction and spoken.
'From this angle, he shouldn't be able to see us...?'
Yi Han tried to remain calm despite his confusion.
How had the keeper noticed them? Was he just testing them? Was it too late to use an invisibility spell?
"...!"
Yi Han was shocked when he saw the keeper's face as he slowly approached.
Surprisingly, the keeper was blind, his eyes tightly bound with bandages.