For a while, only silence came from the next room.
Yi Han wondered if he had said something wrong and cautiously asked, "Did I make a mistake?"
"Ah, no. I was just a bit surprised. A freshman... you're quite capable."
"Did you get caught?"
'You idiot, if you didn't get caught there, you should be the headmaster...' the other person thought to himself.
If the Empire's anti-magic faction had come, it was no ordinary matter.
Even the school's outstanding professors would have gone out to fight.
In such a situation, to expect not to get caught after fighting alongside them... that was just too shameless.
"What were you doing before you got caught, senior?"
"Senior? Stop with the formalities. You can just call me casually. After all, once we graduate, we'll all be mages."
"Alright. So, what were you doing before you got caught?"
"......"
The person on the other side of the wall suddenly became very curious about Yi Han's face.
What kind of guy is this?
"I failed an experiment and got caught."
"What? You got sent to the punishment room for failing an experiment??"
Yi Han was shocked.
Isn't that too much?
But the person on the other side remained calm.
"Don't be surprised. You'll understand later."
The fourth-year student explained what had happened.
He needed materials for a magic experiment he was working on, but he failed to acquire them within the given time.
So, he targeted one of the headmaster's secret storerooms, broke in, and stole the reagents.
However, he failed to completely bypass the headmaster's traps and was eventually caught and brought to the punishment room.
"......?"
Yi Han, who had been listening, paused. 'Isn't that just getting caught for stealing, not failing an experiment?'
But Yi Han didn't point that out.
After all, spending too much time in graduate school can warp a person's common sense.
If a senior's common sense was warped, it wasn't the senior's fault—it was the magic school's fault.
"With your level of ability, many professors will likely take an interest in you, so be careful. Make sure you don't fail your experiments."
"I'll keep that in mind. But I don't plan to stay at the school for long."
"Modest, aren't you?"
"No, I really don't plan to stay long..."
"Right. I see. You seem like a model student. Are you from the Blue Tower? No, that can't be."
"......"
Yi Han gave up trying to explain.
No matter what he said, the other person didn't seem to listen.
But he couldn't shake off the ominous feeling.
"Senior, can I ask you something else?"
"Go ahead."
"The underground passage seems too difficult to break through now. Is there any other way out?"
Yi Han's question was met with a scoff from the other side.
"Of course there is. But junior, aren't you asking for too much? Why should I tell you?"
Instead of answering, Yi Han turned away from the wall and shouted toward the door, "Guard!"
"!?"
The student next to him was startled and quickly straightened up.
What is this guy doing?! Is he trying to get us both killed?!
-What is it?
"Can you deliver this to the next room?"
-Got it.
Yi Han had tried it on a whim, but the undead summoner surprisingly agreed to the request.
The professor's gift had also been allowed in, so he took a chance, and it worked.
A basket containing cookies, hot tea, and sugar was sent to the next room.
Clatter!
"???"
"Ah, no. I was just surprised... How did you get this in here?"
"I received it as a gift."
"......"
By this point, the student on the other side of the wall was dying to know who Yi Han really was.
In just a week since enrolling, he had secured a way to get out of the school, actually succeeded (if not for the natural disaster), and even managed to get gifts sent to him while in the punishment room by rallying his fellow students.
And on top of that, he had the resourcefulness to secure such snacks...
'Is this guy from a crime guild??'
The Black Turtle Tower occasionally had students who had committed crimes, and Yi Han seemed like one of those cases.
A big one at that! Otherwise, his abilities were unexplainable.
"Anyway, senior. Will this do?"
"... No. It's fine. Since you've given me this, I can tell you."
The student on the other side of the wall cleared his throat.
He hadn't expected such a gift, and if the other person really was from a crime guild, it wouldn't be wise to make an enemy.
If he were to seek revenge later...
"But before I tell you, let's be clear. Even we fourth-years don't know all the ways to get out of the school. Many have tried and failed."
After the first year, students are allowed to go out occasionally, but even among the upperclassmen, many have never successfully escaped.
In fact, most of them fall into that category.
Escaping the school secretly is just that difficult.
'...
And yet, a first-year succeeded.'
"The method I know is something I heard from someone else, and I've never tried it myself. I don't know if it will work or not."
According to the student on the other side, there was a special stable at the top of one of the main building's spires.
A stable for flying beasts! It was where the professors' mounts or the bureaucrats' eagles delivering decrees rested.
The beasts there were under a special blessing, allowing them to fly over the school's walls.
"The problem is, they wouldn't just let anyone ride those beasts."
"......"
That was true.
Just as there were keepers for the storerooms, there would be something guarding the stables.
'But it's not a bad idea.'
Just knowing there was a method gave him some hope.
Moreover, if someone had succeeded with this method before, then Yi Han had a good chance of succeeding too.
"Thank you, senior."
'...
This guy...
Did he just figure out a method from that?! What the hell?!'
The misunderstanding from the other side deepened.
-Release.
Yi Han of the Wodanaz family.
After a day had passed, the undead summoner opened the door.
Before walking down the hallway, Yi Han left a few more chocolates in the next room.
Thanks to the senior he hadn't seen, he had learned a lot.
Strangely, the other person had become quieter and more hesitant as the conversation went on, but Yi Han thought it was probably because he was getting annoyed.
Anyone would get tired of a stranger constantly asking questions.
Still, he was grateful for the answers.
'I'll thank him properly if I see him again.'
Yi Han exited through the same complicated route he had come in.
Outside the main building, the darkness was fading, and the sun was beginning to rise.
'Hmm.
It looks like a kitchen.'
As Yi Han entered the Blue Dragon Tower and headed to his personal room, he was surprised by the sight of his room.
It looked like a well-organized kitchen or grocery store.
The various food items he had received were neatly stacked, making it even more so.
On the shelves were salt, sugar, tea leaves, and various spices and seasonings, as well as canned fruits like apricots, peaches, and pineapples.
There were also more filling canned beans, salmon, and salted beef.
It looked like Yi Han could easily survive for weeks on his own.
'I could seriously start a business with this.'
Deciding to think about business later, Yi Han opened the door and stepped out.
Since he had woken up early, he planned to head to the stables and tackle the assignment Professor Lightning-Step had given him.
"Yi Han?"
As he was preparing to leave the lounge, a red-haired girl yawned and came down, startled to see him.
"Where have you been all day?!"
"The punishment room. Didn't the professors tell you?"
"No. Professor Garcia said you were resting because you got hurt while achieving a great feat."
"......"
Yi Han understood why Professor Garcia had lied.
Honor was more important to the children of noble families than one might think.
As a member of the Wodanaz family, if it were known that Yi Han had been sent to the punishment room for a mistake, it would be embarrassing.
Especially since he hadn't made a mistake but had been helping Professor Garcia.
"No. I got caught trying to sneak out of the school and was sent to the punishment room."
Of course, Yi Han didn't care about such things.
Fortunately, Yonel didn't either.
"Why did you go alone?"
"The information wasn't certain, so I wanted to check it out first."
"Next time, let's go together. Two is better than one."
"Should we bring Nilia too?"
"Yeah. Good idea. Let's bring Nilia."
Nilia, who wasn't present, was now forcibly included, but neither of them cared about that detail.
"So, what exactly happened?"
As they walked to the stables, Yi Han slowly began to explain what had happened.
His speculation about the underground passage, how he had passed through it, and the storeroom and its keeper.
Yonel listened quietly, her eyes wide with surprise.
"So, when I came out, there were people waiting."
"The headmaster?"
"No. The Empire's anti-magic faction."
"!?!"
Yonel was shocked.
What Professor Garcia had said wasn't a joke—it was true.
The anti-magic faction had been hiding around the school.
"Then you really did achieve a great feat!"
"And then I was sent to the punishment room."
"... Why??"
Yonel couldn't understand.
Why on earth?
At the stables, a few students from the Black Turtle Tower had already arrived.
When they saw Yi Han and Yonel, they flinched and slowly backed away.
Yonel didn't seem to care, but Yi Han was slightly hurt.
'This habit of judging people by their appearance and family needs to disappear!'
Of course, the Black Turtle Tower students were wary not just because of Yi Han's family but also because of the rumors they had heard about him.
But Yi Han didn't know that.
"Hey..."
"!"
When one of the Black Turtle Tower students called out to him, Yi Han brightened up.
Was it Nilia? But it wasn't Nilia.
It was Ratford, a rat beastman.
"Good morning, Lord Wodanaz."
The respectful tone made Yi Han uncomfortable.
Anyone watching would think he was being forced!
"Hey. Just talk casually."
"This is how I'm comfortable."
For Ratford, who had lived in the thief guild with a strict hierarchy, speaking casually to someone above him was actually more difficult.
A clear hierarchy and obedience—that was true comfort for him.
"......"
Yi Han shook his head as he saw the Black Turtle Tower students' eyes fill with even more fear.
'This is bad.'
"Alright. I get it."
Yi Han half gave up and looked at Ratford.
In fact, Yi Han was also curious about what had happened after the fight.
After all, he had passed out immediately after it ended...
"What happened after that?"
"Yes. I hid as you instructed during the fight. After it ended, the headmaster arrived with the other professors."
"Good job. It's better than getting hurt for no reason."
"The workers were distracted, so I took the opportunity to search the carriage and picked some useful items. I had to hide them on my body, so I only took small things, but I brought them to give to you."
Ratford held out a small box.
Inside were vials of potions.
"......"
Yi Han was speechless and impressed.
'A real professional thief is something else!'