Patrolling isn't as bad as I thought, he mused.

Initially, the idea of a first-year student patrolling a magic academy seemed absurd, but as his pockets grew heavier, his perspective shifted.

Yi-Han deftly pilfered useful items with cunning hand movements while patrolling two rooms used as food storage and one as an alchemy storeroom.

Ratford would have cried tears of admiration had he seen it.

-Hold on.-

"!"

Yi-Han tensed.

Had he been caught?

'I was sure it was a blind spot.'

-Wardanaz seems hungry. Let's fetch something.-

-Ah, right. Becoming undead makes you forget hunger.-

-Youngsters should eat well. It's the age to chew even rocks.-

The Death Knights rummaged through a food storage room, returning with hard, long bread, salami sausage, fresh vegetables, and tightly sealed glass bottles.

-I just grabbed these. Hope it suits your taste.-

-It's been too long since our last meal.-

"Th-thank you."

Yi-Han was taken aback by the Death Knights, who kindly prepared a bundle of food like benevolent grandfathers.

"Is this really okay?"

-Hahaha! A diligent student indeed.-

-Of course not. But what can we do? It's food for work.-

The knights from an ancient, unnamed kingdom were lenient with rule-breaking.

After all, if you're hungry, you should eat, and if you're thirsty, drink.

Especially when helping with academy chores!

'Wait. This is alcohol?'

Yi-Han was surprised as he opened the bottle.

"Can I drink alcohol while on patrol?"

-Hahaha! Of course not. But we're working, so Wardanaz can quench his thirst.-

-You'll have to fill up on black bread and cold rice balls later. Eat well now.-

'Knights these days should learn from the old ones.'

Yi-Han was moved by the mercy and spirit shown by the Death Knights.

The White Tiger brats should learn from this...

As Yi-Han heartily ate, the Death Knights said,

-Finding a rat that ran into a maze takes longer than you think. Wardanaz is young and ambitious, wanting to find it himself is understandable, but don't overdo it.-

-Right. Just fulfill the time set by the master and then go about your business.-

"...Wait. I don't have any ambitions."

Yi-Han paused while cutting the bread and sausage with his pocketknife.

The Death Knights nodded kindly.

-That's right. True aspirants often claim to have no ambition.-

-Those who boast about their ambition are rarely genuine aspirants.-

"No, but..."

Yi-Han wanted to point out the logical flaw in the Death Knights' words, but they paid him no heed.

With age, one tends to ignore the words of the young.

'Einrogard needs a rule against spreading false rumors.'

Yi-Han resigned himself and finished his meal.

'Patrolling is definitely not as bad as I thought.'

His initial desire to attack the skull principal had changed, as there were various benefits.

He became friendlier with the Death Knights, borrowed items from several storerooms, and even visited places he was curious about...

The Death Knights didn't seem to mind whatever Yi-Han took from the storerooms.

They all seemed to think, 'It's okay for the young to steal a bit.'

Yi-Han, drawing a map with a quill, nodded in agreement.

To make the most of the remaining time...

"Alright, let's head downstairs this time."

-We'll follow anywhere!-

Duke Icaldoren's confidant, Gduff, struggled to withstand the rising terror.

Anyone would have felt the same.

How could one keep their sanity while hiding alone in the midst of Einroguard, where security was heightened?

Despite being renowned for his calm and composed demeanor, Gduff's rationality was wearing thin.

'I shouldn't have trusted those <Serpent of the Maple Tree>. Yes, trusting them was a mistake.'

Experienced adventurers who would do anything for gold, skilled in dealing with mages.

He had thought they would be capable of infiltrating the interior.

Gduff hadn't asked for much.

Just to quietly enter, combine forces silently, steal quietly, and leave...

But these mad adventurers, instead of dying gracefully, had done something to heighten the security.

Each night, the sight of the evil great mage Gonadaltes warning, 'You will die if you come out and you will die if you dont come out, drove Gduff to the brink of madness.

Click-

Gduff opened the lid of the bronze pendant.

'Three times left.'

A very powerful artifact, it had been one of Gduff's lifelines, protecting his life thus far.

Once activated, it cleverly disabled the surrounding magic a powerful artifact!

In a magic academy filled with all sorts of magic barriers and patrols. Even a great mage could be caught with one mistake.

Gduff, proficient in stealth magic, knew that alone wouldn't suffice. Without this artifact, he would have been discovered long ago.

The fixed number of uses was regrettable...

'It's time to get ready.'

Gduff took out another artifact.

It was a small statue-shaped artifact.

"Great mage Goltineus, I offer my respect, please transform me!"

As he finished speaking, Gduff's body seamlessly turned into a statue.

A powerful magic that even a high-ranking transformation mage couldn't easily replicate.

This artifact was another one of Gduff's lifelines.

He had been disguising himself as a statue, moving positions every few days with the bronze pendant.

Waiting until the heightened security relaxed.

'Let no one come in. Let no one come in.'

Bang!

"So there was a hidden path behind the first-floor main staircase entrance?"

Seems so. Remember, don't tell the master.

"Don't worry."

Gduff's heart nearly froze as a group of Death Knights entered.

Had he not been transformed into a statue, he surely would have gasped.

Each of these minions of Gonadaltes, the Death Knights, possessed fierce combat capabilities, ready to summon all nearby foes at a moment's touch.

Gduff could only hope the Death Knights would leave quickly.

"What is this room?"

-Well... many rooms in the magic academy appear and change if you just close and open your eyes. Of course, I can't close my eyes!-

-Uhahahahaha!-

-Kuhahahahaha!-

"...Uhahahahaha!"

Yi-Han laughed timely.

Fitting for the joyless undead, the Death Knights took considerable pride in their jokes.

Fortunately, Yi-Han had the exceptional ability to laugh at whatever nonsense the professors spouted.

-Is this a storeroom?-

-Looks like a place for storing artworks. Paintings and statues.-

'Damn.'

Yi-Han felt disappointed.

If there were no secret passages, no sideways, no food supplies, nor alchemical ingredients, then wouldn't that room be just a junk room?

-Don't be too disappointed, Wardanaz.-

One of the Death Knights seemed to have noticed Yi-Han's inner thoughts and offered advice.

-Rooms like this, which seem to interest no one, can surprisingly be useful. Since no one pays attention, they're good for storing things.-

"!"

Yi-Han was intrigued by the Death Knight's words.

'I do need some space lately.'

When he first entered the tower, he had never thought about the lack of space.

His personal room and even the lounge were more than spacious.

But as time passed, his belongings accumulated.

Everything from groceries bought outside to various ingredients and papers for assignments, and books...

Recently, Yi-Han understood why his seniors secretly stored stolen materials in a secret warehouse in the middle of the mountain range.

There was no space in the tower, and if left around carelessly, other tower students might steal them (even students from his own tower).

To be a good student of the magic academy, one must have three or four secret storages unknown to others.

'At this rate, I'm not sure if I'm a squirrel hiding acorns or a mage.'

"Indeed, if I throw a few wooden boxes inside, no one will touch them."

-Exactly. There's an old saying, 'If you want to hide a corpse, hide it in the forest,' isn't there?-

"?"

'Wasn't it about hiding a tree in a forest?'

Yi-Han thought so but refrained from correcting the Death Knights out of consideration.

Maybe it was different in the old days...

-Wardanaz, are you planning to use it as a secret storage?-

"Yes."

Another Death Knight interjected.

-That's fine, but this room has too much clutter. I recommend removing about half of it. Even if you just pile up light stuff near the entrance, students won't come in.-

"Indeed..."

Yi-Han nodded.

It did seem better to remove the bulky items.

"Can I move the statues and sculptures outside?"

-Wardanaz, as I always say, nothing is impossible in this world. Just do it.-

-There are sculptures around the main building's entrance. Let's put them there.-

"Uh... Is that okay?"

-Wardanaz, as I always say-

"Understood. Let's move them out."

Yi-Han and the Death Knights began moving the sculptures one by one outside.

However, they were unaware of something.

One of the sculptures was secretly screaming inside!

'No... No!'

Gduff felt as if his heart was turning to stone.

To escape, it was essential to transform back in a place unseen and prepare to use the artifact.

But in front of the main building's entrance?

A place watched by all beings of the magic academy.

If he transformed back, he would be dead in less than a second.

'No! It can't be! It can't be like this!'

Gduff couldn't comprehend the current situation.

Nor could he understand why the boy among the Death Knights, who looked like a first-year, was wandering with them.

There was too much that didn't make sense, almost as if this was all a mockery by Gonadaltes.

Was Gduff's identity already exposed, and this was Gonadaltes' cruel way of taunting him?

"But what are these sculptures for?"

-Students make them as a hobby, and there are also classes, right? They're used in magic later on if needed.-

-There might even be a sculpture-making club. But since Wardanaz is a first-year, he wouldn't have joined any clubs yet.-

"..."

Yi-Han had no desire to join a club like the sculpture-making club, even if he did decide to join one.

"Thank you for today."

-Don't mention it. We enjoyed it more because Wardanaz did such a good job.-

-Let's meet again and make sure to study hard when you go back in!-

Yi-Han bid farewell to the Death Knights and went back inside.

Though his mind was heavy with assignments that still needed to be done, his mood wasn't too bad.

'But where could that intruder be hiding?'

Yi-Han, despite not knowing who the opponent was, thought them to be quite tenacious.

To persist so stubbornly in the heart of enemy territory.

Who could they be?

'I hope we don't run into each other.'

Yi-Han hoped he wouldn't accidentally encounter them while wandering around.

Such an intruder would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent.