As the night grew late, Yi-Han immediately lay down in his bed after finishing his dinner and tidying up.

He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep due to his troubled mind, but perhaps due to his sheer exhaustion, his eyes closed as soon as his head touched the pillow.

That night, Yi-Han dreamed a nightmare where Professor Boladi brought a dragon.

-This is unacceptable. I will petition His Majesty the Emperor.-

-The Emperor has already granted permission.-

-That's impossible!-

In the morning, Yi-Han sighed and poured coffee from the pot into a cup.

Not long after, Professor Boladi emerged from his room. Yi-Han noticed the professor hesitating at the sight of the coffee.

"Do you prefer tea?"

The professor nodded. Yi-Han, unflustered, promptly added tea leaves to a cup.

He had prepared for every possibility.

Amur also came and then looked at the coffee.

"Are you both up? Ah. As for coffee... no, thank you."

"Not at all. Would you like some warm milk instead?"

"That would be nice, but..."

Amur was surprised to see Yi-Han immediately pouring milk into a cup.

Was it magic?

"Did you use magic...?"

"No, I just prepared everything in advance."

"...??"

As he sipped his tea, Professor Boladi finally spoke.

"Let's depart."

"Yes."

"Good luck."

Amur said to Yi-Han, who nodded and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Good luck."

"...Thank you."

"Sincerely, good luck."

"...You can stop now. Thank you."

As Yi-Han turned to leave with Professor Boladi, his figure seemed inexplicably sad.

"Professor, where do you intend to buy such a rare monster?"

Yi-Han asked Professor Boladi.

Although Philonae Town was not as bustling and vast as a city, it was one of the larger and more prosperous towns, especially with the Empire's top magic academy nearby, attracting various related people.

Yet, even considering that, places selling rare monsters were scarce. In a typical town, there wouldn't even be places like Amur's stable.

'Is it somewhere I'm unaware of?'

Having ventured out a few times, Yi-Han had a fair understanding of Philonae Town.

Was there a place selling rare monsters that Yi-Han didn't know about?

"I called the seller."

"!"

Professor Boladi had not been merely resting. He had sent out messages across the Empire during his days off, seeking rare monsters.

Among the adventurers and explorers scattered throughout the vast Empire, there were those who specialized in such tasks.

By now, many of them would have arrived in Philonae Town with the captured monsters.

Upon hearing the explanation, Yi-Han cursed inwardly.

'Those adventurers aren't criticized for no reason.'

Shouldn't they think about why such a request was made before eagerly accepting it?

What if a mad mage throws that monster at his student!

'I won't forgive them.'

Yi-Han resolved once more to sabotage this deal.

"Hey! Over here, this way! Greetings, mage!"

From a distance, an orc adventurer waved his hands. His attire screamed 'I am experienced'.

Behind him was a huge metal cage, tightly covered with black cloth, but it was easy to guess what was inside.

"Greetings. I am Kilvedek, as mentioned in the letter. Wait. Who is this beside you?"

"My student."

"Ah."

Kilvedek paused briefly, but seemingly unconcerned, he continued the conversation.

"I shall speak first about the monster I have captured. Please forgive my rudeness for not removing the cloth and explaining directly."

The two mages nodded in agreement. The Orc adventurer paused briefly, then raised his voice and exclaimed, "The monster I have captured is... a Basilisk!"

!

Yi-Han was surprised.

He even considered whether attacking the Orc adventurer right in front of him would constitute self-defense.

"A Basilisk! As mages, you must know. The king of snakes, possessing the vile Petrifying Evil Eye. Unfazed by fire, water, or lightning, it boasts agility to sprint from one end of the earth to the other in the flicker of its tongue..."

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

Yi-Han interjected firmly.

He couldn't just let it go. He had to offend the other party somehow and drive them away.

"Your intentions are clear as day. Out of all the powerful monsters, why specifically a Basilisk? You need an excuse to keep the cloth covering, claiming that removing it could harm those around us! Does it make sense that one who can confine a Basilisk cannot blindfold it? Surely, there's a fake of similar size inside!"

"What... What are you talking about?!"

Taken aback by the baseless accusation, Kilvedek stuttered. Yi-Han felt sorry but did not stop.

"Look at that person's attire. It looks expensive and well-worn, but the hands cannot lie. Not a single scar or wound on them!"

Yi-Han began to argue absurdly.

In truth, an adventurer could have unscarred hands either healed by magic or simply never injured due to skill.

But the atmosphere was what mattered.

He had to nitpick until the other party angrily declared, 'I can't do this deal!'

"...I've made a mistake! Sob, sob!"

"?!?!"

Suddenly, the orc adventurer prostrated himself on the ground.

"How dare I try to deceive the eyes of the mages... I must have lost my mind for a moment! Please, spare my life! It's because of my debts...!"

"..."

Yi-Han was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Professor Boladi praised him from the side.

"Well done."

"...Thank you."

"Dismiss."

Without any further punishment or retaliation, Professor Boladi sent Kilvedek away. Yi-Han, puzzled, asked, "Did you know that person was a swindler?"

"No. But I suspected it was likely."

Professor Boladi had never put much faith in adventurers.

He had sent letters far and wide, requesting the presence of as many sellers as possible for this reason.

After all, nine out of ten would likely be swindlers.

"I see."

"Let's call the next person."

'Hopefully, its also a fraud.'

Yi-Han suddenly felt hopeful.

If all these adventurers were like this...!

"What do you think?"

"Pardon?"

"I asked what you think."

"Is he not a respectable adventurer in the empire?"

Initially, Yi-Han's pointing out the Orc adventurer's suspiciousness seemed too astute, so Professor Boladi expected the same of him with the next adventurer.

Naturally, Yi-Han had no such ability.

'Damn it. It was just a wild guess.'

How could Yi-Han have known his nitpicking would turn out to be true?

"Do you really think so?"

"It's a bit... suspicious."

"In what way?"

"Given that he brought a rare monster, there should be no reason for this adventurer to look so suspicious or worried. Yet, he continually glances around, displaying an unmistakable unease."

Of course, he could simply be nervous facing the mages or urgently need the restroom, but Yi-Han relentlessly picked on him.

"Damn it! This is why I hate dealing with mages!"

...

Another adventurer dropped their belongings and fled hastily.

Following this, three more adventurers were chased away for attempting deceit (one of them even brought a regular rabbit, insisting it was Almiraj, a monster feared even by demons).

It was a good thing for Yi-Han, but by this point, he began to doubt the ethics of the adventurers in the empire.

'Is the Empire really alright?'

He wondered if adventurers should receive ethical training from the skull principal of Einroguard during the academy holidays.

"!"

Yi-Han's expression hardened.

There was an indescribable sense of unease emanating from the adventurers who had just arrived.

'What is this?'

A strange discomfort that subtly pricked at his nerves.

Yi-Han couldn't pinpoint its source and frowned.

Professor Boladi spoke from beside him.

"It's murderous intent."

"Pardon?"

"What you're feeling now. That's murderous intent."

"!"

Yi-Han looked up.

Unlike the previous swindlers, these approaching adventurers exuded a strong scent of blood.

'Are they insane?'

This was not far from the magic academy, and it was obvious how other mages in Einroguard would react if they provoked one.

But the logic of these adventurers was far removed from that.

A mage here to buy rare items must possess considerable gold; their plan was to steal it by any means necessary.

Thoughts of 'consequences' or 'retaliation' were absent from their minds. Their only concern was to strike it big without getting caught.

"Mage, please come here."

"You need to come closer to inspect the monster."

Their slightly hoarse voices trembled with unmistakable greed.

Yi-Han clicked his tongue.

"Foolish fools."

"!"

"Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

If it were another mage, maybe, but with Professor Boladi as the opponent, the adventurers' fate seemed predetermined.

"Who are you?"

As the adventurers realized the situation was turning strange, their voices grew rougher.

Thud-

"?"

Professor Boladi placed a hand on Yi-Han's shoulder and said,

"Handle it."

"Pardon?"

Professor Boladi gestured with his chin. It was an instruction to take action.

Yi-Han suddenly felt embarrassed.

'No...'

After saying, 'Do you know who you're dealing with?' he had expected to watch Professor Boladi fight, but now it seemed like he was the one who had to prove himself.

'Do I really have to do this?'

"Didn't you ask who I am?"

"You don't need to know."

As he spoke, Yi-Han drew his staff. Simultaneously, the adventurers drew their weapons.

Suspicion was already mutual.

Doig and Gido, the two brothers, feared the power of the mages but were not overly hesitant to confront them.

Speed was crucial.

While magic was the strongest force in the Empire, its might was meaningless if it couldn't be used.

If they could strike the mage with a blade before a spell was cast, that was the end.

The two adventurers drew their weapons, notorious implements crafted by a Dwarf blacksmith with a bounty on his head in the Empire.

These weapons, capable of firing deadly poisoned daggers powered by the elements of fire and wind, were no ordinary arms. Not only was the poison potent enough to paralyze a mage's entire body, but the blades of the daggers were also made of turquoise, capable of penetrating defensive magic.

How many times had they seen mages, even those with defensive artifacts, clutch their chests in disbelief before collapsing?

Doig and Gido, fully expecting the same outcome this time, were instead thrown into a fiery shock and rolled on the ground.

"!"

Yi-Han was startled to see his opponents simply roll over from a single bolt of lightning magic.

'What's this? A trap?'

"Flash forth, flash forth, flash forth!"

Yi-Han remained vigilant.

One lesson he had learned while exploring dungeons with Professor Boladi was never to stop attacking just because a monster seemed downed.

Since there was no need to conserve mana, Yi-Han relentlessly unleashed a barrage of spells.

"That's enough."

"...Really? They're truly down?"

Professor Boladi nodded his head.