Mages were basically a high-class workforce that was in short supply compared to demand and were treated well wherever they went, but...

There were sometimes exceptions to that as well.

In fact, there was no need to call them exceptions; they could just be called dark mages. Usually dark mages.

Dark magic was fundamentally unpopular.

'Even I wouldn't go out of my way to call a dark mage.'

When there were many outstanding mages from other academies, there was no reason to specifically call mages from the dark magic academy.

But a job that only dark mages could do.

It was very suspicious.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Ratford told me!"

"Oh. If that's the case."

"...Wait. Something's strange?"

Gainando seemed to have felt something off about Yi-Han's reaction changing after hearing Ratford's name.

"What's strange? Let's just go."

"Yeah. I don't know what we'll be doing, but it'll be better than studying... Oops."

"Your studies, not mine..."

Ratford wasn't a dark mage, but he had a friend who was learning dark magic.

It was Ymirg from the same tower.

The friends from the Black Tortoise Tower closely shared any lucrative job opportunities with each other, so it reached Ratford's ears.

'That's true friendship.'

Yi-Han couldn't help but envy the friendship of the Black Tortoise Tower friends.

The Blue Dragon Tower friends at most held parties at their mansions and invited each other...

"Long time no see. Ymirg."

"Long time no see!"

"Ni-nice to see you."

There weren't many 1st-year students learning dark magic, so the students had no choice but to be close to each other.

"Did you call Raphael too?"

"Why would I call that guy?! We don't need him!"

...Some students were closer than others.

"I, I told the White Tiger Tower too... but they said they need to rest because of fatigue."

"I see."

"What kind of knight can't even manage himself? Hmph."

As much as he usually bickered with Raphael, Gainando kept grumbling.

"But he's not seriously ill, right?"

"Probably not."

Yi-Han, who knew the truth, muttered.

It must be because the fatigue from the last King of Ghouls extermination hadn't fully subsided.

'But he's less trained than I thought.'

Yi-Han turned his gaze, thinking that Raphael would grab his collar if he heard it.

"Raphael can't be helped, so let's work harder instead. So, Ymirg. Is it this way?"

"Uh-huh."

The place Ymirg was guiding them to was the southern district of the city, the common district.

This southern district had a different liveliness from the central district where nobles stayed or the western district where guilds were located. It was a liveliness that only emanated when people from all over were mixed together.

A suspicious traveler with his whole body covered in a cloak, a merchant selling a dubious potion called <Gonadaltes' Secret Medicine>, and a mercenary carrying five swords and even a spear didn't look strange here.

"You bastard! Carrying a spear in the city. Do you think Granden City is a joke?! Follow me!"

"I, I'm sorry!"

"..."

Of course, it wasn't a complete lawless zone.

As they went down the road towards the outskirts of the city, there were fewer and fewer people. Yi-Han suddenly became curious and asked, "By the way, what kind of job is it?"

"Se, security job."

"Security?"

Yi-Han was lost in thought at the unexpected name.

'Is there a reason to hire a mage, and a dark mage at that, for security?'

Mages were expensive. If security was needed, it was better to hire a few more experienced adventurers or mercenaries instead.

Even if they were hired at a high price, surprisingly many mages were not accustomed to combat.

If an ambush or combat situation occurred, there was a high possibility that they wouldn't be worth the price.

If we had to nitpick, there were ways to utilize them such as barrier or detection magic, but...

'Why specifically a dark mage?'

"Do you know where the security is for?"

"Uh-huh. The public cemetery."

"...Aha."

Yi-Han immediately understood.

If it was such a place, a dark mage might be needed...

"Pu, public cemetery? We're going to a public cemetery right now???"

Of course, Gainando was different.

When he looked at Ymirg with a betrayed look, Ymirg was also taken aback.

"Why... Why? Is there a problem?"

"The public cemetery is scary!"

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and Ymirg were momentarily dumbfounded and at a loss for words.

Is that something a dark mage should say?

"Weren't there a few cemeteries around Professor Mortum's Darkness Chamber?"

"That's why it was so scary! Do we have to go to a place where they're all gathered?!"

Gainando tried to resist, looking disgusted.

"You've summoned skeletons and will summon more undead in the future, so it'll be better to get used to it in advance."

"I can meet undead separately, why do I have to go to a public cemetery?!"

"Gainando."

"?"

"Life is about doing things you don't like and getting paid for it. Now shut up and follow me."

"..."

Gainando followed, discouraged. Ymirg asked worriedly, "Is, is it okay to do that?"

"It's fine. Just buy him a cotton candy or something after the job is done."

The gravedigger at the public cemetery on the outskirts of Granden City was very pleased with the arrival of the three.

"Oh my! Mages, welcome! I'm really glad to see you. I was worried about this."

"What were you worried about?"

"I was worried about what to do if there were no Einroguard students learning dark magic this year. There are already few dark mages in the city."

"..."

The three students made a grim expression.

Even at Einroguard, there weren't many students learning dark magic.

The easiest way to find a skilled and fundamentally solid mage in Granden City was to hire Einroguard students who came out during the break.

But if there were no Einroguard students learning dark magic this year, it would have been a serious problem.

"But I'm really happy that there are three of you!"

"Ah... Yes."

"But are there really so few dark mages?"

Gainando asked, not understanding.

Even if there were few from Einroguard, it seemed like they could call dark mages from other places...

"Oh my. You're saying something that could cause big trouble. Dark mages need to have a much clearer identity and be more trustworthy than other mages."

"Why?"

"Well..."

As the gravedigger hesitated, Yi-Han answered instead.

"In case they take corpses from the cemetery?"

"Ahem. I don't think that way. I'm just saddened by the prejudice against dark mages."

"That seems at odds with the accidents involving dark mages that seem to be consistently reported in the imperial newspapers..."

"Now! I'll guide you to the cemetery."

The gravedigger quickly changed the subject.

He didn't want to list the accidents caused by dark mages in front of students learning dark magic.

"In the Empire, there are periods when negative energy regularly becomes stronger. When negative energy rises in all directions, the power of the dead also becomes stronger. Then..."

"Anomalies can occur in places like cemeteries."

"That's right. As expected of an Einroguard student."

The mana abundant in nature often caused all sorts of capricious phenomena.

Even if it wasn't as much as a phoenix suddenly being summoned at Einroguard, it wasn't uncommon for the dead to rise or beings from other realms to cross over through cracks due to the strengthened negative mana.

Dark mages were indeed the best at dealing with these problems. No matter how bad the perception was, dark magic was one of the essential magics in the Empire.

"But we haven't learned the complex secrets of dark magic yet."

"It's alright. No matter what, we don't entrust everything to students who have come for the first time. There's a senior dark mage here to help you. Direth!"

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised by the familiar name.

If it was Direth, it must be...

"I knew juniors would come... but more came than I thought."

A crow mixed-blood student flapping black wings on her back walked out of the tower of the public cemetery, waving her hand.

It was Direth, a 4th-year student at Einroguard, majoring in the dark magic school.

"Senior! ...Are you okay?"

Yi-Han habitually scanned the surroundings. Direth nodded as if she understood.

"You don't have to worry about going to the punishment room for having a conversation here."

"I see. That's a relief."

"And you don't die from going to the punishment room. You should also learn to get used to the punishment room since you'll continue to attend Einroguard in the future."

Gainando disliked it as if asking what she was talking about, but Yi-Han took it seriously.

'It's certainly good to prepare for the punishment room in advance.'

From how to escape when locked up to a plan B to at least take a comfortable rest when escaping is difficult.

The fortunate thing was that he was close to Ferkuntra, one of the prison wardens, but he couldn't rely on Ferkuntra alone.

And in Yi-Han's view, Ferkuntra was a bit...

'...prone to making mistakes at important times.'

"Anyway, why did you two come? Aren't you from the Blue Dragon Tower?"

Direth was puzzled by the sight of Yi-Han and Gainando.

Usually, students from the Blue Dragon Tower didn't do this kind of work.

Gainando answered immediately.

"I'm earning the money I'll use myself!"

"What? Why are you doing such a thing? You should go and receive it if you can."

"..."

Gainando, who thought he would receive praise, became gloomy.

Yi-Han didn't say, 'I'm crazy about silver coins.'

It seemed highly likely that he would be considered a strange person even if he said it.

"I thought it was an opportunity to train dark magic."

"..."

Direth looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression.

Come to think of it, this junior was a crazy genius who was taking all schools of magic.

"Uh, uh-huh. I see."

'Huh?'

Yi-Han felt something strange.

The reaction was even more... than Gainando's.

"But it's still good that three of you came. There were often fewer. Originally, a 3rd-year should explain this instead of me, but he went to the east to find usable corpses."

"I, I see."

This time, it was Yi-Han and his friends' turn to stutter.

"The gravediggers begged so desperately, I couldn't refuse."

It was also true that it was difficult for dark mages to refuse when gravediggers tearfully and earnestly begged.

In the end, Direth ended up attending to give an explanation like this.

"Excellent. Well, if they offer several times the compensation, refusing is a bit..."

"What? No. The compensation is the same."

Yi-Han was startled by Direth's words.

"The compensation is the same?"

"Huh? Uh..."

Direth was flustered by the pressure exuded by her junior.

"The gravediggers deceived you, senior. I'll go and protest."

"No, no... We originally knew each other, so this much is..."

"No. Especially if you know each other, money transactions should be done thoroughly!"

Seeing her junior being suspiciously serious about silver coins, Direth suddenly had a strange thought.

'This junior couldn't have come to work because of silver coins, right?'

"Basically, this job is more about prevention than post-incident response."

Direth tapped the ground with her staff and said.

"As such, you need to pay attention to the flow of mana. You juniors will be able to sense the negative energy-type mana a bit better as much as you've learned dark magic."

While Direth was explaining, adventurers passing by on the upper road of the public cemetery in the distance frowned.

-Tsk, they're grave robbers, aren't they?-

-Are they trying to steal corpses again?-

"Don't mind them. They wouldn't dare say anything to our faces. Now. So... Wait. Where did one of the juniors go?"

Direth was startled by Yi-Han's disappearance.

When she turned her head, Yi-Han was running towards the upper road.