"Today's task is to go through these request forms and sort out the genuine ones from the scams."

Although wizards prided themselves on being the intellectual leaders of the empire, they weren’t always as sharp as they thought—especially when it came to contracts and requests.

No matter how clever a wizard from Enroguard thought they were, they could still easily fall prey to the empire’s well-practiced con artists if they weren't careful.

"These are real request forms, so if you find something interesting, feel free to apply!"

“Is this for over the break?”

“Yes, yes! Typically, students do these during break! Some ambitious ones might do them during the semester, but studies should come first.”

After listening to the professor’s explanation, the students began to chatter.

"Some actually take on jobs during the semester?"

"Are they crazy?"

“Well, it’s possible, you know,” I-han defended without thinking.

Already tied to a job that Professor Alpen had arranged, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat personally attacked by the incredulity of his peers.

“Do you even realize how much classes, experiments, and research cost? Sometimes you need the extra gold! Taking on a request during the semester isn’t out of the question.”

“All right, all right, Wardanaz. Our bad.”

“Why are you so worked up? Is this because we cheered when you got hit earlier?”

The others flinched, half-expecting him to blow up again. No one anticipated Wardanaz would defend it this passionately.

*Still, doing a request during the semester does sound ridiculous,* some of them thought, *since we’re already struggling to keep up with our studies.*

---

*Help Wanted!*

*Human applicants only! Must have no history of excessive drinking! Must be in good health, with no chronic illnesses! And must never have participated in any magic experiments!*

...

"Holy— I-han, I-han! This sounds like easy money!" Gainan-do’s face lit up as he handed I-han a request that seemed to perfectly match his dream of “easy cash.”

But after reading it closely, I-han frowned and raised his hand to call the professor over.

“Professor, I think we might need to report this one to the city guard.”

“?!”

---

*Would you like to work at the alchemy workshop of the Meikin family?*

*Preference for guild-certified alchemists*

*Night shifts preferred*

*Applicants capable of going a week or more without sleep will be given special consideration*

*Long-term employment offers the following benefits…*

*Should I report this one too?* I-han pondered, knowing it was probably his friend Yoner’s sister, Yoanen, who’d posted it.

*I’ll let this one slide… might work for her again over break.*

The students reviewed the request forms with interest, recognizing some great opportunities for part-time work over the summer break.

“This one looks good.”

“Yeah, I like this one.”

While some requests were bizarre, the students were naturally drawn to the more popular ones, like:

---

*Magic Book Translation!*  
*We’re seeking assistance in translating a magical tome found at an ancient ruin. If it sells for a high price, additional compensation will be provided.*

---

*Magic Tutoring!*  
*Seeking a magician to teach 1-circle spells, such as <Create Light> or <Create Fire>. Applicants who claim magical skills but fail to deliver may face repercussions.*

---

*Wow, there are some solid requests here,* I-han thought, looking at Professor Rosiné with a newfound sense of respect. Having spent countless hours struggling to find decent jobs for the break, he could tell right away that these requests were of high quality. As a former imperial official, Professor Rosiné could secure opportunities far above I-han’s usual options.

*Professor, you are truly worthy of respect.*

Professor Rosiné, who had been chatting with Prosecutor Oryphulas, suddenly noticed I-han gazing at him with admiration.

“Did something happen while we were talking?”

*Must be the respect he has for your class. Take pride in it,* the demon advised him.

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Do you realize how many classes this kid takes?”

Professor Rosiné prided himself on his self-awareness. Wardanaz, taking every elite course at Enroguard, surely wouldn’t be this moved by a single lecture on reading request forms.

---

“I think I’ll go for the magic book translation.”

“I’m considering tutoring. I feel confident teaching the basics.”

Requests involving dungeons and ruins weren’t particularly appealing to wizards; after all, many safer and easier jobs took advantage of their magical skills.

Tasks like translating magical texts or offering magic lessons were an excellent way for Enroguard students to fill their wallets.

“Who posted this one, though?”

“A merchant, maybe?”

“Could be another wizard…”

Even if a magic book wasn’t written in complex runes, it still required a wizard’s perspective to make sense of it. Merchants often hired students from prestigious schools like Enroguard for this reason.

“These translation requests are generally good options!” Rosiné praised. “But keep in mind: if a merchant or collector posts the request, it’s fine. But if another wizard posted it, don’t bother! Wizards tend to be unhinged people!”

"...?"

"???"

The students paused, puzzled by the strange advice.

Most wizards in the empire lacked the skill to interpret a true magic book. Wizards who taught themselves often understood only their own magic, becoming fanatically obsessed with acquiring translated texts.

Wizards like that could be dangerous, so it was best to avoid them.

Still, the professor’s words left them feeling slightly unsettled.

---

“What about tutoring requests?”

“Oh, those are usually fine! It’s great that people in the empire are so interested in magic.”

Magic users held a reputation of prestige and honor. Naturally, many noble or wealthy families aspired to have a mage in the family but hesitated to send their children away to schools.

To cater to such families, some mages took on tutoring roles, living at the family’s estate and teaching their children.

“These jobs are mostly safe! But remember, always research the family’s reputation first. Do you know what might happen if you pick the wrong family?”

“Gasp! They won’t pay us?”

I-han sounded genuinely frightened.

Professor Rosiné shook his head.

“Well, they might refuse to pay, but that’s a minor issue.”

*How is that minor?*

“More importantly, you might end up trapped in their manor, forced to teach indefinitely. So be careful! Those who want to learn magic are often quite determined.”

Hearing this shocked the students, who hadn’t realized that the demand for skilled magic tutors could sometimes lead to them being practically held hostage.

“I-han, what if I get trapped while working?”

“Hmm, Gainan-do, dark magic usually doesn’t…”

I-han was about to reassure him, saying that dark magic usually discouraged people from seeking it out.

“What if they bribe me with chocolate? Should I just give in?”

“Wouldn’t the principal come looking if you didn’t return by the end of break…”

Having sorted out the more suspicious requests, I-han picked a few promising ones for magic book interpretation and tutoring.

*Perfect. I’ll save these for summer break.*

But his face soon hardened as he saw his friends gathering the same ones. Naturally, the best requests overlapped.

“…Maybe I should apply first…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing, Gainan-do.”

Snatching a “Master of Mage Cards Wanted” request from Gainan-do’s grip, I-han tossed it aside.

---

By Wednesday, the snow was coming down harder than ever.

Watching it pile up, the students felt a mix of emotions. Having experienced it in their first semester, they knew all too well how troublesome a snow-covered campus could be.

“Get the sleds out from storage!”

“One, two! One, two!”

Luckily, thanks to their hard work in the enchanting class, I-han and his friends had prepared well for winter.

But no one felt confident that they’d done enough.

“Why are the White Tiger Tower students pulling out sleds? Are they planning to hitch them to horses?”

“Taking horses out in this weather would be dangerous… wait, are they pulling the sleds themselves?!”

Students from the Black Tortoise Tower began laying out ropes and poles to mark paths through the dormitory grounds while White Tiger Tower students took turns hauling each other around on sleds.

The trials they had endured so far left them bitter but unbroken.

“Impressive work, all of you,” Professor Thunderstep remarked, skiing down to check on the students with a look of reluctant admiration.

“Guess I’ll have to lighten the class load a bit. You barely have time to study with all this work.”

“Professor…!”

I-han looked at Thunderstep with the same admiration he’d shown Professor Rosiné earlier.

Maybe crises do reveal people’s true colors.

“By the way, Wardanaz, I need you to help me with a little problem in the vegetable garden.”

“…Didn’t you just say the students barely have time to study?”

I-han asked, bewildered.

He’d just been told that the professor was worried about their time for studying, and now here he was, being asked to do extra work. Did he even count as a student?

“Oh, right, of course. My apologies, Wardanaz. I didn’t mean to separate you from the others.”

"......"

“I’ve also prepared some provisions for you.”

“So, what do you need, Professor?”

Abandoning any more protests, I-han asked about the task. Recently, with all the heavy snowfall, the vegetable garden had been yielding less and less. While some hardy vegetables and eggs were

 still fine, other crops had taken a hit.

Knowing how resourceful Professor Thunderstep was in procuring food, I-han had high hopes.

“By ‘problem,’ you don’t mean anything too dangerous, right?”

“Oh, it’s nothing too strong.”

As they walked, Thunderstep paused and looked at him curiously.

“But, just so we’re on the same page, what’s your idea of ‘too strong’? Our criteria might differ.”

“…Could you just tell me what it is?”

“It’s a spirit. A frost spirit.”

“!”

I-han’s face brightened at this revelation.

They’d said winter brought spirits on the snow, but he hadn’t expected an actual frost spirit to show up!

Whenever I-han tried seeking out spirits himself, they would flee, but if one was already here, it would be much harder for it to escape upon seeing him.

“A frost spirit, like the one you demonstrated for us?”

“That’s right.”

“They’re incredibly useful in many ways.”

“Indeed.”

“Do you think I could strike a contract with it?”

“That’s unlikely.”

"......"

I-han glared at Professor Thunderstep.