“Was that not what you meant?”

*–Of course not.*

Ikurusha never intended to tell a first-year student to “make all the giants invisible and sneak them into the main building.”

Who would assign such an impossible task?

“That’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to start practicing now.”

*–Well, I’m not a wizard, but it seems there might be some issues on that front...*

“???”

I-han didn’t understand what Ikurusha meant.

Issues with him? 

*‘Is he talking about the mistake of enrolling in Einroguard?’*

*–Returning to the topic, since I brought it up, there is a way to get into the main building. I know of an underground passage connected to it.*

“!”

I-han was surprised by the unexpected method.

*‘Of course!’*

Now that he thought about it, the main building of Einroguard had as many hidden paths as its long history.

Even the <Cobweb Lake> in the deepest underground, where the undying creature resided, was connected to many places, which professors often used as shortcuts.

For an ancient giant like Ikurusha, knowing one or two secret underground paths leading to the main building was not surprising.

“There’s such a way...! That’s brilliant!”

*–It’s too soon to celebrate. There are challenges to this method.*

Ikurusha began drawing a map of the underground passage connected to a cave in the mountains and explained.

Follow the hidden cave down, and you’d find a rather old passageway. Following it would lead to the underground storage of the main building...

*‘This is perfect.’*

Listening, I-han tilted his head.

He couldn’t sense any major challenges.

“What kind of challenges are we talking about?”

*–This passage can be quite dangerous.*

“Oh. That...”

I-han tensed slightly and asked another question.

“Are there creatures like hydras down there?”

*–...Not that dangerous...*

Ikurusha gave him a withering look.

Bringing up something so extreme during a serious conversation?

“I was genuinely asking...”

*–Which makes it even worse. Anyway, due to the nearby swamps and lakes, you might encounter some fierce creatures. It’s been a long time since I last used it, so I’d need to check it out.*

“Understood. I’ll make sure to verify that.”

I-han jotted down *Check passage monsters* on his notepad.

*–The next challenge comes after you exit the passage. If I remember correctly, that area has a lot of student activity.*

“You mean seniors?”

I-han’s eyes widened.

He was familiar with the first-year students.

And none of them were reckless enough to wander the underground of the main building.

*‘Oh. I did, though.’*

I-han regretted his recent thought, realizing it implicated himself.

“Why do seniors hang around there? Isn’t it a fairly deep underground storage?”

*–I don’t know much about wizards’ affairs, so that’s hard for me to answer.*

*‘Hmm.’*

Now that he thought about it, I-han realized he didn’t know much about the seniors’ daily activities.

The Skull Principal had limited his contact, but he had still met quite a few seniors...

Should he have asked them more questions back then?

*‘From second-year onward, students can interact with those in different years, participate in club activities, take on more external assignments, and conduct personal magic research... Could it be because of that?’*

Research might turn people reclusive, making them linger in the underground.

I-han speculated, imagining the seniors’ irritation if they knew his thoughts.

*–Shall I continue?*

“Yes, please go on.”

*–Einroguard’s students may seem tough, but encountering giants would surely surprise them. You’ll need to keep students away from that area.*

“That will be difficult.”

*–I agree. That’s the hardest part. Clearing the passage itself is manageable with enough force.*

Pondering for a moment, I-han nodded and said:

“First, please gather the giants at the entrance of the cave. I’ll find a way to keep the seniors from approaching.”

*–What do you plan to do?*

Ikurusha was surprised by how quickly I-han took action.

He knew well that first-year students couldn’t just contact seniors.

Yet here was this student, speaking as if it were a simple task.

“I know a few seniors. They might refuse, but I’m going to ask for a favor.”

*–...Wait. Are you really a first-year?*

Hearing this, Ikurusha started doubting his knowledge about I-han’s school year.

---

*–Senior, hello. Are you there?*

Back at his secret base, I-han scribbled with his quill. It was connected to Deeret’s notebook.

Fortunately, a reply came quickly.

*What’s up?*

*–I have a question. If it’s an inconvenience, you don’t have to answer. I don’t have anything to offer, anyway.*

*Ten.*

*–Pardon?*

*You can ask up to ten questions, junior.*

*–No... That’s not how it works. That’s not the original rule, is it?*

From what I-han remembered, communication artifacts assigned at the school were based on a one-to-one exchange.

Otherwise, there was no way to trust an anonymous counterpart.

*Considering what you did, asking ten is fine... Wait a moment.*

*–Oh. Are you busy?*

The response halted for a moment before continuing.

*No, just preparing something. Go ahead.*

*–I don’t know much about how seniors spend their time, but do any of them hang around the underground storage areas?*

I-han described the surroundings as detailed as he could, based on what Ikurusha had told him.

After all, there was likely more than one deep underground storage.

*Ah, that place. I know it.*

“!”

I-han sighed in relief.

Luckily, Senior Deeret recognized the description.

*It’s... hmm...*

*–If it’s difficult to answer, that’s okay.*

Seeing the hesitation in Deeret’s handwriting, I-han wondered what kind of place it could be.

Was it a notorious classroom, whose name must not be mentioned?

*‘Does the school have rooms possessed by demons?’*

It seemed absurd, but with the Skull Principal, he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d captured demons and turned them into classrooms.

*Not exactly a secret... Yeah, I’ll tell you.*

Deeret, after some hesitation, finally revealed the answer.

*There’s a small crawl space connected to the kitchen nearby.*

*–Pardon?*

*So... students go in to grab food.*

Einroguard had more than dozens of kitchens, some so neglected they’d been forgotten.

The kitchen Deeret mentioned had special warding magic that set off alarms the moment food was taken out.

Normally, one would give up at the sight of such an unattainable prize, but the students of Einroguard weren’t so easily deterred.

They just went in, ate what they could, and left!

...And so, they found a way to bypass the kitchen’s magic and succeed in raiding the supplies.

*–I heard there are quite a few seniors around there. They’re not all going just for the kitchen, are they?*

*They are. All of them.*

“......”

I-han was speechless.

Noticing his junior’s silence, Deeret hurriedly added:

*By the way, our dark magic faction doesn’t go there often.*

*–Oh, no. It’s fine if you do. We should make use of everything in the school, right?*

*I said we don’t!*

*‘I should change the topic.’*

Now that I-han had figured out why the students gathered there, he asked the next question.

*–Senior, is there any way to keep the students from approaching that area for a while?*

*Junior, can I ask why? The reason might change the method.*

*–Well...*

Hesitating, I-han was urged on by Deeret.

*If it’s difficult to say, that’s fine. But know this. The dark magic faction seniors will always have your back, no matter how strange your request is.*

*–Thank you, senior. Actually, I’m planning to bring the giants over and hide them.*

---

Dark magic students Coholty and Ogoldos stood behind Deeret as he corresponded with his junior using the quill.

Earlier, the reason Deeret had paused was to call the dark magic students over.

“Our junior needs help. You two join in.”

“But didn’t the principal say we’d be sent to the punishment room if caught mingling with a first-year?”

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

At Deeret’s words, Coholty shot Ogoldos a look filled with disdain.

“You ungrateful fool...”

“When did I say I wouldn’t do it!!”

Ogoldos was taken aback.

He had only asked a question, and now he was the bad guy?

The two bickered but eventually stood behind Deeret.

“So, what does the junior want help with?”

“Don’t know yet. We’ll find out. He asked why there are so many students around that crawlspace kitchen. Should I tell him? It’s embarrassing.”

“Can’t be helped...”

“What if he asks why we don’t use magic instead of crawling in like beggars? How do we explain that?”

“Relax. He’s not that type of junior.”

After brief contemplation, Deeret explained the truth.

Fortunately, the junior didn’t ask, *Why don

’t you use magic instead of sneaking in like beggars?*

“None of you visit that place often, right?”

“Uh... no, not really.”

“I... I don’t go often, either.”

“......”

Deeret regretted asking the question he hadn’t needed to.

He should’ve just skipped it!

“Hmm. I wonder what he wants from us.”

“Juniors always ask weird things. When I was new, I left a note at the tower entrance saying, ‘Seniors, spare a bit of extra food.’ I was so naive.”

“What happened?”

Ogoldos’s curiosity was piqued by Coholty’s story.

“Someone left a rock with a note saying, ‘Eat this.’”

“......”

The tale was so typical of Einroguard that Ogoldos felt a pang of melancholy.

“I’ll tell him to speak freely and remind him that we’ll have his back, no matter what...”

“That’s a good idea. He’ll be touched, won’t he?”

“Won’t that be overwhelming?”

“Shut up.”

Ignoring their chatter, Deeret moved the quill.

Both Ogoldos and Coholty watched with mixed anticipation and worry.

*‘Surely he won’t go running to another faction out of discomfort...?’*

*Thank you, senior. Actually, I’m planning to bring the giants over and hide them.*

“......”

“......”

Silence enveloped the room.

Coholty rubbed his eyes and double-checked the words. But the word “giants” did not change.

“What... what is he talking about?”

“Did he write that wrong?”

“But how in the world do you plan to bring giants over?! And why hide them?!”

Listening to the noisy exchange, Deeret closed his eyes in thought.

Then, he opened them and moved the quill.

*–Not surprising at all.*

“No. No. No...”

“That’s absurd! What a boast...!”

Coholty and Ogoldos were stunned by Deeret’s nonchalance.

Maintaining dignity as a senior was one thing, but to not even question that? To let it pass just like that?

“Guys.”

“Huh?” “Yes?”

“Shut up.”

“......”

After silencing them, Deeret continued writing.

*–Hiding giants is nothing unusual.*

*Is that so??*

*–Of course. Don’t underestimate the seniors. They’re well-adjusted to situations like this.*

Since meeting juniors would become rarer from next year, Deeret boldly exaggerated.

*Thank you so much! I’ll be counting on you!*

Hearing his junior’s response, Deeret set the quill back in the inkwell.

Then he turned to the other dark magic students.

“Alright, both of you, think of a way to keep students from approaching the room where the giants will hide.”

“......”

“......”