There was plenty to say, but the two students instinctively knew that saying the wrong thing now could end with them in a coffin.

While Deeret was generally kind, he was also the type of person who wouldn’t hesitate to put a few students in a coffin if needed.

“What if we hang warning signs and spread rumors?” Ogoldos cautiously suggested.

Coholty shook his head.

“Too weak. That won’t stop Einroguard students. Even if it stops the second-years, the third-years and above will just ignore it and walk right in.”

“But why would they go in when there’s a warning sign?” Ogoldos asked incredulously.

“Because glory lies behind danger.”

*‘Is he insane?’*

Ogoldos was stunned, but Coholty was serious.

After spending enough time at Einroguard, words like “danger” and “restricted entry” began to take on new meanings.

“Danger” meant “great rewards.”

“Restricted entry” translated to “there’s treasure here.”

“I think we should go into the crawlspace kitchen and burn all the food supplies.”

“What?! No, students will starve!”

“Ogoldos. People don’t die from starvation that easily. Remember our first year?”

“Well... that’s true...”

Ogoldos briefly recalled their first year.

It was true—humans didn’t starve easily.

They’d boiled soft tree bark and made porridge bulked up with weeds, but they had survived.

“See? Those who come here are after food. Burning all the supplies is a sure thing. Fire always works. I recently got my hands on the flames of Bakwantalana from a friend...”

“No. I don’t think that’ll work,” Deeret interrupted, and Ogoldos sighed with relief.

At least one of the senior dark magic students had some common sense.

“Burning the supplies doesn’t guarantee they won’t come back. They’ll keep checking, and eventually, the food will be replenished.”

“Ah, I missed that...!” Coholty clicked his tongue, frustrated at making such an amateur mistake while problem-solving.

“Why are Einroguard students so persistent? They’re like cockroaches.”

“Why do you sound like you came from another magic school?”

Despite Deeret’s scolding, Coholty remained lost in thought.

How could they keep students out of this area?

“Hey. You think of something too. What are you doing? If you can’t come up with anything, you’re getting demoted to a first-year.”

“Don’t say weird things. You don’t have the power to demote me to a first-year.”

“I’ll spread rumors among the dark mages that you were carried by a first-year through a dimensional rift.”

“......”

The threat was so plausible that Ogoldos shivered.

With Coholty’s personality, he’d absolutely do it.

And to think that someone set to graduate this year would make such petty threats?!

“Uh... um...”

“5. 4. 3.” “Ah! Wait, please!”

“2.46, 2.45, 2.44...”

Under Coholty’s relentless countdown, Ogoldos finally blurted out something he would never have said otherwise.

“What if we use poison? No, forget it. Just forget it.”

“Poison?”

“I said forget it.”

“Quiet. Poison, huh...”

Coholty sank into contemplation.

Ogoldos tried to dissuade him, but Coholty seemed to think poison was quite a good idea.

“Isn’t it decent?”

“Hmm.”

“Deeret-senpai! Poison isn’t right!”

“It seems feasible.”

“......”

Ogoldos nearly collapsed as even the senior he trusted showed interest.

“But, senpai, poisoning the kitchen is a bit much. And, well, others will just detoxify it and eat anyway.”

Ogoldos didn’t mention that using poison would tarnish the reputation of the dark magic faction and attract suspicion.

He doubted anyone would listen, so he approached it practically.

Even if they used poison in the kitchen, everyone would just detoxify it and eat!

“That’s because it wouldn’t be used properly.”

“Coholty is right, Ogoldos. You need to study poisons more.”

While Ogoldos was momentarily speechless, Coholty drew a map of the corridor and tapped it with his staff.

“Ogoldos. Look, using poison in the kitchen is a low-level idea. Just as you said, they’ll try to detoxify it. Using it in the kitchen is mid-level. Because the space is limited, they’d think of ways to break through. The best plan is to spread poison throughout the entire area so no one dares to come near.”

Despite their usually jovial conversations, a yellowish madness always lurked in the hearts of upperclassmen at Einroguard.

Ogoldos felt that madness now and shivered.

*Is this what it means to be a dark mage?*

“Here, here, here, and here. First, we spread air poison, sleeping poison, and suffocation poison. Since some will try to detoxify it, we’ll mix in a compound poison that reacts to detoxification attempts and triggers another effect.”

“Add ankle-snaring poison combined with tongue-binding poison to make one that holds them in place. They’ll panic and try to escape.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Deeret. Let’s lay a curse on the floor as well. If they still try to detoxify their way in? We’ll make them regret it.”

Coholty’s plan to turn the corridor near the underground storage into a dark mage’s mini-labyrinth was completed in an instant.

They would start by filling the entire area with vividly colored poison fog.

Those who were observant would flee, but if anyone tried to detoxify it, hidden toxins within the poison would activate, binding their tongues and choking them.

And if someone tried to push through despite that?

The curse circle hidden on the floor would trigger, unleashing a series of torturous chain spells.

“This should do it, right?”

“Just to be sure, let’s hide some undead in the walls.”

“Good idea. If they come in even after all this...”

Ogoldos, listening to the conversation, wondered for a moment.

Perhaps other factions had legitimate reasons for finding the dark magic students unsettling.

Not because of prejudice or arrogance, but because there was truly a reason for it...

“Deeret-senpai. Please reconsider one last time. If people find out it was us, we’ll be in trouble, won’t we?”

“Ogoldos.”

Deeret looked at his junior with a calm expression.

Despite his sharp appearance, Ogoldos was soft-hearted.

It was almost the end of his second year, yet he was still under an illusion.

“Remember when you tripped on the seventh-floor stairs last week?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Why do you think you tripped?”

“Didn’t I just slip?”

“It’s because the enchantment faction kids were experimenting on the stairs and left them. The stairs change properties every minute.”

“......”

Ogoldos blinked.

“Also. Remember when the firestones you’d collected disappeared two days ago?”

“Yes...”

“It was the kids preparing for their advanced fire element exams.”

“......”

A flame flickered in Ogoldos’s eyes.

A flame of resentment.

“Understand now?”

“Ogoldos. You might think we’re going too far. But it’s those other factions that made us like this.”

Coholty placed a serious hand on Ogoldos’s shoulder.

Why did Coholty feel no guilt about spreading poison around the underground storage?

Because the other factions had been setting things on fire, causing explosions, and summoning monsters repeatedly.

Compared to that, using poison to temporarily block access was merciful.

“Just think of yourself and your juniors. Got it? The other factions don’t care about us one bit.”

“...I’ll handle the poison.”

“Good.”

Coholty smiled, satisfied with Ogoldos’s determined expression.

The once uncertain junior now bore the look of a true dark mage.

*‘Looks like I can graduate with peace of mind.’*

Scribble—

Coholty turned his head.

With the plan confirmed, Deeret was writing a response to their junior.

*–We’ve prepared a way to keep students out. We might use a bit of poison, so be careful.*

*Poison?! Isn’t that too dangerous?!*

*–Of course, we’ll try persuasion first. But if that fails, we might use a bit of poison. We’re not spreading it to harm anyone. The rumor of poison alone should stop others from entering. Got it? We’re not trying to hurt anyone.*

“......”

Coholty shook his head slowly.

*‘Stay strong, Deeret.’*

He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing his friend would remain here dealing with these issues while he moved on.

“Graduating feels bittersweet...”

“Then why don’t you stay?” Ogoldos suggested.

Whip!

Coholty glared at Ogoldos with eyes that could kill.

“Don’t even joke about that.”

“...S-sorry.”

“It’s fine. You’ll understand when you’re a fourth-year.”

---

*‘Is this really okay?’*

After ending the conversation, I-han sat in thought.

The idea of using poison to block access didn’t sit well with him.

Of course, both he and the giants had high resistance to poison, so that part was fine.

But...

*‘What if someone passing by gets poisoned? Wouldn’t that be troublesome?’*

Lost in thought, I-han stood up.

There was no time to dwell on this.

*‘No. I’ll trust the

 seniors.’*

Their confidence that hiding giants was nothing special felt reassuring.

These seniors had been through far more chaos than he could imagine.

Thinking that they had done similar things before filled him with confidence.

*‘I can do this too.’*

Surely, Deeret would ensure that others wouldn’t get caught up in it.

How exactly he’d manage that was unclear, but anyway...

“We’re ready.”

*–Really?*

“Yes. The seniors said they’d help.”

Ikurusha looked at I-han with surprise.

He had actually pulled it off!

*‘Is he really not a first-year?’*

*–Understood. Then let’s move right away. Waiting won’t do us any good.*

Ikurusha led I-han to the cave.

The giants were already waiting inside.

*–I’ve given the giants enough food for a week. I don’t think we’ll need more than that.*

“That should be enough. If something goes wrong, I’ll bring more supplies.”

*–Bring food for giants? You barely have enough for yourself.*

“I have some reserves.”

*–Hmm. Just how much... no, that’s not important now. We’ll worry about that if it comes to it.*

Ikurusha stepped up to the cliff and suddenly grabbed hold of a massive boulder.

I-han watched, confused by what he was doing.

Rumble—

To his surprise, the boulder rolled aside, revealing the entrance to a cave.

“What kind of magic is this?”

*–It’s not magic. I just propped it up with strength.*

“......”

Ikurusha, who had moved a boulder that most spells wouldn’t budge, stepped inside.

The giants inside were sitting and chatting.

*–No need to tend the sheep for now.*

*–Shh. If Ikurusha hears, he’ll put us to work.*

*–I’m going to read a book during this break.*

“Hello, everyone.”

*–Wizard!*

*–The wizard is here!*

The giants rushed over, excited.

They collided in the confined space of the cave, but their joy was palpable.

“I’m sorry for this...”

*–No need to apologize. It’s nice to take a break... I mean.*

*–Actually, we wanted to... I mean.*

Ikurusha looked at the giants with a sigh and spoke.

*–You can be honest. I intended to let you rest for a week anyway.*

*–Lies! That’s a lie!*

Ignoring the giants’ protests, Ikurusha turned to I-han.

*–Oh, by the way, I checked the passage and there’s a troublesome species wandering around.*

“What species?”

*–Sirens.*

“Sirens? I actually know them!”

*–Is that so??*

Ikurusha was puzzled.

How could he know them?