Episode 845
Lee Han was taken aback by such an unexpected accusation.
Because of Lee Han himself, I’ve never seen the second graders, and thanks to him, I haven’t been able to collect wands.
What does that mean?
‘Is this person crazy?’
Well, Einrogard originally had a lot of crazy people.
Lee Han was not surprised and tried to talk calmly.
“What do you mean you missed second grade because of me? And what about collecting wands?”
“Do you know what my job is?”
“Aren’t you guarding the kitchen?”
Unless there was an unknown meaning added to the word kitchen keeper, there was nothing other than this.
“Half of you got it right. The other half is exchanging groceries for the students.”
“!!!”
Lee Han was truly surprised by the humanitarian role he heard about for the first time in Einroguard.
“No. Is there such a role in Einroguard? Why have I never seen it before?”
“……”
The kitchen keeper gave a much harsher and harsher look than before.
And then he blurted out.
“You never saw it because you had nothing to regret.”
“yes?”
“To meet me, you have to be truly poor. You have to have belly skin sticking to your back so you can sell a canned food and a cane. If you can rob a kitchen, you don’t mind going to the punishment room.”
The more I listened to the other person’s words, the more surprising I was.
Lee Han thought to himself.
‘Do you really only appear in front of hungry Einrogard students?’
A being that appears in front of a student when he or she is so starving that he or she is caught robbing the kitchen.
Although it was an eccentric and difficult appearance condition, it was considered average in Einrogard.
‘If you had known it would be like this, you wouldn’t have had to stock up on groceries so hard, right?’
Lee Han said with regret.
“It’s a shame. If I had thrown away more, I and my friends could have received groceries.”
“What do you mean, take it?”
“Aren’t you giving me groceries?”
“It was called an exchange.”
“……”
Only then did Lee Han come to his senses.
When I thought about it, it was strange.
There’s no way the skeleton principal’s minions would show up in front of hungry students and give them groceries for free.
“…Do you have to do anything to give me groceries? Do you make me do chores?”
“You overestimate the students. Is your chores worth it? They only accept magic items.”
The kitchen manager never gave groceries for free. Food was provided only after receiving various magic-related equipment.
Starting with the magic wands students received, small pots and pans for alchemy, capes and hats, etc.
Hungry students had to take at least their friend’s cane and offer it to them.
‘I can’t believe the first year juniors didn’t have canes…!’
Lee Han realized the truth and was shocked.
At first, I thought the first-year students at Black Turtle Tower collected the wands to celebrate and boast about their victory.
However, the students at Black Turtle Tower were equally hungry and having a hard time, so there was no way they could afford that. Of course, I collected it because there was a corner where food was served.
Students who are already poor and have nothing are made to steal from each other.
“Why on earth do you only accept such things?”
*Because the master ordered it.”
‘aha.’
Lee Han, who was about to be outraged, was immediately convinced.
There was no need to wonder if the skeleton principal had ordered it. I understood it very well.
“Last year, the owner criticized me for my lack of performance. It was because of you.”
“No… Then I have something to eat, but should I be forced to hold it in?”
“It’s okay to eat it alone. Why are you giving it to your friends? It’s because of you.”
“So your friends are starving and you don’t give them food?”
“Even if you give in 100 times and give it to your friends, why are you giving it to the entire student body? No matter how you look at it, it’s because of you.”
“……”
Lee Han was slightly speechless at the kitchen keeper’s words.
After listening to this strangely, I thought that feeding all the students was a bit excessive…?
“for a moment.”
The Duke, who was listening behind him, interjected as if he did not understand.
“What, prisoner?”
“…don’t you know who I am?”
“You know. He’s a simpleton who was caught trying to steal his master’s treasure.”
The kitchen keeper blurted out.
Duke Ikaldoren’s face turned red at those words, but he did not shout.
He had already keenly felt that there was no point in getting angry at the Skeleton Headmaster’s minions because of the customs of the empire.
“It’s okay. Rather, isn’t this the Demon Commander’s disciple? You are the Demon Commander’s minion. Is it okay for a minion to be this arrogant to his disciple?”
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The Duke sternly pointed out etiquette.
Lee Han, who was holding it next to him, was dumbfounded and pointed it out.
“What nonsense… Your Highness. I am not a disciple…”
However, upon hearing those words, the kitchen keeper hesitated, pondered, and then lowered his head.
“Excuse me. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“…No. Why are you apologizing? I’m just a student!”
When the kitchen keeper suddenly lowered his head, Lee Han felt even more upset for no reason.
What do you mean there are people like this?
But whether Lee Han got angry or not, the kitchen manager seemed to have made up his mind. I kept my head down and remained polite.
When I thought about it, no matter how grumpy I was, being rude to the Demon Commander’s disciple wasn’t a good choice.
Even if the resentment is relieved for now, revenge could come back a hundredfold or a thousandfold in the near future.
Even though Lee Han got angry and told him to stop, the kitchen manager persisted until the end.
“…Let’s stop. So, kitchen keeper, what brings you here? I’m not hungry, and I have no intention of exchanging wands.”
“I didn’t come because of Wardanaz. I came because of the idiot behind me.”
“Because of His Majesty the Duke?”
“Yes. He called me.”
The kitchen keeper took out a small brass bell from his belt. The bell swung outward and made a clear sound.
“That idiot doesn’t ring now because he’s full, but it used to ring this way.”
The <Bell of Hunger> held by the kitchen keeper was an artifact that could find hungry people in the Einroguard territory.
When a starving person screams with his soul, the bell detects the person’s location and resonates in that direction.
Using this artifact, the kitchen keeper rips off students’ wands, various magical equipment, and tools, and sometimes even saves students from starving to death in remote areas of the territory.
I used to find it.
After hearing the explanation, Duke Ikaldoren blushed again.
He didn’t think that the kitchen keeper came here because of him.
“I… I wasn’t that hungry.”
“A servant who couldn’t speak would lie. You idiot. Magic doesn’t lie.”
“…What a rude bastard…!”
The duke was indignant, but could do nothing behind bars. The kitchen keeper put in the Juseom Juseom bell again.
“Unless the duke is hungry and there is nothing to exchange, I should go. Wardanaz. Please forget your rudeness today.”
“No. I’m fine. If you think about it, isn’t the principal a bad person?”
“!?”
The Duke, who was listening from behind, was embarrassed.
I had no idea that he would openly insult his teacher.
‘Can I do that?’
When Lee Han said that, the kitchen keeper bowed his head again as if he was grateful and then turned around.
“for a moment!”
“?”
“??”
It was the Duke who called the kitchen keeper over. Lee Han and the kitchen keeper looked at the duke in confusion.
“…Oh, no. They said they would exchange food. Okay. What can I give you?”
“……”
Seeing Lee Han’s pitiful eyes, the duke felt shame as if he had been exposed to the bottom of his soul.
If I had just looked at him with contempt, I wouldn’t have been so embarrassed.
“First, we need to see what you can offer.”
“…Do you see the ring here? This one ring is enough to buy one fortress.”
Duke Ikaldoren held out his index finger and held up the ring to the light.
Eighteen precious stones were carefully cut and shining brightly. Anyone could see that it was an expensive work of art. But the kitchen keeper shook his head.
“That can’t be done.”
“What!? Why don’t you say it doesn’t work!?”
“Like I said, you only get magic items. There’s no magic.”
“You can buy dozens of magic items with just this one!”
“Ask your master. Idiot.”
No matter what I said, the kitchen keeper was unwavering. The duke pounded his chest in frustration and shouted to Lee Han.
“Yes, boy! You can exchange it for me. Exchange it for a magic item!”
“No. That’s a bit…”
“why!!”
When even Lee Han refused, the duke stared with bloodshot eyes. He couldn’t understand why he refused.
“This is so… expensive, isn’t it? I feel guilty about trading it for a few cheap magic items I have.”
Even though Lee Han was devoted to collecting imperial gold coins, he was worried about what would happen in the future if the fraud was too large.
Right now, I’m hungry, so I’m thinking of trading that ring for a pair of magic leather boots, but I guess I’ll change my mind when I go out later.
“I’m fine! I am!!”
The duke was jumping up and down inside the bars, begging to sell the art that had been passed down through his family for cheap.
The kitchen keeper put his finger next to his head and twirled it around.
“Do it. That idiot has gone crazy.”
“Don’t say that.”
“sorry.”
“Don’t even treat me with respect.”
Then the kitchen manager kept his mouth shut. Lee Han wanted to hit him.
“Your Highness, let’s do this then. I’ll just give you some magic items.”
Just last year, Lee Han was trying to sell a portable leather water bottle by enchanting it.
There were a few cheap magic items left in the backpack that were made to help Professor Verdus with his work or for practice during lectures.
The duke asked as if he didn’t understand.
“You’re just going to give it to me? So… then what do you get?”
“You’ll pay me back later when you go out.”
“……”
At that moment, tears flowed from the corners of Duke Ikaldoren’s eyes.
These were the first warm words I heard since being taken to Einrogard.
“…Ugh. Ugh!”
“Your Highness, the Duke. Did I say something wrong?”
“No… no. Thank you. Thank you! I… I will definitely pay you back.”
The duke promised, forgetting his age and respect, crying.
I was so sorry that it touched my heart that I had been suspicious and wary of this boy because he was the demon commander’s disciple.
How could you insult such a good boy?
“If I go out, they will definitely support me.”
‘Uhm. If I were to suggest writing a few more memorandums now, it would be too rubbish.’
Lee Han felt regretful inside.
I couldn’t bear to say, ‘Could you please write a few more memorandums of research support’ in front of someone who was crying so loudly.
* * *
The duke obtained a week’s worth of groceries from the kitchen keeper and carefully hid them in a corner of the prison. They put so much effort into disguising it that Lee Han even cast an illusion spell on them.
Yukveltire wasn’t the one to take that away, but the duke was now someone no one trusted.
Especially the royal family.
-His Royal Highness the Duke. Although Senior Yukvel Tire is not interested in cooking or eating, she will not take away His Majesty’s food…
-no! I don’t believe it. I don’t know what that princess will do!
-…Okay, I understand. Don’t worry too much though. It’s because you’re busy right now. He will come back soon to check if there are any inconveniences.
-No, no! please. Tell them not to come anymore!
-No… I have to visit regularly. What should I do if there is any inconvenience?
-You come! please please!!
-…No, I’ll try my best.
