Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1133

Professor Garcia stammered, his hands raised in a calming gesture. “Student Lee Han,” he said, his voice tight with worry, “just because they are blocking the road doesn’t mean they worship evil gods.”

But before Lee Han could respond, the soldiers erupted in shouts. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” one bellowed, his face red with anger. “This is Count Bouillon’s land! Stop right now!”

“Everyone, run!” Professor Garcia yelled to his students, astonished. He had expected the soldiers to be intimidated, but they were furious. They weren’t even trying to explain themselves!

And the soldiers were slightly surprised too.

They weren’t intimidated even after revealing the Count’s status?

Even if they dismissed them as lunatics, a reaction like, ‘Everyone, run away!’ was unexpected.

And the soldiers immediately understood why that reaction had occurred.

Lee Han didn’t care if soldiers were in his way. He cast magic with powerful force, smashing the barricades. Soldiers on the bridge panicked and jumped into the river.

Professor Garcia shouted to the soldiers who jumped into the river to explain.

“We’re actually from Einroguard! I don’t think you saw the flag! We ask for your understanding!”

The soldiers who jumped into the river were too busy spitting out water and swimming to hear. Only a few soldiers remained at the destroyed checkpoint, wearing blank expressions.

“E-Even if you’re from a magic school… is it okay to act so arbitrarily?”

The knights sneered and kicked the remaining soldiers into the river. The soldiers fell with screams.

Seeing that, Lee Han asked in a serious voice.

“Shouldn’t we interrogate them for any signs of collusion with evil god worshippers?”

The knights quickly threw chains and pulled the soldiers back up.

Who would have thought he was serious about that earlier…!

When the Empire was founded, the noble families who cooperated with the Emperor and the Archmages were guaranteed various privileges.

Even if they weren’t great noble families, there were quite a few families with at least one privilege passed down through generations.

Among them, Count Bouillon was a noble who possessed quite a few lucrative rights, including the right to collect tolls in an area encompassing about three villages.

Of course, one shouldn’t be mistaken.

The nobles of the Empire didn’t have the authority to act as they pleased like the nobles of old.

Strictly speaking, the right to collect tolls was closer to being responsible for collecting tolls to be paid to the Empire, rather than putting it into their own pockets.

In fact, that alone was enough. Even if they couldn’t rule like the absolute monarchs of old, they could still make plenty of money.

He could make a lot of money by collecting taxes for the Empire. He could also cheat by taking more money than he should, or by finding excuses to raise taxes.

But there was a trick to this, and that was to be discreet and perceptive.

No matter how vast the Empire was and how many petitions went up to the officials in the capital, making the chances of getting caught infinitely low, those without a sense of propriety would always cross the line and cause inspectors to come.

Count Bouillon took pride in that regard.

Especially in accumulating the maximum amount of wealth without tarnishing the family’s honor and without getting caught.

However, misfortune always comes suddenly.

This sudden drought and blight in the west terrified the Count.

“Why did the drought have to come this year? Why!”

The gaunt Count muttered, pacing back and forth in his study. He was too anxious to stay still.

The Empire’s laws stipulated that each region must store a certain amount of relief supplies in preparation for natural disasters, and the person responsible for that was Count Bouillon himself.

Normally, it wouldn’t have mattered. Even if he requisitioned supplies from nearby merchants and secretly replaced them with low-quality goods, he wouldn’t get caught.

But the situation was different with such a sudden disaster.

In fact, the Count had not only replaced the relief supplies with low-quality goods this year, but had even embezzled them and converted them into cash!

He had recently invested heavily in the Capital Confectionery Guild, but they were defeated by the Baking Guild, so he had acted more boldly than usual to make up for it, but who would have thought a disaster would strike.

“Please, calm down, Master. Surely you will be able to handle it in time.”

The head butler soothed Count Bouillon.

“You ordered the soldiers to block the road, didn’t you? Don’t forget that you have the authority to manage the bridge.”

The Count nodded with an anxious face.

Currently, Count Bouillon had ordered the checkpoint soldiers to block anyone entering this area, using his authority.

The checkpoint soldiers were practically the Count’s private soldiers, paid by him, so no one refused.

The reason could be made up later anyway. A band of thieves appeared nearby, so they blocked the road for the safety of travelers, the plague was too severe, so they blocked it for now…

“…Or they could say that evil god worshippers have appeared.”

“No, Master! That could bring the Knights Order!”

“T-That’s right. I must not be in my right mind right now. You’re right.”

Count Bouillon quickly came to his senses.

The excuse had to be plausible, not some evil god worshippers. It was an unlucky excuse.

In any case, he had blocked all outsiders who could cause problems, such as capital inspectors, local officials, and clergy, from entering, so all that remained was to secure the relief supplies again.

Once the relief supplies were secured again, he could be confident no matter who came wandering around this area.

“There seem to be more priests in this area lately, won’t they find it suspicious? Or try to force their way through?”

“Master. It’s not like evil god worshippers have appeared, so they won’t force their way through. You know the priests’ personalities well.”

The clergy of the Order were not very violent people, except in a few cases.

Even if they were forcibly blocked from entering, they would frown, but they would choose to go another way.

That’s why the Count gave the order, wasn’t it?

“Please, you merchants. Bring them together quickly! If I get caught, I won’t let you off either!”

Count Bouillon cursed the merchants.

The merchants who were urgently running around were merchants who had been close to the Count for a long time.

Originally, it was difficult to do bad things alone.

These merchants were the ones who helped when the Count replaced supplies with low-quality goods, raised tolls, or cleverly used various rights.

As such, if there was a problem with the embezzled relief supplies, they had to step up as well. If the Count was caught, they would be caught too.

But they still haven’t secured them…

“You morons, you bugs who only care about money, I gave these guys special favors.”

“Count! We have secured the supplies! We asked the Richmond guys for the fastest carriage as soon as we finished the contract with the Northern Merchant Guild, so it will arrive within a day!”

“Oh!”

Count Bouillon’s face lit up as the merchants burst into the room as if breaking down the door.

As if the curses he had just uttered were lies, the Count showered the merchants with praise.

“You are the heroes of the territory and the talents who make the Empire’s blood flow!”

“Thank you, Count!”

The Count especially hugged Naseda, the leader of these merchants and the person in charge of this matter.

“Naseda, you are my right arm, my most trusted advisor!”

“It’s truly an honor!”

There was no more certain praise than calling him the Archmage who helped the Emperor who founded the Empire from the side, and who was not strange to be called the Emperor’s right arm.

Of course, it was a sight that would greatly enrage both the Emperor and the Archmage of the Empire, but…

“As soon as the supplies arrive at the warehouse, everyone should return to their original positions, and the order to prohibit passage should be lifted. Ah, prepare a donation. The priests might be upset.”

Before the Count, who was chattering excitedly, could finish speaking, someone else burst into the room as if breaking down the door.

The messenger was covered in sweat, probably because he had run without rest as soon as he received the news.

It was rude behavior, but Count Bouillon smiled instead of getting angry.

“Did you also hear the news that we secured the supplies?”

“It’s a disaster!! Einroguard wizards have forcibly entered the territory!”

The air in the study suddenly turned cold, as if cold water had been poured on it.

The merchants shouted in horror first.

“Why are Einroguard wizards coming here?! There must have been some mistake!”

“Aren’t they mistaking them for other wizards? Yes, maybe Valdroguard! It might be Valdroguard wizards!”

“I hope they’re Valdroguard wizards! I know some Valdroguard wizards…”

The messenger shook his head violently and shouted.

“They say they’re definitely Einroguard wizards. The southern bridge checkpoint has been completely destroyed…”

“Destroyed?”

Count Bouillon paused.

Einroguard had various privileges as the Empire’s magic school, including unrestricted passage, but there was no unrestricted destruction among them.

Even if they blocked the passage, this was their mistake!

An idea flashed through the Count’s mind. The merchants seemed to have thought similarly and shouted.

“Count. Use this as an excuse to tie them down somehow.”

“That’s right! We only blocked the road for a while because of thieves, but destroying the checkpoint is too much, so if you protest, you can tie them down.”

It seemed possible to endure if they set a place to meet and talk directly because there seemed to be misunderstandings, and then the Count dragged his feet and arrived late.

If they could hold out for only one day, the relief supplies would arrive in the territory, and they could apologize to the wizards later, saying that they made a mistake because of their enthusiasm… “Naseda, my right arm, can I leave it to you?”

The Count changed his words because he felt uneasy about saying Gonadaltes.

The merchant laughed heartily. He was confident that he could control the wizards enough.

“Don’t worry. I will tie down the wizards without them noticing at all.”

The Count, the head butler, and the merchants did not realize it in the excitement of coming up with a brilliant plan.

The most important thing was to accurately understand why the Einroguard wizards were acting so violently.

“Hmm. So they weren’t evil god worshippers.”

Lee Han muttered quietly.

When the knights began to seriously inquire about their connection with evil god worshippers, the soldiers, realizing the seriousness of the situation, confessed the truth while crying and begging.

The soldiers believed in different religious Orders, like the Fremen Order and the Freisinger Order.

“We don’t believe in that!”

“I believe in the Fremen Order! Priest. Aren’t you a Fremen Order? I’m a Fremen Order believer! I donated when I was young! Please speak for me!”

“I, I’m not a Fremen Order. I’m a… Freisinger Order.”

“Priest Siana…”

“What can I do, it’s scary! Look at Lord Wodanaz’s eyes!”

Lee Han expected to find remnants of the evil Sanguis Order hidden among the soldiers, but no matter how much he searched, nothing like that came out.

Instead, what came out was that the order came from the Count in charge of taxation?

“Do you think there are really thieves roaming around?”

“I’m not sure, Professor Kim.”

Professor Kirmin did not completely believe the soldiers’ words.

In the first place, the Count wouldn’t tell the exact reason even to ordinary soldiers.

“Thieves do increase when disasters happen… but isn’t it rare for someone to give up tolls and prohibit passage for the safety of travelers?”

“That’s right, isn’t it? I don’t think Count Bouillon is that kind of person.”

“One thing is certain.”

“Whether they’re thieves or the Count’s private soldiers, it’s better if they don’t get in our way while we’re passing through here.”

“Shall I try to persuade Student Lee Han?”

Professor Garcia whispered, glancing at his student, who was casting murderous glances around, looking for any hidden evil god worshippers.

“There’s no need for that.”

“Wodanaz also needs a place to vent his anger. Wouldn’t thieves or the Count’s soldiers be better than Einroguard students?”

‘Ah, that’s right. This person was Professor Beggrec’s friend.’