'It looks like a mix of reishi mushrooms and ginseng.'
That's what Lee Han thought when he saw the herb they were supposed to find.
It was an herb called Dok-ocho (Defiled Grass), said to be used in making antidotes.
"Have you handled it before?"
"Yeah."
"Good to know."
Lee Han felt relieved when Yoner said he had experience with it.
Distinguishing between the countless grasses and herbs scattered across hills, fields, and near forests was no easy task.
Even with drawings of the herbs, it was something a beginner could easily get confused about.
In that sense, having someone with experience was reassuring.
"But… it feels a bit off with just the two of us."
"Is it dangerous after all?"
"Right? It's better to move in groups of at least three. Maybe we shouldn't have beaten up Gainando."
"He wouldn't have come along even if we hadn't, so it doesn't matter."
Yoner grinned at Lee Han's words.
"Then should we just wander around as a duo?"
"No. I don't want my name on the list of the deceased."
Einrogard lived up to its reputation with plenty of sinister rumors.
Since magic was such a dangerous field of study, it wasn't uncommon for students to die while learning.
Before coming here, Lee Han had accepted that as inevitable.
No matter how much the professors tried to be careful, accidents were bound to happen.
But now that he was here…
'Isn't everyone just completely desensitized to safety?'
From the professors to the students, it seemed like no one at Einrogard had any attachment to their lives. To Lee Han, a modern person, they all seemed a little insane.
"The list of the deceased… Don't make creepy jokes like that with such a straight face. It doesn't suit you."
"It wasn't a joke."
"That's even scarier if it's not a joke! Yeah, we should definitely stick with someone from our tower."
Yoner looked around.
He was thinking of suggesting they team up with one of the students from the Blue Dragon Tower.
But there was no one around.
"Uh… are we screwed?"
"Can't we just talk to the princess?"
"You're brave for wanting to approach that princess. She seemed really prickly."
"We're looking for herbs, not hosting a ball, right?"
Yoner nodded at Lee Han's words. He had a point.
"But it looks like we're too late."
There were already a few students gathered around Adenart.
It seemed the princess had also realized the need to travel in a group and had already formed a party.
"Wait, there's a freshman from the Black Tortoise Tower over there too?"
Lee Han felt a bit cheated.
If people were avoiding him because he was from the Wardanaz family, shouldn't they avoid the princess for the same reason?
Yet, surprisingly, among the students gathered around the princess were a few from the Black Tortoise Tower.
"Well, that princess was famous in many ways even before enrolling…"
Famous people stay famous.
Adenart had been renowned among the royals for her exceptional intellect and remarkable talent.
It was only natural that nobles and commoners alike flocked to her as soon as she enrolled.
"Was she?"
"…Even for someone from the Wardanaz family, did you really not read the newspapers?"
"I usually only read the New Imperial Ventures section. I wasn't that interested in Royal News."
"Oh, that section was fun. Did you see the one about adventurers getting coins back if they brought back used potion bottles instead of tossing them in dungeons? Pretty good idea, right?"
"It was a solid idea."
"…No, wait, this isn't the time for that."
Yoner snapped back to focus. The conversation was veering off track.
"Anyway, even just reading Royal News would've told you Adenart was famous in many ways. So it's no surprise she's got people flocking to her."
"Was there anything about Gainando?"
"Nope."
"I see. Guess Gainando's nothing special."
"Really nothing special."
Gainando, sipping a potion in the infirmary, was unfairly attacked.
"Then let's give up on the princess and find someone else."
"Will that work? It looks like the only ones left are Black Tortoise Tower students."
Lee Han frowned at Yoner's words.
'Hmm.'
Indeed, it seemed like the only ones left were from the Black Tortoise Tower.
Of course, if they grabbed just anyone and asked to team up, some might agree.
But since they'd be working together, it'd be best if they didn't get in each other's way, right?
And more importantly…
'It'd be nice if they were competent.'
When working in a group, wasn't competence the most important thing?
Lee Han scanned the area. And then he spotted a suitable candidate.
Nilia, a freshman from the Black Tortoise Tower, was a dark elf from the Shadow Patrol of the northern part of the Empire.
The Shadow Patrol was a group of exceptional hunters and scouts who roamed the northern mountain ranges as if it were their own backyard.
Having been born in such a place, Nilia was confident in navigating forests and mountains.
'What's this? It's not even that hard.'
Though she had never seen Dok-ocho in person, she figured she could find it quickly once she knew what it looked like.
It wasn't even worth comparing herself to those desk-bound greenhorns who'd never set foot in a mountain or forest their entire lives.
Truth be told, ever since arriving at Einrogard, Nilia had been feeling a sense of inferiority.
Not only were there outstanding freshmen from the other towers, but even within the Black Tortoise Tower, there were too many exceptional students.
There were those from rising noble families, famous merchant houses in the Empire, or even freshmen with renowned adventurers as parents.
Among such people, Nilia—who had spent her life running through mountains and forests before being invited to the school—couldn't help but feel inferior.
The magic lessons she was encountering for the first time felt utterly overwhelming…
So when she came across a class like this, it was only natural that Nilia's motivation surged.
'Hmph. Just watch. I'll find it several times faster than the others.'
Nilia planned to move quickly on her own to locate the Dok-ocho.
While others might group up because they weren't used to mountains and forests, Nilia was confident she could handle it solo.
"Hmm-hmm."
"?"
Nilia was slightly startled when someone approached her. It was a pretty girl with red hair.
"…Who are you?"
"I'm Yoner from the Maykin family. And this is…"
"Lee Han. Nice to meet you."
From their introductions, Nilia guessed that Yoner was a noble while Lee Han might not be.
Nobles typically introduced themselves by stating their family name first.
'But they're from the Blue Dragon Tower?'
"Why's she reacting like that?"
"Because you didn't mention your family name…"
Yoner looked at Lee Han with an exasperated expression.
Why would he say his name but leave out his family?
"Isn't it just a hassle to mention your family name every time you introduce yourself? At this rate, I'll end up having to start with the family head's name, list where our lands are, and give a whole biography."
"That's how nobles do it at parties, you know?"
"…"
Lee Han genuinely recoiled at Yoner's words.
Watching this exchange, Nilia spoke up with a voice tinged with wariness.
"If you two are going to chatter, go do it somewhere else. Why are you bothering me here?"
"How about we move together?"
"!"
Nilia was taken aback by Lee Han's suggestion.
It was something she hadn't even considered.
"What's your angle?"
Nilia glared at Lee Han with suspicion and hostility.
She didn't have a good opinion of noble offspring.
It had been the same when she lived in the north.
The nobles who occasionally visited the mountains would grimace arrogantly, muttering things like, "How can people live in a place like this?"
Even when the hunters offered them the best food and the finest bedding, the nobles would complain endlessly—saying the food was tasteless, the beds uncomfortable, or questioning why they were being treated so poorly.
Some of the scouts would even joke, "If we guided them through the mountains and 'accidentally' pushed them off a cliff, no one would know, right?"
Having grown up in such an environment, Nilia had no reason to view students from the Blue Dragon Tower favorably.
"It's disadvantageous to wander around a place this big alone. If a monster shows up, you'd need at least three people."
"Hmph. I don't need it."
Nilia snorted and refused. Unfazed, Lee Han asked,
"Can I ask why?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Depending on your reason for refusing, we can get a sense of what kind of person you are. Hmm. Should I take a guess?"
Lee Han paused to think before continuing.
"You don't think we'd use you as bait or abandon you in danger, do you? That would be a complete insult to our honor."
"…No, that's not it."
Even if she heard such a thing from two noble-born students, no one could just say, "Yeah, that's right."
No matter how much Nilia disliked them, she couldn't bring herself to say that.
"Then maybe you think you're fine on your own?"
"That's exactly—"
"But surely not, right? No matter how skilled you are, you never know what might happen in mountains or forests. Plus, finding the herb isn't the end—you have to carefully harvest it too. Thinking you can do all that alone would be pretty foolish. I don't think you're that kind of person, though. Hmm. I really can't figure out your reason."
"…Shut up. Fine, we'll go together!"
Nilia turned around, huffing in frustration.
Lee Han nodded with satisfaction. Yoner, meanwhile, stared at him in astonishment.
'What in the world do they teach in the Wardanaz family?'
Nilia's steps were light and swift.
The way she took the lead, quickly carving a path and walking, truly resembled a seasoned hunter.
Yoner looked at Lee Han with curiosity and asked,
"She really moves well, but how did you figure it out and decide to talk to her?"
"From what I could see, her leg and calf muscles were well-developed, and there were calluses and rough spots on her hands and fingers. Those come from holding a bow. It's proof only an experienced hunter would have."
"!"
"...!"
Not only Yoner but also Nilia, who was walking ahead, overheard this and felt a chill.
To think he'd guessed her background from something like that.
She had initially dismissed him as just another noble, but this boy named Lee Han had an uncanny aura that couldn't be taken lightly.
It was as if he could see right through people…
"Just kidding. She had a Shadow Patrol emblem hanging from her waist. If she's from there, she'd naturally be good in the mountains."
"…"
Nilia whipped her head around and glared at Lee Han.
Yoner asked with a laugh,
"Were you listening?"
"I wasn't listening!"
"Come on, walk with us. Match our pace."
"Why should I match you when you should be matching me?!"
Lee Han responded to Nilia's retort.
"Because the one here who can identify herbs is Yoner. If Yoner gets exhausted and collapses, it'll be up to the two of us to find them."
"…"
Nilia was once again at a loss for words. But her pride wouldn't let her argue unreasonably.
"Fine. I'll slow down, okay?"
"Oh, as expected of the Shadow Patrol, so reasonable—"
"Are you mocking me?? Huh??"
"It's a compliment."
Perhaps frustrated at constantly being outdone by Lee Han, Nilia redirected her irritation.
"She's supposed to identify the herbs, and I'm the guide. So what's your skill? What's your role?"
'If I say freeloader, she'll get mad, right?'
Lee Han almost said it but held back. There was no need to provoke her unnecessarily.
"I'm the one who drives off wild animals or monsters if they show up."
"…"
Nilia was once again speechless. In mountain treks, the person tasked with fending off monsters was crucial.
From the looks of it, Lee Han seemed to come from a knightly family. He was tall, and his physique was well-toned and disciplined.
'…Wait? Aren't knights from the White Tiger Tower?'
"I don't think I caught it earlier. What did you say your family was?"
"Wardanaz. The Wardanaz family."
"…"
Nilia recoiled with a look of dismay. Lee Han felt a little hurt.
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