Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1

Lee Han was tired of school. He had just finished graduate school, which was very hard work. “I will never go back to school again!” he said to himself. All he wanted to do was relax, play games, and eat good food. But then, someone asked him, “What is your goal in life?”

Lee Han answered honestly, “To play and eat for the rest of my life!” The person replied, “Yes, you are talented. You should go to Einrogard Magic School!” Lee Han was shocked. “Einrogard Magic School?” he asked, surprised. He thought, “I will never go back to school!” This is the start of Lee Han’s new life. He was determined to live for himself, away from books and studying. Lee Han was Korean, and he really meant it. He would stay far away from any place with the word ‘school’ in its name.

But life is full of surprises. Just when Lee Han thought he was free from school, something unexpected happened. He died in an accident. When he opened his eyes again, he was a baby! He was reborn into a different world, in the Wardanaz family. The Wardanaz family was a famous family of wizards. Fifteen years passed quickly. Now, it was the day Lee Han had to go to Einrogard, the most famous magic school in the whole empire.

Lee Han thought about his new life. At first, he was very confused. Then, he was amazed. Finally, he got used to it. Luckily, the Wardanaz family was very rich and powerful. His father was the head of the family and was even friends with the Emperor! Their house was huge and beautiful, filled with expensive things. Lee Han thought, “Maybe I am being rewarded for all that hard work in graduate school? Maybe this life will be easy. I can just relax, play, and eat.”

But he was wrong. Life in the Wardanaz family was not as simple as he imagined.

“Lee Han Wardanaz,” his father said, looking at him seriously.

“Yes, Father,” Lee Han replied.

“What is your goal in life?” his father asked.

Lee Han paused. *Could I really say I just want to play and eat?* he wondered. He thought it might not be the best answer.

“Did I ask a silly question?” his father asked, raising an eyebrow. “You must have a goal.”

“Yes,” Lee Han said, a little unsure.

“You must know the rules of our family,” his father continued. “You must know your own talent.”

“Talent?” Lee Han repeated, confused.

“Yes,” his father said firmly. “The oldest son gets everything in the family.”

“Everything?” Lee Han asked, shocked. *Does that mean the rest of us get nothing?* he thought. “Father,” he asked carefully, “Does that mean I won’t get anything?”

“No, Lee Han,” his father said.

*That’s good,* Lee Han thought, feeling relieved.

“The family will give you every chance to succeed,” his father explained. “If you want to be a knight, we will find the best teacher for you. If you want to be a government official, you can learn from the Prime Minister himself. If you want to be a merchant, you can work with the best merchant in the empire. As long as you are part of this family, we will give you any opportunity you want!”

*Can’t you just give me money instead?* Lee Han thought to himself. All those opportunities sounded expensive! The family rules seemed unfair. *If only I was born first,* he grumbled in his mind. *I could be living a very easy life.* Lee Han regretted being born as the third son. In this family, the first son got everything. The others had to make their own way in the world.

Because of these family rules, Lee Han had to think hard about his future from a young age. Should he become a government official? A merchant? A knight? An adventurer? Luckily, even though he wouldn’t inherit land or money, the family would support him in whatever he chose. The children of the family could learn anything they wanted. Finally, Lee Han decided to become a wizard.

“I knew it!” his father said, looking very pleased. “You must have felt your magic talent too?”

*Talent? Not really,* Lee Han thought. *I chose wizard because it seems like a safe job.* Wizards were respected by everyone in the empire. Even nobles were proud to be wizards. If you were a good wizard, everyone wanted you. Knights needed wizards for battles, adventurers needed wizards for quests, and even the Emperor needed wizards in his court.

“Go to Einrogard,” his father said. “Grow and learn with many other young wizards. That experience will make you strong.” Einrogard was the best magic school in the empire. It was very old and very powerful. Just getting into Einrogard and graduating was a guarantee of a good future. Of course, most students wanted to do more than just graduate. They wanted to be the best in their class, get special letters from professors, and make friends with important people. Einrogard was not just a school; it was the best place to make connections in the empire. Even though Lee Han hated the idea of school after graduate school, he knew he had to go to Einrogard. He had no choice.

“Yes, Father, I will go,” Lee Han said.

*Okay, just get through it,* he thought. *Graduate, and then I can do what I want. Think of it as an investment in my future.*

When they arrived at Einrogard, an old knight named Alarron bowed politely to Lee Han. “Lee Han Wardanaz,” Alarron said.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Sir Alarron,” Lee Han replied.

“It was my pleasure,” Alarron said. Alarron was a knight who worked for the Wardanaz family. He didn’t have to come all the way to Einrogard with Lee Han, but he wanted to. He was friends with Lee Han.

“I didn’t think you would come just because I learned swords from you,” Lee Han said.

“I came because I wanted to make sure everyone knows you are from the Wardanaz family,” Alarron said sternly. “I won’t let anyone disrespect our family name.”

“Okay, okay,” Lee Han said, smiling. He knew Alarron was just pretending to be strict. Alarron was a serious man, but he was also kind. He came because he was worried about Lee Han. When Lee Han smiled, Alarron coughed a little.

“Ahem,” Alarron said, looking away. “To be honest, I was happy when you asked me to teach you swordsmanship.” The Wardanaz family were wizards. Not many people in the family wanted to learn swords. But Lee Han had wanted to learn for two reasons. First, he thought it might be useful someday. Swordsmanship could be good for self-defense. Second… he was very bored. Surprisingly, the Wardanaz family didn’t teach him any magic before he turned fifteen. “Magic is too dangerous for young children,” they said. In this world, fifteen was considered the age when people became adults. Magic was seen as the hardest and most dangerous thing to learn. Lee Han understood why they waited until he was older, but it felt unfair to him since he was already an adult in his mind.

“Look,” Alarron said, pointing. “Other noble children have brought many people with them, to show off their family’s importance.”

“That’s… a lot, isn’t it?” Lee Han said, staring. He was amazed to see so many carriages blocking the main road. Some families had brought ten carriages and many soldiers on horses! It seemed like nobles always tried to show off who was richer and more powerful, even when they were just going to school. Bringing so many people for a child going to school seemed ridiculous.

“But wait,” Lee Han said, remembering something. “You can’t bring escorts or servants into Einrogard, right?”

“That’s correct,” Alarron said.

“No servants, no slaves, nothing?” Lee Han asked to be sure.

“Yes,” Alarron confirmed. “Einrogard is a very old and traditional magic school. One of their rules is equality. Everyone, from princes to former slaves, can enter. But when you enter Einrogard, you can only bring yourself and the clothes you are wearing.”

Even though many people came with them, only the students could go inside the magic school. The others had to stay outside.

“Maybe some of them will wait in the villages nearby,” someone said.

Lee Han frowned slightly. “Villages? They go that far?”

Even after fifteen years in this world, Lee Han still didn’t understand everything about how nobles thought. He knew students might stay inside the huge magic school for a whole month at a time, but he was surprised that families would buy houses in villages just to wait.

“I heard some families buy buildings in those villages just for this,” another person explained. “There are even buildings specifically sold for families who are waiting for their children at the school.”

“I don’t need a mansion just to visit the school!” Lee Han said, surprised.

“But… we already bought a small mansion, young master,” Kyung said, looking a little confused.

Lee Han was silent.

*A mansion? For this?* he thought angrily. *If they have so much money, why not just give it to me later?*

He thought it was silly to waste money on fancy houses, but his family would never give him money directly. Their rules were so strange!

“The capital is far away, Lee Han,” Kyung explained. “A noble family must be ready for anything.”

“Okay, okay,” Lee Han said. “That makes sense, I guess.” He still thought it was a waste of money.

Lee Han climbed onto his horse. Around him, other noble students were waiting in their fancy carriages to enter the school. Lee Han thought it would be much faster to just ride his horse through the main gate.

*If I wait for all these carriages, the sun will be down before I even get inside,* he thought.

“Well then, Kyung, thank you again for bringing me,” Lee Han said.

“It was my honor to serve you, young master Lee Han,” Alar Rong replied sincerely.

Alar Rong truly liked Lee Han more than any other member of the family. He saw that Lee Han was honest and respectful.

“The head of the family also said you have great talent, young master,” Alar Rong added.

“You don’t need to say things just to make me feel good,” Lee Han said, though he was secretly pleased. “Anyway, thank you.”

“No, really, it’s true…” Alar Rong insisted.

Einrogard Magic School was far away from the capital city and the Emperor’s palace. People said the school was built here because this place was full of magic.

Looking around, Lee Han could believe it. The land felt wild and powerful. Behind the school rose a massive mountain range, its peaks disappearing into the clouds. Beside it flowed a wide, winding river, sparkling in the sunlight.

Lee Han closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could almost feel the magic in the air, like a gentle hum or a warm breeze on his skin. It was everywhere.

“This… this is wrong!” a voice cried out.

Lee Han turned, surprised. Next to him stood a boy who looked very upset.

Lee Han could tell right away that the boy was from a rich and important family. His clothes were made of fine silk, embroidered with gold thread. His hands and face were smooth and pale, showing he had never done any hard work.

*Should I get help?* Lee Han wondered. The boy looked like he was in real trouble. His face was pale, and he was shaking. *Maybe it’s something magical?*

“What’s wrong?” Lee Han asked, concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I… I…” the boy stammered.

“Yes? What is it?” Lee Han asked gently.

“If I don’t have a servant…” the boy whispered, his eyes wide with fear, “…I can’t sleep!”

Lee Han almost hit him but stopped.

*This little…*

It was such a trivial reason that he felt sorry for worrying until just now.

However, it seemed to be a very serious problem for the boy.

“It’s crazy not to let us bring servants!” the boy exclaimed. “Servants are like my hands and feet! It’s like asking me to come here without my arms and legs!”

“Sure, makes sense,” Lee Han said, not really paying attention.

But Lee Han’s casual agreement seemed to give the boy confidence.

“Right? I have to protest!” the boy declared.

“Protest what?” Lee Han asked, now a little more interested.

“They have to let me bring a servant! I’ll risk my family’s honor to fight this unfair rule!”

“Okay. Good luck with that,” Lee Han said, hiding a smile.

He didn’t think a rule that was thousands of years old would change for one spoiled boy, but he was curious to see what would happen. *How will the wizards here react?* he wondered.

The boy puffed out his chest and marched off. He returned a few minutes later, his face blank and empty.

“?” Lee Han raised an eyebrow.

“I repent… I repent… I repent…” the boy mumbled over and over, his eyes staring straight ahead.

*Mental magic!* Lee Han realized with a jolt.

Seeing the boy like this, clearly not in his right mind and just repeating words, it was obvious he had been hit by some kind of magic that controls minds.

The magic itself wasn’t new to Lee Han. He knew about mind-control magic.

But he was surprised that the wizards here would use it so easily, even on children from important families.

*…The rumor that they bury students who die in the mountains behind the school… surely that’s not really true,* he thought, feeling a chill.

Lee Han started to feel uneasy, remembering all the scary stories he had heard about Einrogard.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in everyone’s minds. *Welcome, everyone, to Einrogard.*

It wasn’t a shout, but it was clear and strong, as if the words were forming inside their own heads.

**BOOM!**

At the same moment, the huge main gate of Einrogard swung open with a loud crash.

*Get in here, you idiots!* the voice boomed in their minds.

All the new students frowned.

It wasn’t because of the rude words.

Because they all had some magic ability, they could feel the powerful magic around Einrogard. It felt like trying to stare directly at the sun. It felt like trying to fight a giant with your bare hands. It was overwhelming.

*Neigh!*

A horse screamed.

Someone was trying to bring a carriage through the gate, even though they weren’t supposed to.

*And I told you to come with nothing!* the voice boomed again in their minds.

Suddenly, the carriage vanished. A girl from a noble family, who had been sitting inside, fell to the ground with a shriek.

More than ten carriages disappeared at once. Screams and shouts filled the air.

*Don’t worry, you idiots!* the voice said. *Even if you don’t want to follow the rules, this school will make you!*

Lee Han was silent, his face serious.

Some of the other smart students, like Lee Han, also looked determined. They were starting to understand that this school was even more dangerous than the rumors said.

*Move it!* the voice yelled in their minds. *Enter! Enter!! Enter!!!!*

The students hesitated for a moment, then started to move towards the open gate.

Lee Han took a deep breath and urged his horse forward.

Lee Han had always liked to watch people and things. This habit became even stronger since he came to this new world. Everything around him was new and fascinating, so watching was always interesting.

Now, he looked around at the crowd of students. There must have been over a hundred boys and girls gathered in the schoolyard. They wore all kinds of clothes. Some were dressed in rich robes of royalty and nobles, others in the armor of knights, the simple clothes of priests, the practical outfits of merchants and adventurers, and even the rags of beggars.

Already, the students were starting to gather in small groups, talking and laughing. Lee Han knew that making friends would be important in this school. He watched as some students confidently walked up to others and introduced themselves, while others stood awkwardly alone, looking nervous.

“Lee Han of the Wodanaz family?” a girl asked.

“That’s right,” Lee Han replied. “You recognized me even without a family crest.”

Here at Einrogard, everyone was supposed to be equal, so students weren’t allowed to wear family crests on their clothes. But of course, people still knew who was who.

Lee Han recognized a few royal family members and nobles himself.

“I’m Yoner. Yoner Maykin,” the girl said, smiling.

She had bright red hair that curled around her shoulders and soft, kind eyes.

*The Maykin family,* Lee Han thought. They were another famous wizard family in the Empire. But unlike the Wodanaz family, who focused on their own research and magic and didn’t get involved in politics, the Maykin family was known to be close to the Emperor.

The head of the Wodanaz family, Lee Han knew, often locked himself away for years to study magic, ignoring even requests from the Emperor.

“Nice to meet you, Yoner,” Lee Han said. “What can I do for you?”

“His Highness the Prince would like to speak with you,” Yoner said, gesturing behind her.

Lee Han looked and saw a boy standing a little apart from the others. He was wearing the most magnificent clothes Lee Han had ever seen, made of rich blue velvet and sparkling with jewels. The Prince. He was waving at Lee Han to come over.