Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 47

Professor Thunderfoot frowned, tapping his quill against his teeth. He suddenly remembered something Professor Garcia had told him earlier.

“Student Leehan has a lot of magical power,” Garcia had said.

Thunderfoot leaned forward, his eyebrows raised. “Did you really say that, Garcia? Leehan has *how much* magical power?”

“Draw a large circle with both arms.”

“Wow. That’s quite a level.”

“As much as that was taken away?”

Thunderfoot understood instantly. He had heard that Leehan had as much untamed magic as a wild beast, but he didn’t know it would be this depleted. If even a strong magic potion couldn’t help Leehan recover, his magic power must be incredibly low, almost dangerously so.

Leehan looked down at his empty potion bottle, shame burning in his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Professor,” he mumbled.

Professor Thunderfoot waved his hand dismissively. “No, it’s okay. Anyway, you did a good job. I’ll give you a compliment. Here! Here is a student who made the potion perfectly.”

“Wodanaz…!” someone whispered.

“Is it the Wodanaz family after all?” another student murmured.

Rather than being surprised by Leehan’s appearance, the other students reacted with comments like, ‘If it’s Wodanaz, it’s certain,’ and ‘If he’s such a genius, it’s not surprising.’

Yes, Leehan Wodanaz, from the famous Wodanaz family of alchemists. It’s no surprise he’s so talented.

Leehan was slightly embarrassed by the whispering reactions. ‘What is it? Why is there so much hype?’

Leehan was evaluating himself coolly. He didn’t think of himself as a genius. He had just spent a lot of time in the lab and was more familiar with student life than others. But he was a little embarrassed to be treated like a genius. ‘When did this happen?’

Asan, a cheerful boy with messy brown hair, exclaimed, “As expected, Wodanaz! You’re a genius.”

Asan was transferring the slightly blurry blue potion into a flask. Asan’s potion was a decent blue, but next to Leehan’s, it looked cloudy and less potent.

“Wow, Leehan, seriously amazing!” Asan continued. “Even Siana from Phoenix Tower made a good one, but yours is definitely better. Look!”

Leehan turned his gaze and saw a snake beastman student wearing a priest’s robe holding a fairly clear blue potion.

‘The Fremen Order?’ Leehan quickly recognized it because Yoner had explained it to him.

The Fremen Order, a religious order that worships alchemy. Of course, the priests of the Order were all excellent alchemists. As such, it was natural that a student named Siana made an excellent potion.

Siana glided smoothly towards Leehan and Asan and held out her hand. “You’re from the Wodanaz family, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Siana.”

“Nice to meet you. Feel free to speak comfortably. I’m Leehan,” Leehan said, taking her hand and shaking it. It was cold and cool, perhaps because she was a snake beastman.

“I didn’t expect to meet such an excellent alchemist. Did you learn it from the Wodanaz family?” Siana asked.

Professor Thunderfoot cleared his throat loudly, cutting her off. “Hey. Stop talking now.” Before he knew it, the professor was back in front of the lecture hall.

“Alright, students! You’ve all attempted the Low-Grade Magic Recovery Potion. Some of you have surprised yourselves, and some… well, let’s just say there’s room for improvement! But don’t get too proud or too down. This is just a tiny taste of the vast, sometimes bewildering, world of alchemy that awaits you.”

‘Professors are certainly talented at destroying students’ motivation,’ Leehan thought.

“I’ll give you an assignment by next week. Make a Low-Grade Spirit Affinity Potion. It would be a good idea to pay attention because I will be testing what you have made yourself.”

The students scribbled notes with their quills. Fortunately, Professor Thunderfoot told them how to make the Low-Grade Spirit Affinity Potion. He didn’t say things like, ‘You should research and find out how to make it’ to the freshmen.

The students, who could not find the ingredients in the shelves and drawers, asked with puzzled expressions, “Professor. There is no Spirit Evolution Herb here now… Where is it? Is it upstairs?”

Thunderfoot asked with the same puzzled expression. “What are you talking about? You have to find it.”

“Ah. Is that so? We’ll look for it.”

At Thunderfoot’s words, the students stood up to search around. “No. No. Not here.”

“?”

“Over there,” Thunderfoot said, pointing out the window.

The lush mountain range behind the main building greeted the students.

“…”

“You have to go and find it. I believe everyone remembers what I said during the first lecture.”

The students’ faces were distorted with despair and anger. Their eyes widened in horror, some groaning audibly.

Leehan stared out at the mountain range, a sense of dread creeping into his stomach. It seemed Professor Thunderfoot’s harsh assignment was just the beginning. Thunderfoot was not the only professor who showed their real, difficult side.

The professors at the magic school gave out a crazy amount of assignments for each lecture, as if they were competing to see who could give out the most assignments.

-Take these books and read them, and find at least five logical flaws in the books.

A student raised their hand hesitantly. “Professor… there aren’t enough books here for everyone to share, are there?”

Professor [Professor’s name] scoffed. “Share? These books are for *one* person. And if you think there aren’t enough… try lifting them.”

Their eyes widened in disbelief as they saw not just a dozen, but what looked like *stacks* of books appear.

-Professor. It’s hard to carry this…

-Don’t worry. I’ve cast a weight-lightening spell for you. Take the books quickly.

Basic Imperial Language and Logic lecture that made some White Tiger Tower students seriously sob.

-This is a magic circle design document that I submitted to the Empire when I was young. Look at this design document and calculate how much the total cost would have been. You don’t need to get the exact answer. But I will punish the lower-ranked students who write the furthest answer from the correct answer.

Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic lecture that made Asan, who was from a family of imperial ministers, mess up his hair and despair.

You must love and harmonize with each other. What? You don’t like it? Your intentions don’t matter. You must love and harmonize with each other. In that sense, I will give you an assignment. Students from each tower must bring the flag hanging in the freshmen lounge of the tower that I designate by the next class. It is a flag with a pattern engraved on it.

Even Basic Magic Personality Education, where it is questionable whether they are teaching character education or starting a fight.

The students’ faces became haggard each time a lecture ended.

“How do we get the White Tiger Tower guys’ flag?” one student groaned.

“Why do we have to deal with the White Tiger Tower guys? Those guys can’t be persuaded,” another complained.

Moreover, the Blue Dragon Tower students’ target was the White Tiger Tower. If it had been the Black Tortoise Tower or the Phoenix Tower, they could have borrowed the flag through persuasion and conversation. But considering the bad relationship with the White Tiger Tower, they would definitely laugh if they asked to borrow it.

“The White Tiger Tower guys are also targeting our flag. Should we try to exchange it?”

“How can we trust those guys? Have you seen those guys doing dirty tricks? They are barbarians who don’t know anything about honor.”

“I asked earlier, but they said they would never do that.”

“Hey. Let’s stop. Let’s stop. It’s a waste of time.”

The Blue Dragon Tower students lamented and whispered.

You can only be motivated if you can do the assignments moderately, but if there is no answer like this, you just give up. Why did we end up with the White Tiger Tower!

Leehan clenched his fists. ‘This is ridiculous,’ he thought. ‘Giving up already? That’s not how you become a great alchemist.’

Life at this magic school was always chaotic. You never knew what strange lesson you’d have next, or what mark you might receive.

He couldn’t give up already.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it only affected his own score. But Lee Han was connected to him, so Lee Han’s score would also go down.

“Hold on! Don’t give up yet, everyone!”

“!”

“Wodanaz!”

“Wait, you have an idea?”

“Of course I do! I knew you’d come up with something, Wodanaz!”

Quickly, the other students went from surprise to believing in him.

Lee Han was dumbfounded by the sight of his gullible friends.

“What kind of method are you thinking of, Wodanaz?”

“Wait. I think I know.”

Then, Asan spoke with a confident smile.

“What is it, Dalcard?”

“You’re thinking of sneaking into the White Tiger Tower without anyone knowing. I bet that’s it!”

“Ooh!”

“Indeed! I’ll join you!”

“Me too! Let’s give those White Tiger Tower guys a taste of their own medicine!”

“Wait, what are you all talking about?”

“Instead of Wodanaz begging and pleading with the White Tiger Tower guys, he’s suggesting we go into the White Tiger Tower and get the flag?”

“I really like that!”

In an instant, the Blue Dragon Tower students made a plan. Then they called Lee Han.

“Wodanaz! You lead us.”

“You’re the only one who can lead us, you came up with this plan from beginning to end!”

……

Lee Han started to speak, but then stopped. Arguing with them was too much trouble.

‘Well, I have to go into the White Tiger Tower anyway.’

Even if Lee Han was a White Tiger Tower student, he didn’t think they would give up the flag.

They were all going to get punished together because of what happened with Lee Han…

From the start, the only way was to use force.

“Alright, alright, I understand.”

“Wodanaz! Wodanaz!”

“White Tiger Tower guys, wait! We’re coming!”

‘Is this really helpful for character education?’

Lee Han wondered if the headmaster’s lecture really helped to develop the right character.

Wasn’t it just deepening the emotional rift between them the more they did it?

Later that evening, after the excitement of the plan had settled, Lee Han went to find Tiziling for dinner.

Lee Han called Tiziling and fed her dinner with the same wicked trick as before.

Tiziling, who was sipping her soup, felt Lee Han’s gaze mixed with a sense of accomplishment and wondered why.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lee Han chuckled. “Oh, it’s nothing really.”

Tiziling wondered if the boy was so happy because he had cleverly talked her into eating dinner.

‘It must be my imagination.’

He was a boy from the honorable Wodanaz family.

The reason he was coming to feed her dinner like this was because of his sense of honor, that he had to keep the promise he made to the priest and as a member of a great noble family.

Surely, someone like him wouldn’t smile like a villain over something so small.

“I see you here, House Wodanaz. I was just looking for you.”

“!”

Siana of the Fleming Order, whom he had met in alchemy class, greeted Lee Han.

Not only Siana, but other tower students were gathered together.

“What’s going on?”

“You know we all have to make a potion for alchemy class, right? It’s the ‘Potion of Lesser Spirit Affinity’. There’s a limit to what we can do on our own. I was wondering if we could all work together to gather the ingredients.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Lee Han was delighted.

He had thought about working together before. But the other students from his tower were afraid of him.

‘Damn it. Are they listening to me because of the priest’s robes? I have priest’s robes too.’

“Then, would you gather the Blue Dragon Tower students and come? Let’s gather the ingredients together.”

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

After finishing the conversation, Lee Han saw Siana off.

The students next to Siana muttered as they stepped back, ‘We’re alive,’ ‘Did you see his eyes? I thought my heart would stop,’ ‘But he was more friendly than I thought.’

Lee Han knew it, but he felt unfairly accused.

When he returned to his seat, Tiziling tilted her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… about Priestess Siana of the Flemming Order.”

“Yeah. I’m taking alchemy class with her.”

“…It’s nothing.”

Tiziling tried to say something but shut her mouth.

There are two ways to frustrate people, one is to start talking and then stop…

‘Textbook example of creating curiosity.’

Of course, Lee Han knew how picky the priests were.

Maybe she stopped talking because she thought it was wrong to gossip about someone who wasn’t there.

But Lee Han didn’t care about whether it was gossip or not.

‘Who cares? I’m curious.’

Lee Han decided to persuade her indirectly instead of head-on.

He took out the Prayer Cross of the Fressinga Order and placed it on the rock in front of him.

“??”

Tiziling tilted her head, not understanding.

“It’s bad to speak ill of someone who isn’t here, but it’s okay to confide in God when you’re praying alone.”

“…Are you really going to try to pull the wool over my eyes like that…?”

“Hmm? Did you say something? Sorry, I can’t hear you, I’m in deep prayer.”

……

“I almost died last time because the White Tiger Tower students ambushed me, so if Priestess Siana, who will be going into the mountains with me this time, is the kind of person who would plot such a scheme, I might really die. But God will take care of me.”

……

Tiziling sighed and got up from her seat.

Then she knelt down next to Lee Han and bowed her head as if praying to the cross.

“Fressinga,” Tiziling began, kneeling. “I don’t want to say bad things about anyone who isn’t here…”

“Thank you.”

“Hmm? Did you say something? Sorry, I can’t hear you, because I’m praying.”

……

Tiziling also had a bit of a grudge.