Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 70

“The professor is right.”

“We cannot win if we only retreat because we are afraid. A truly strong knight fights against fear!”

‘These crazy blokes.’

Lee Han shook his head.

Lee Han wished other students were here. He wanted to tell Professor Inguldel to ‘calm down!’ But the White Tiger Tower students never listened to him anyway.

Still, how could they be so eager to fight a released summon?

Shouldn’t they be learning how to avoid it?

Sometimes, Lee Han felt lonely, as if he was the only sane person in this school.

“I have good students.”

Professor Inguldel nodded. He looked happy with the White Tiger Tower students.

He thought maybe some students would be scared. But these students were brave swordsmen. They wanted to face their fears, not run away.

Professor Inguldel’s eyes stopped on Lee Han. Lee Han shouted without thinking.

“That’s a really wonderful idea, Professor!”

“Thank you, everyone.”

Professor Inguldel smiled, happy that even Lee Han shouted that.

He thought it was a good idea. He had thought about it for a long time.

“Now, everyone, gather in groups of three to form a team.”

Fortunately, Professor Inguldel still had some sense. He didn’t tell them to face the monster alone.

But…

‘Oh dear. I’m doomed.’

Lee Han realized he was doomed.

People who have trouble making friends find forming groups like this hard.

Lee Han wasn’t one of them, but the White Tiger Tower students wouldn’t team up with him.

‘I’ll team up with Deruru. Should I force someone else? Can I avoid the professor’s eyes and threaten someone?’

“Professor, can we form teams as we please?”

“No. I’ve made lots, so you can each draw one.”

Professor Inguldel winked at Lee Han.

The professor knew that Lee Han wasn’t close to the other White Tiger Tower students, since he was from the Blue Dragon Tower.

That’s why he was being kind.

‘Professor…’

Lee Han was thankful.

But…

‘…If you’re going to be so kind, why not just give us swordsmanship training instead of catching escaped summons…’

This strange way of being kind was just like the professor.

Lee Han stood in line and drew a lot. The number 4 was on it.

“Anyone got a 4?”

Deruru raised his hand. Lee Han’s face softened. The White Tiger Tower students glared at Lee Han as if they were very worried.

‘He’s not going to use Deruru again, is he?’

“Isn’t there one more person?”

One team has three people.

Someone raised their hand at Lee Han’s words.

It was Giselle from the Moradi family.

“……”

“……”

Not only Deruru and Lee Han, but even the other White Tiger Tower students were surprised.

‘Isn’t this going to turn into a fight?’

Lee Han, from the Wodanaz family, knew all sorts of dark magic secrets even before school.

Giselle, from the Moradi family, was a powerful knight family. She led the White Tiger Tower students with her strong personality.

Also, they didn’t like each other…

But instead of taking out a sword, Giselle smiled mysteriously. Lee Han felt even more worried.

“Shouldn’t we forget the childish mistakes we made and start over?”

“Are you serious, Lee Han?”

Deruru looked at Lee Han like he was crazy.

If you look closely, Giselle started the fight first.

But that didn’t matter in emotional fights.

Lee Han was very good at messing with people.

He would put someone to sleep and hand them over to the skeleton headmaster, lead friends to steal flags at night, and so on.

Deruru wasn’t close to Giselle, but he knew what she was like since they were from the same knight family.

She was proud and would be angry at Lee Han, even if she didn’t show it.

He was very worried.

“Lee Han. When we move together, always put me between you and Moradi. And never turn your back on Moradi.”

“Thanks, Deruru. That’s nice of you.”

“Is everyone teamed up?”

Professor Inguldel asked and then continued.

“There should always be a leader in a party. The person who drew the one with the red paint is the leader. The leader should give instructions. The others should follow the leader’s instructions to fight the monster.”

“……”

Lee Han remembered that there was no red paint on his paper.

“Deruru. Can you say you drew the one with the red paint?”

“…Sorry.”

Lee Han and Deruru looked at Giselle. Giselle shook the paper with the red paint and smiled mysteriously.

“Why don’t you call me boss?”

“Boss.”

“No. You have to add ‘nim’ (honorific title).”

“Boss-nim.”

Giselle’s smile grew at Lee Han’s answer.

“Give good instructions if you don’t want to get stabbed in the back.”

“……”

There was a saying that knights who had seen a white ice storm would no longer be afraid. Deruru was one of them, but the way Lee Han and Giselle were looking at each other was scary.

“So, what kind of summon are we dealing with?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“…?”

” ? ”

The students from White Tiger Tower tilted their heads together. Leihan felt worried.

One student asked, “We’re trying to learn how to deal with unknown summons, but if we know what they are in advance, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”

Professor Inguldel smiled gently and explained, “This is just the first step. We need to start somewhere.”

Most of the White Tiger Tower students nodded, understanding now. “Ah, I see,” some murmured. But Leihan and a few other students who were thinking carefully still looked unsure. Leihan frowned slightly. This still didn’t make much sense.

“From now on, enter the annex building one group at a time,” Professor Inguldel said. “There’s a summoned creature inside, so deal with it and then exit through the opposite door.”

As Professor Inguldel finished speaking, a few of the students cautiously raised questions.

“Professor, it’s likely to be a summon we can’t handle, so we need at least a little information…” one student said.

Another added, “That’s right. Please give us at least a hint on how to deal with it.”

At the students’ words, Professor Inguldel looked worried.

He wondered if this practice was too difficult.

‘Well, the experience of finding ways to deal with it on their own, and some basic information, might be necessary…’ he thought.

Professor Inguldel was acting more normal than the other teachers. Leihan started to feel like this class might be okay, but then other students interrupted.

“Don’t talk like cowards!” one shouted.

Another added, “What will the professor think of us? That we’re weaklings who can’t even do that one thing!”

“No, everyone,” one student said.

“Professor, we’re fine!”

“We don’t need hints or anything. We’ll find a way to deal with it with our hands, feet, and swords.”

‘Isn’t this a magic school?’ Leihan thought to himself.

‘Use magic, you guys! And get hints if possible!’

“You stupid trash, really…” Leihan muttered.

” ? ”

“What? Why?” Leihan asked, turning to Giselle.

Giselle spoke as if to say, ‘What do you want me to do?’

Normally, people consider others’ feelings when managing their expressions and behavior. But there was no need to pretend in front of a Wodanaz guy who knew everything.

“I don’t disagree with you being stupid,” Giselle said.

“You do say things I like to hear sometimes. Listen to my instructions like that too. Then there won’t be any problems,” Giselle warned.

“You seem to be misunderstanding, but I have no complaints if there are no problems with the instructions. Why would I pick a fight for no reason? I don’t like picking fights with others,” Leihan replied.

Giselle and Deorgyu were slightly taken aback.

‘For someone like that, he sure beats people up naturally…’ Deorgyu thought.

“That kind of person betrayed others and handed them over to the headmaster?” Giselle asked, crossing her arms and looking dumbfounded. Her eyes looked like she had drawn her sword several times.

“It wasn’t really betrayal since we weren’t on the same side…” Leihan started to explain.

“Leihan, I’m not sure if I’m good at rhetoric, but I think it’s best if you stop talking,” Deorgyu interrupted.

Deorgyu didn’t particularly like Giselle either, but if he left them alone, one of them, Leihan or Giselle, would collapse before they even fought the monster.

“I was trying to clear up a misunderstanding,” Leihan said.

“No, Leihan. Some misunderstandings can’t be cleared up. And Leihan, you…” Deorgyu began.

Deorgyu was about to say, ‘You have a talent for irritating enemies,’ but stopped himself.

Anyway, Deorgyu was the only one who could stop them in this situation. Deorgyu decided to muster his strength.

‘I’m not good with words, but still…!’

“Think about it, both of you. Even if you don’t like each other, acting recklessly will only hurt both of you. Even if you don’t like it, since it’s a class, you should faithfully complete the given goal…” Deorgyu pleaded.

“That’s obvious, Deorgyu. Don’t worry,” Giselle said.

“Don’t say useless things, Choi. I know that without you saying it,” Leihan added.

The two scolded Deorgyu at the same time. Deorgyu felt unfairly wronged.

The annex building was large, like a giant gymnasium, but colder and less welcoming. Dust motes danced in the faint light from the high windows. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the vast space.

‘The silence is more unnerving,’ Leihan thought.

If he had heard even a scream, he could have guessed something, but the silence continued as if it were blocked by magic, which was even more chilling.

‘What did they put in there?’

“After opening the door and entering, don’t move recklessly and assess the situation first. If the attack starts as soon as you enter, move to the left and right separately… tell that to Choi,” Giselle instructed Deorgyu.

Deorgyu was speechless at Giselle’s childish words.

‘Leihan is right next to me, what am I supposed to tell him?’

‘She wasn’t this childish, Moradi!’

“If it’s dark, I’ll use light magic right away. Don’t be surprised, Leihan,” Giselle said.

“And if you waste magic and get tired, we’ll leave you behind, Leihan,” Deorgyu added.

“Tell Deorgyu that I’m stepping up because I’m the only one who can use light magic,” Giselle said.

“Tell Choi not to brag because I can use light magic too,” Deorgyu retorted.

‘Someone, please save me,’ Deorgyu thought.

Deorgyu had heard all sorts of stories before entering the magic school.

They prepare harsh trials to immerse students in magic, the professor is a troll, knights are clumsy with magic and get ridiculed…

But there was no such situation in any of the stories!

Clang!

The door opened. It wasn’t bright inside; it was dark. Leihan sighed.

‘It’s more frightening that I’m starting to predict the pattern of this school,’ he thought.

The students who thought it would be bright would be embarrassed by the dark interior.

He could imagine what Professor Inguldel was thinking while preparing this darkness.

‘Summons are more likely to roam at night than during the day, so I prepared it for them to be prepared.’

“Let there be light!” Leihan shouted.

Leihan raised his hand, and a sphere of pure white light burst into existence. It wasn’t just bright; it felt like the darkness itself was being pushed back, revealing every corner of the annex. Deorgyu and Giselle had no choice but to acknowledge Leihan’s magical skills.

-■■■■■…

In the center of the room stood a creature unlike anything Leihan had ever seen. It was huge and muscular like a bull, but its skin was pale and almost see-through, like smoke. Its eyes glowed with a cold, blue light, and a low growl rumbled in its chest.

In addition to that, there was even the aura of enhancement magic and potions that could not be felt from an ordinary bull.

For a moment, Professor Uregeoreum’s face flashed through Leihan’s mind.

‘Surely not.’