Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 78

Professor Mortoom’s tower, his workshop, looked eerie as always.

Lee Han thought, ‘If he wants more students, he should clean up!’ Skeletons leaned against walls, bones scattered on the floor, and boxes of strange potions sat open.

It was no wonder most people stayed away.

Lee Han thought he and Gainando would be the only new students interested in black magic.

Then he stopped.

‘Wait…’

He saw other students near the Black Magic Tower.

Not just one, but two.

“Why are *they* here?” Lee Han asked, surprised.

Gainando looked at him like he was silly.

“Why are you so shocked?”

Lee Han frowned, “Well, why would they be?”

Gainando puffed out his chest a little.

“Professor Mortoom said *I* was special, the only one with real talent for this stuff!”

Lee Han almost rolled his eyes.

He knew Gainando didn’t really like black magic.

Instead of arguing, he said, “Maybe they are just curious, even if they aren’t as good as you.”

Gainando thought for a moment.

“Hmm, maybe you’re right.” He considered being a bit nicer.

Gainando tried to sound friendly. “Hey, everyone…”

The other student snapped, “Don’t even try to be nice, you Blue Dragon Tower bullies!”

Gainando’s face turned red.

He raised his wand, ready to curse the student, but Lee Han quickly held his arm.

“Wait, Gainando. He’s from the White Tiger Tower.”

The other student nodded stiffly.

“That’s right.”

Lee Han noticed a faint golden shimmer in the student’s eyes. *Angel blood,* he thought.

The student continued proudly, “I am Rapardel, and I carry the blood of a noble ancestor.”

*Noble, maybe,* Lee Han thought, *but not very strong blood.* He remembered Tizling, the demon hybrid, whose dark nature was obvious at a glance.

Rapardel’s angel heritage was much fainter, almost hidden.

Only Lee Han’s sharp senses could detect it.

“So, you have noble blood,” Lee Han said, pretending to be thoughtful.

“But you still follow Giselle Moradi’s orders?” Lee Han quickly saw an opportunity.

If he could make Rapardel dislike Giselle, life would be easier for him and Deorgyu.

He knew knights were proud and valued their honor.

This could be useful.

“Don’t get me wrong, *Wodanaz*,” Rapardel said stiffly.

“I, Rapardel Grall, do not take orders from Moradi!”

“Wait, you *don’t* follow Moradi?” Lee Han asked, acting confused.

“Then why are you being so… so… angry?” He pretended to search for the right word.

“Why are you acting like this?”

Rapardel stared at him, shocked.

“Do you even need to ask?”

Gainando leaned in and whispered to Lee Han, “Is it because we got those White Tiger Tower guys sent to detention last time?”

“Just for *that*?” Lee Han asked, surprised.

“Or maybe,” Gainando continued, “because we snuck into their common room and stole their flag?”

“Just for *that*?” Lee Han repeated, even more surprised.

Gainando blinked, confused.

*Wait,* he thought, *aren’t those good reasons to be angry?*

Rapardel’s frown deepened.

“Deorgyu Choi! Don’t pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about! He’s your friend, the one you’re playing with like a toy!”

Lee Han was actually speechless for a moment.

Gainando tried to help.

“No, really, Deorgyu *is* our friend!”

“Friend?” Rapardel scoffed.

“You attacked him with magic, knocked him out cold, and you call him a friend? That’s just pathetic!”

Gainando looked at Lee Han, pleading for help.

Lee Han sighed.

“Look, Deorgyu was worried the White Tiger Tower students would dislike him.

So, he… he tried to act tough, to fit in.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Rapardel looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Lee Han just shrugged.

*Some people just don’t understand,* he thought.

“Wait a minute,” Gainando said, suddenly remembering.

“You’re from the Grall family, right?”

*Grall,* Lee Han thought.

He knew the name.

A famous knight family from the south.

They were known for their angel blood and for being incredibly righteous.

Rapardel’s words made sense now.

“That’s right,” Rapardel confirmed, glaring at them.

“You… *evil* guys.” He clearly thought Lee Han and Gainando were villains.

Lee Han felt a tiny bit bad.

*But it’s mostly the Wodanaz family’s fault,* he thought.

If his family wasn’t known for being crazy, people wouldn’t jump to conclusions like this.

Or so he told himself.

“But why is a Grall learning black magic?” Gainando asked, confused.

“Your family makes paladins! Why are you here?”

Rapardel stood up straighter.

“To learn how to fight black magic users, of course!”

“……” *Professor Mortoom is going to be so sad,* Lee Han thought, hiding a smile.

He was speechless.

Only four students, and one of them *hates* black magic.

“I see. Grall.

I hope you learn black magic and deal with black mages.

I thought you were going to join hands with Giselle of the Moradi family and sneakily aim for my back because you were hostile to me.”

“Don’t you dare treat me, Rapardel, the same as that Moradi bloke!” Rapardel was very displeased.

Lee Han, who manipulated Deorgyu like a puppet, was one thing, but Giselle, who used other White Tiger Tower students like her own limbs, was equally despicable.

“So you’re not going to join hands with Giselle of the Moradi family and aim for my back?”

“Of course not!”

“Not even with that gang?”

“Of course not! What are you even asking!”

“Then that’s all I need to know.” Lee Han walked away as if he had said everything he needed to say.

If he wasn’t going to attack him from behind and wasn’t going to join hands with Giselle, it didn’t matter what he said in front of him.

Rapardel was dumbfounded and just blinked.

He felt like he had been tricked, but he wasn’t sure what he had been tricked into.

Following behind Lee Han, Gainando thought to himself.

‘He’s my friend, but he really seems like an evil archmage…’

Gainando, who had been tricked once by Rapardel, became quite hostile.

He spoke to another student in a voice devoid of any kindness.

“Why did you come to learn black magic?”

Swish-

The student stood up.

Only then did Gainando realize that the other student had been sitting on the floor.

Lee Han was tall, but the other student was so tall that Lee Han had to look up.

He was easily over 2 meters tall.

‘A giant hybrid!’ Overwhelmed, Gainando became extremely polite.

“Y-you may… you may learn it.

I apologize for my rudeness.”

“H-hello.

Nice to meet you all.” The other student was from the Black Tortoise Tower.

He looked around as he greeted them.

“M-my name is Imirg.”

“I’m Lee Han.

This is Gainando.

May I ask why you’re looking around?”

“M-my friends don’t like me hanging out with Blue Dragon Tower students…”

“!” Lee Han was surprised.

‘Well, it’s not that strange.’ Except for the Phoenix Tower, tower students basically stuck together.

It was only natural that Black Tortoise Tower students, who had few nobles or knights, would dislike hanging out with White Tiger Tower students, who were mainly knight families, or Blue Dragon Tower students, who were mainly noble families.

Someone like Nilianna Ratford was an exception…

Still, Lee Han checked just in case.

“It’s not because you think I’m an evil archmage, is it?”

“H-huh? What are you talking about?”

“Never mind.

It’s nothing.” Fortunately, it was because he was a noble that he didn’t like them.

Lee Han was relieved.

“I… I’m interested in black magic, so I came to learn it.

I want to get along with friends who want to learn black magic together.”

“Hmph! That will never happen!” Rapardel, who was behind him, answered strongly.

He had no intention of becoming friends with evil students who wanted to learn black magic.

Imirg looked at Rapardel with a sad expression.

Rapardel flinched.

He seemed a little scared.

“Alright.

Even if not outside, let’s get along well when we’re learning black magic here.” Lee Han held out his hand.

Imirg was a very easy case to get along with.

He had met so many strange blokes at school that he was grateful for this much.

Imirg happily grabbed Lee Han’s hand and shook it up and down.

At that moment, Lee Han had to quickly unleash his magic power to endure.

‘Ugh!’ Lee Han managed his expression so as not to upset Imirg.

It was an enormous force.

“I look forward to working with you too!” Gainando unknowingly held out his hand.

Lee Han tried to stop him, but Gainando grabbed his hand first.

Crack!

Professor Mortoom hummed happily, seeing the increased number of new students.

Lee Han felt sorry for him for no reason.

‘I shouldn’t pity the professor.’ Stockholm syndrome was a very dangerous syndrome.

“Ahem.

Welcome, everyone.

I didn’t know so many students were interested in black magic.

I can look forward to next year.”

“We look forward to working with you!” Professor Mortoom didn’t seem to notice Rapardel’s evil intentions.

He looked at Lee Han and asked.

“Did you find any more bone summons?”

“I haven’t found them yet, but…”

“Ahem.

Go around more gloomy and dark places.” Professor Mortoom winked at Lee Han as if he were giving him a gift.

Of course, it wasn’t very romantic.

‘The summons have escaped and are running around, and he tells me to go around the gloomy and dark places of the school… At that point, it’s practically suicide.’

“Ahem… Everyone must have been waiting for today’s meeting, so we should proceed with the class quickly.

Do you remember what we learned about curses last time?”

“Yes.

Of course.” Rapardel took out paper and a quill and prepared to write down the professor’s words.

Professor Mortoom was pleased.

Of course, from Lee Han’s point of view, knowing Rapardel’s intentions, he could only feel sorry for him.

Is he going to attack the professor first later?

“To be honest, curses were more fun than summoning magic!” Gainando said honestly.

“Today, we’re not going to rush and study curses to improve our understanding… Wait a minute.” Professor Mortoom paused while speaking.

“Did we learn summoning magic this week?”

“Yes.”

“Ahem.

How did the students react?”

“Everyone liked it? Everyone except us went to the workshop to listen to the story.” Lee Han wanted to punch Gainando in the mouth, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

Professor Mortoom said firmly.

“…Instead of curses, I will teach you how to summon undead today.”

“Wow!!” ‘Is this really okay?’

Lee Han became uneasy.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like he had skipped several steps in the curriculum…

“Ahem.

Undead summoning can be said to be the flower of summoning magic.

It is the most beautiful, complex, and elaborate magic…”

“Where do black mages usually get corpses?”

“Good question, student Rapardel.

In the past, they mainly used cemeteries, but they don’t do that these days.

They buy and use licensed corpses.”

“I see… Still, illegal black mages would still frequent cemeteries, right?”

“Wouldn’t they?”

“Thank you.” Rapardel excitedly took notes.

Professor Mortoom tilted his head, feeling a sense of incongruity.

“However, you are not yet ready to… perform a complete undead summoning.

A complete undead can kill a mage if handled incorrectly.”

The case of a clumsy black mage summoning a skeleton warrior who stabs and kills his master was one of the most common black magic accidents.

Gainando, who had almost been killed by a magic quill, nodded.

“I will summon the easiest thing, something that cannot kill you relatively.

Starting with a bone hand.” The students focused on the professor’s words with nervous expressions.

Whoosh!

Bone hands appeared in front of the students.

“First, get to know the bone hand.

At first, it won’t listen to you…”

“…?” For a moment, Lee Han thought the bone summons and the bone hand had been switched.

The bone hand was bowing its head very politely in front of Lee Han.

‘Is this a trap?’