Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 409

Professor Lightning Steps stopped shaking his head. “Wait,” he said, a strange feeling growing inside him. “That potion…”

The potion smelled of royal mint. It was an old-fashioned smell. Long ago, people used royal mint potions to keep away Quineae monsters. But now, Quineae are used to these smells. They don’t work well anymore.

“Waaaargh!!”

He had just thought this when suddenly, a student was lifted into the air!

The Quineae, delighted that someone had entered the racetrack, rushed over and wrapped its massive trunk around him.

It was just a playful act for the monster, but for the student, it was pure terror. It was like an invisible rope held the student. He screamed as the Quineae tossed him up and down.

“Wodanaz! Wodanaz! The repellent potion isn’t working!”

Bartrec, a White Tiger Tower student, shouted from outside.

As he came from a family renowned for alchemy, Bartrec was often called upon for any alchemical needs within the White Tiger Tower.

“Repellent potions just make enemies a little uncomfortable, so they might stay away. But if you get too close, they might ignore the potion and attack anyway!”

“You should’ve, urgh, told me that, sooner…”

“Throw another potion!”

“Is it pointless to throw it now?”

The black liquid potion, meant to locate the Quineae, was useless in this situation.

The gleeful monster swung the White Tiger Tower student around, drenching him in saliva, before finally setting him down.

“Ugh… ugh…”

“Everyone needs to be careful.”

The confident expressions of the students, who had been so sure of themselves with their prepared potions, were now replaced with tension.

Bartrec sighed and addressed Lee Han and Yoner.

“Everyone takes alchemy too lightly. Making potions is important, but knowing how to use them properly is just as crucial. I went to the trouble of making them for you two, and you can’t even use them right.”

“…Right.”

“How… unfortunate.”

Bartrec didn’t see the quiet looks on Lee Han and Yoner’s faces.

-Isn’t the effect too weak? I was sure the Quineae would retreat just from the smell?

-Did I make a mistake while making it?

-I checked from the side, and it didn’t seem like there were any mistakes. It’s pointless to look for mistakes now… there’s only one thing we can do now.

-What do we do?

-Let’s pretend we don’t know anything.

-…?!

Surprisingly, it worked.

After that, the next students were much more careful.

They sprayed the black liquid potion to locate the approaching Quineae, sprinted across the racetrack, and dodged down the slopes…

As a result, the Quineae, while chasing, became confused and made mistakes. The students who saw this erupted in cheers.

“It seems to be working! It definitely seems to be working! Did the Quineae just make a mistake??”

“That’s how you use the repellent potion!”

“Wodanaz really knows how to make things.”

“???”

Professor Lightning Steps was marking papers. He was confused by Bartrec’s praise.

That has nothing to do with the repellent potion?

‘Wodanaz is selling fake potions that don’t even work…!’

“…Wodanaz. Enter.”

Lee Han cautiously entered the racetrack.

Having realized that the repellent potion didn’t work, Lee Han was naturally tense.

‘Locate it by sound, and spray the black liquid potion when it gets close.’

The Quineae was docile but loved to play. Even though its turning speed was a bit slow, once it picked up speed, it was hard to avoid in a straight line.

In other words, it was advantageous to prevent it from gaining speed.

If so…

‘Intimidate it as much as possible.’

He couldn’t attack directly.

If he angered the gentle monster, he might end up being rammed and sent flying.

He only needed to make it feel threatened enough to hesitate.

Whoosh-

When Lee Han summoned flames, Professor Lightning Steps chuckled.

Seeing Wodanaz make a mistake made him think that the boy was human after all.

‘The Quineae isn’t very afraid of flames. Wodanaz.’

Lee Han, having summoned flames, focused his mind on the direction from which the Quineae was approaching.

-Don’t come closer.

Intense thought.

Lee Han didn’t realize it, but with his concentration and thoughts, his magic was naturally transforming into pressure and being emitted.

The aura or pressure that the imperial swordsmen spoke of, the very thing that Headmaster Skull showed to the incoming students.

Of course, it was far from comparable to Headmaster Skull’s experienced and skilled pressure, but it was unbelievable that a mere first-year student was emitting such a thing.

‘Is that even possible!?’

Professor Lightning Steps was so surprised that he almost dropped the pen he was holding.

This wasn’t just about being clever or knowing magic theory.

He had to change the magic itself, almost like it became a feeling, not just magic. This kind of skill is usually better for fighters who have lots of real experience, not just wizards.

But how could Wodanaz…

‘Ah. Now that I think about it, it might be possible for Wodanaz.’

Professor Lightning Steps was still amazed, but he thought back and started to understand.

Of course, it was an unbelievably fast pace, but what Wodanaz was currently hearing and doing wasn’t exactly normal either.

Slowly-

The Quineae, feeling the pressure, began to back away.

Not all monsters were sensitive to magic.

Some sensed even the undisplayed magic like spirits and showed wariness, while others couldn’t sense magic at all.

The Quineae, if classified, was a dull creature belonging to the latter.

However, even this Quineae could feel the blatant pressure being emitted.

“It’s… it’s backing away!”

Bartrec puffed out his chest, pointing at Lee Han. “See that? *That’s* how a real potion user does it! Wodanaz actually knows what he’s doing. Unlike some people…” He glanced pointedly at the students who had failed earlier. “That’s what a *properly* used potion looks like, you lot!”

Professor Lightning Steps clicked his tongue and recorded 6 out of 5 points on the paper.

Lee Han Wodanaz (6/5)

Next time, bring a tougher one (pay attention to security. Absolutely without Wodanaz knowing)

Headmaster Skull’s lectures always felt tense and new.

Even though the lecture hadn’t started yet, the students were gripping their wands with grim faces, without even a casual chat.

They looked ready to fight even if the door burst open and undead monsters rushed in.

Greetings, you iron-heads.

“Greetings, Headmaster.”

The skull, floating in the air, continued speaking with an indifferent gaze.

Let’s start today’s lecture. Repeat after me. I will not attack guests from outside and steal their pockets.

“…???”

“?????”

What is he doing? Am I being too nice in my lectures?

“Uh… I will not attack guests from outside and…”

“Steal their pockets?”

The students shouted with bewildered faces. Headmaster Skull yawned and said.

Again.

“I will not attack guests from outside and steal their pockets!”

“I will…”

Good. Now, use your wands to move the quills and write that down. It’s good for both magic training and a lesson, isn’t it?

Low curses flowed out from various places.

They could have just written by hand. But instead, they had to use their magic to move the quills, which wasted their energy.

Of course, Lee Han raised his wand without any particular emotion. He had already been overworked since the first semester.

“Headmaster. Why do we have to write this?”

Gainando grumbled and asked.

The White Tiger Tower students looked at him with respectful gazes.

The prince, Gainando, could be rude and not think things through. He even made fun of knights, calling them sweaty and uneducated. But sometimes, he showed he could be brave.

He’s fearless!

Why do you have to write it? To engrave it in your hearts.

“It’s just common sense that you shouldn’t attack guests from outside and steal their pockets.”

Yes. That’s right. I thought so too. Until your seniors did it.

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence lingered among the students.

Headmaster Skull, who had seized the atmosphere with a single word, slowly continued his explanation.

Don’t be too upset. The younger students will have to write that they will never break the rules of the dorm.

“Oh dear.”

Lee Han felt sorry for them.

But he didn’t feel guilty.

It wasn’t Lee Han’s fault that the juniors didn’t come in early.

Now. Write it again. Once you’ve written that, the next one is this: >If I really have no choice but to attack a guest and steal their pocket, I will disguise myself well so as not to get caught.>

“……”

One of the White Tiger Tower students couldn’t help but ask.

“Isn’t this something only Wodanaz needs to write?”

“Are those shameless bastards for real?”

The Blue Dragon Tower students were furious at the malicious slander.

“Have you forgotten that you guys are always ganging up to attack Wodanaz?”

“Those attack enthusiasts! Those guys will be joining the attack club when they’re in their second year!”

The White Tiger Tower students didn’t back down easily either.

“Wodanaz has attacked us more than we’ve attacked him.”

“If we join the attack club, Wodanaz will be joining the robbery club, right?”

‘Were the White Tiger Tower students always this good at arguing?’

Headmaster Skull was amazed.

Usually, White Tiger Tower students were better at fighting than talking. But because of Wodanaz, some of them had become surprisingly good at speaking.

Stop arguing, everyone. And Wodanaz, you don’t need to write this sentence.

“Huh?? Why is that?”

The White Tiger Tower student asked with a mix of disappointment and injustice.

Is it because Wodanaz is his favorite student?

Wodanaz already knows how to hide himself well after attacking and stealing. We don’t need to remind him.

“……”

“……”

The White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han with expressions of apology for a moment.

Lee Han answered with a straight face.

“That’s malicious slander.”

After the lecture, Headmaster Skull briefly called Lee Han.

Are you going to attack?

“…No.”

Not now, but do you have any plans?

“No.”

Do you think you’ll never feel greed even when you see the guests coming in?

“I’m an Einroguard student, so why would I attack guests who come to the school?”

Headmaster Skull didn’t even hear Lee Han’s complaint.

Strange… first-year students usually don’t have much money or supplies. Why is he so relaxed?

“Living with what you have is also a way. It’s better than attacking guests.”

But that wasn’t true!

Lee Han was planning to go out this weekend and get all the supplies he needed.

He had a reason to be confident!

You ignored me when I said that in the first semester, right?

Headmaster Skull asked as if he couldn’t understand.

You’re the one who said, ‘My friends are me, and I am my friends. Friendship is everything!’ It almost made me sick when I told you to leave your friends and just take care of yourself…

“…I didn’t answer that way.”

Close enough. Anyway, I get it. I’ll see later if any wizards complain about stolen pockets… Have you done anything with those bones yet?

“Bones, you say?”

Lee Han tilted his head and recalled Professor Mortum’s lecture.

It seemed the headmaster knew about his undead magic and bone explosion spells.

“I’m practicing bone explosion magic.”

…No. Not that.

“Not that… is there more?”

……

Headmaster Skull looked at Lee Han as if he were crazy.

The special bones you got from the palace. You haven’t forgotten about those, have you?

“Ah.”

Lee Han finally remembered the bones he had snatched from the Ghoul King.

“I was too busy.”

What’s keeping you so busy? All students are busy.

“Haha.”

Should I kill him?