Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 519

Having reached a conclusion, Ethan sent his reply.

Ethan replied, “I’m already hearing it.”

He could not see the other person’s face, but he felt their surprise.

Ethan wrote down the words with determination, “I don’t know where you heard it, but double-check.”

The senior replied, “I understand. I will check.”

The other person ended the conversation quickly, without asking more questions. Ethan thought they must be either cold or distrustful of whoever told them the information.

“Or maybe both,” Ethan thought.

Ethan cautiously asked, “But why do you ask that?”

The senior asked, “Are you asking why I want to know the reason?”

“Ah, blast,” Ethan thought, realizing he had made a mistake.

Since they didn’t know each other, he shouldn’t have asked unnecessary questions.

Ethan realised he needed to fix his mistake. He quickly invented an excuse.

“I’ve been asked the same question recently. Considering the value of the information I’m providing, I think I deserve to know, don’t you?” Ethan said.

The senior replied, “I see.”

Ethan thought, “In a conversation like this, the person who speaks more confidently has the upper hand.”

He took a gamble, and fortunately, the other party didn’t object, seemingly agreeing.

The senior said, “That first-year seems to have a talent for enchantment magic.”

Ethan replied, “I suppose so… if he’s really that good, then maybe.”

The senior said, “If he takes enchantment magic, I plan to have him help with my work next year.”

Ethan stared at the mirror, his jaw dropping slightly. He felt a cold knot form in his stomach.

“Are there only unpleasant people in this school?” he thought, using the common student slang, “blighters”. He wondered if Ainroguard attracted such types, or if the school itself somehow turned ordinary students into them.

“Shouldn’t you feel sorry for a younger student going through that awful festival?” Ethan reasoned internally. “Instead, this senior sees it and thinks, ‘Talented! I can use him for my work.'” He shivered, not from cold, but from a sudden, uncomfortable feeling about the senior wizard on the other side of the mirror.

They were Verus’s disciples for a reason. People with similar personalities often become friends.

Ethan resolved to maintain an emotional distance from the enchantment magic faculty seniors, even next year.

If he got too close, he didn’t know what other work he might have to do.

The person on the other side of the mirror wasn’t surprised that there was no answer for a while.

“Were they surprised by how unconventional it was?” the senior thought.

Perhaps the nameless Black Tortoise Tower student also guessed that he wasn’t a lower-year student.

No matter how hard Ainroguard’s lower-year students tried to hide it, their words would always give them away.

As such, it was only natural to be surprised to hear that a freshman from the Wodanaz family was invited to a senior’s work as soon as they became a sophomore.

That was an enormous privilege.

A student who had just become a sophomore receiving the opportunity to participate in a senior’s personal work!

Any student at Ainroguard would be surprised.

But the person on the other side of the mirror was not an ordinary person bound by common sense and regulations.

He was the most wizard-like wizard, capable of transcending rules as much as necessary.

Seeing some students borrowing the power of freshmen at this festival, the freshmen were qualified enough to be called upon.

While lost in thought, a reply came back to the mirror.

The Black Tortoise Tower student asked, “What if that junior refuses the offer?”

The senior replied, “That’s unlikely. There’s no reason to.”

“Nitpicking,” the senior thought.

The person on the other side of the mirror let out a faint sigh at the Black Tortoise Tower student’s nitpicking.

The person on the mirror thought it was normal for people to be jealous of wizards with great talent.

It was clear that this Black Tortoise Tower student was also showing jealousy towards this enormous privilege.

Any student at Ainroguard would know what it meant to be invited as soon as they became a sophomore.

The Black Tortoise Tower student said, “…I’m telling you out of goodwill. As I said, he’s a junior taking multiple faculties. Another senior might invite him first.”

The person on the other side of the mirror was surprised.

The Black Tortoise Tower student, whom he had frankly underestimated, had pointed out an unexpected aspect.

That was definitely true.

To make excuses, the concept of taking multiple faculties was so unfamiliar that he had missed that part…

The senior replied, “Good point.”

“Isn’t it?” the Black Tortoise Tower student asked.

The senior replied, “I’ll have to negotiate in advance to divide the time.”

He was planning to secure time advantageously by talking to and either convincing or pushing the senior students who would do such a thing.

The senior said, “Thanks to you, it was helpful. I’ll consider this a debt.”

The Black Tortoise Tower student replied, “…Okay…”

For some reason, the other party’s handwriting seemed a bit shaky.

The person on the other side of the mirror wondered if something was wrong.

“I should just stop talking,” Ethan thought.

Ethan let out a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry all his frustration and put down his quill.

The seniors at Ainroguard were definitely as formidable as the professors.

He had ended up getting hurt even more by trying to manipulate them with shallow tricks.

“I should ask for compensation…” Ethan thought.

Ethan asked, “So, what’s the price?”

The senior replied, “Ah. Right. I almost forgot. Open the third bundle of straw in the fourth-floor Star Catcher’s Shed. The professors are preparing for the final exams.”

Ethan, with a bewildered expression, organised the information he had just heard.

“The fourth-floor Star Catcher’s Shed… it’s not impossible to go there,” Ethan thought.

There were times when he had to go to the fourth floor during exams, and even if that wasn’t the case, Ethan had visited the fourth floor a few times.

It wasn’t beyond his capabilities.

But he couldn’t understand the professors preparing for the final exams.

“It’s highly likely to be an entrance connected to another place,” Ethan thought this was the most likely possibility.

Ethan knew professors often used Spiderweb Lake, deep under the main building, as a secret shortcut.

“I should call my friends and check,” Ethan thought.

Ratford put down the chest, dusted off the dust, and sighed.

Imirg, who had shaken down the White Tiger Tower student’s bread with a game of putting dice in a cup and matching the cards, asked with a puzzled expression, “Why… what’s wrong?”

Ratford replied, “Lord Wodanaz was seriously injured.”

Imirg exclaimed, “Wh-what? No way! By whom?”

If Ethan were there, he would have said, “I can get hurt; am I the Skull Headmaster?” but Ratford sympathised with his friend’s reaction.

Ratford said, “Yeah. It’s unbelievable, right? I feel the same. The festival must have been really intense.”

Imirg said, “Th-that can’t be…”

While the two were talking, a White Tiger Tower student who had somehow obtained a bar of chocolate shouted, “Another challenge!! Imirg! This time with a card game! I will definitely find the Queen!”

Imirg replied, “C-can’t you just stop?”

The White Tiger Tower student said, “Ha! Getting scared, are we? But I can’t! What did you Black Tortoise Tower blokes put in the black market rules? You said you’d never run away when challenged!”

Imirg said, “Y-you should probably stop…”

Imirg put down three cards and began shuffling them with a whoosh whoosh.

Students from the Black Tortoise Tower watched Imirge and Ratford, their faces showing they were enjoying the scene.

Imirge was good at gambling. He could make people want to keep playing, even when they were losing. He trapped them in the feeling of ‘Just one more game!’

Ratford watched Imirge shuffling the cards and whispered quietly.

“What I just said is a secret. Wodanaz has many enemies, you see.”

“Wodanaz? What did you say?”

A White Tiger Tower student, who had been concentrating so hard he might as well have been trying to imprint his forehead on the table, lifted his head at the familiar name.

His friends behind him shrieked at the sight.

“What if you fall for his tricks!”

“Ah, no! This is rubbish! You lost!”

While the Black Tortoise Tower and White Tiger Tower students crowded around, arguing, a paper bird flew in from afar.

Ratford quickly grabbed the paper bird.

“‘Could it be that he needs help!?'”

-Ratford. There’s a place on the 4th floor I need you to check out. Can you bring some trustworthy friends?

Ratford knew Wodanaz could be reckless sometimes, especially when he was excited. He briefly considered whether he should gather some trustworthy friends to tie Wodanaz to his bed.

Ratford, Imirge (Salko had something come up and Tutanota sent him instead), Nilia, Asan, Yoner, and Gainando gathered on the 3rd floor.

“Huh? What about Deorgyu?”

“He’s from the White Tiger Tower. We can’t tell him.”

Asan said firmly. “Wodanaz, you’re being too reckless. You need to think about your condition. If the White Tiger Tower guys find out, there’s a 100% chance they’ll attack.”

“It’s not *that* certain,” Wodanaz mumbled.

“Oh yes, it is,” Gainando said, nodding seriously. “Definitely more than 100%.”

Yoner started to say, but Lee Han cut in. “Everyone, be quiet.”

Lee Han tapped the floor with his wand, silencing his friends.

“The place we’re going today isn’t that dangerous, but that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. I doubt any of you want to become lost in the school’s maze for the weekend. Right?”

His friends nodded.

They had barely managed to reach the weekend, and there was no nightmare quite like getting lost in the maze and wasting it.

“Then… to your positions. Let’s go.”

Having raided the school more than once or twice, Lee Han and his friends immediately moved to their assigned positions.

Ratford and Nilia at the very front and very back.

Asan and Imirge next…

“By the way, Imirge, I know you’re here in place of Salko, but are you alright?”

Lee Han was slightly puzzled by Imirge’s presence.

It was easy to misunderstand because he was a giant hybrid, but Imirge was one of the most moderate members of the Black Tortoise Tower.

Imirge didn’t usually like going on secret missions like this.

“I, I received something.”

“From Salko?”

Imirge rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a chick.

Lee Han saw it and nodded as if he understood.

“You’re planning to raise chickens to secure eggs.”

“N-no… I’m just raising it… It’s cute.”

Lee Han was about to say, ‘Cute things don’t fill your stomach,’ but he swallowed his words when he saw Imirge’s fist.

Come to think of it, there was no need to upset a friend like Imirge when he was already weakened.

“I see. Raising it because it’s cute. Logical.”

“?”

Gainando, who was next to him, stared intently at Lee Han.

He was pretty sure he’d been smacked on the back when he said he was going to raise a pet pig in the dormitory lounge…??

“But why did Tutanota send Imirge? He wasn’t the best person for sneaking around.”

“Ah… Ah. It’s because of this.”

Imirge lightly lifted Lee Han and sat him on his shoulder.

“Honestly, this is comfortable. Thanks, Imirge.”

It was a bit unsightly, but it was also true that it was comfortable. Lee Han expressed his gratitude honestly.

“Can’t I get on the other shoulder?”

“Huh? Uh… S-sure, you can.”

Clang!

As Gainando excitedly tried to climb onto the other shoulder, Yoner smacked him on the back of the head with a metal ladle.

“Star Catcher’s Shed… Star Catcher’s Shed… This is it.”

The first-year students carefully climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway.

Even though it was daytime, Einroguard was still scary.

Creak-

“There’s nothing here?”

“Look for the straw. There should be a passage underneath.”

Asan and Gainando created orbs of light and checked their surroundings.

“I found it! There really is an entrance!!”

Lee Han was delighted by the unexpectedly smooth progress of their operation.

“Well done! Let’s go in!”

“If it’s really the final exam…! I might be the top student this year…!”

The friends remained silent instead of pointing out Gainando’s delusion.

They were starting to get tired of pointing it out.

The passage under the straw was long and dark, but it was straight and didn’t have any particular traps.

How long had they been walking?

When he saw the end of the passage, Lee Han sensed that they had found the exit.

“Everyone, check each other’s Invisibility Charms. Are they working properly? Good. Let’s go.”

Creak-

They opened the door and stepped into a jungle. Thick, green plants grew everywhere, their leaves dripping with moisture. The air was hot and smelled of damp earth and strange, sweet flowers. It was nothing like the grounds around Einroguard.

And in the middle of that jungle was…

-That guy. Causing trouble again.

-Try to hold it in until the exam!

…a Hydra. Its many heads, each as big as a dog, rose above the trees, hissing and snapping. Its scales shimmered like wet stone, and its body was so huge it seemed to fill the entire jungle clearing.

Thud!

The friends quickly climbed back down.

Then, they looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

“?”

“????”

Lee Han was just as surprised.

Seeing the Death Knights, it seemed like Headmaster Skeleton’s exam…

‘Isn’t a Hydra a bit much?’

Yoner whispered softly. “Lee Han. Lee Han.”

“What?”

“Th-they said the opponent was preparing for the final exam.”

“That’s right.”

“…But they said the opponent doesn’t know you’re a first-year, right?”

“Ah.”