Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 534

I was sorry, but this was unavoidable.

How could I have known that the Skull Headmaster would call me Yihan?

“The Headmaster took Wodanaise!”

“Blast! Have we been found out!?”

“Why is he chasing us like that?”

“He must be upset that I’m leaving.”

“Of course. He’s probably upset that the bloke who cooks his meals is disappearing.”

Yihan felt a slight sting at the Skull Headmaster’s sarcastic remark.

“The friendship between me and my friends isn’t like that.”

“Then who’s going to cook the meals?”

“I do, but I get paid for it…”

“I imagine so. For your information, my servants also work for money. They probably get paid more than you get from your friends.”

Yihan resolved to help Ipadur research music magic as actively as possible.

What couldn’t he do if he could turn the Skull Headmaster’s world upside down?

The Philone Village temple choir was taken aback by Ipadur’s visit. They had only gained a bit of fame around the village, so it was only natural that they were meeting one of the most famous bards in the Empire in person.

“W-w-we’re honored, Master Ipadur! W-who is this person?”

“This is Lord Gonadaltes.”

The choir members immediately panicked and prostrated themselves on the floor. They had occasionally seen floating skeletons, but this was the first time they had seen one in human form. Who would have thought that the Headmaster of Einrogaard would visit like this?

Yihan, puzzled by the people’s reaction, asked,

“Did you do something here?”

“Of course not. They’re just scared by ridiculous rumors.”

“Still, there must be a reason.”

“Indeed. The bloodline of the Wodanaise family, who are rumored to practice dark magic and have strange rituals.”

The choir members, who were about to get up, prostrated themselves on the floor again upon hearing the name of the Wodanaise family. Even a little thought would reveal that it was a ridiculous rumor, but the reputation of the Wodanaise family had the power to make people believe even such nonsense.

Yihan stared at the Skull Headmaster in disbelief.

‘Is this bloke for real?’

He knew that the Skull Headmaster was in a bad mood because he had to come out with Ipadur because of music magic, but that was something to take out on the nameless seniors who were interested in music magic and petitioned for it, not on Yihan.

“Alright, get up. I need your help today.”

The Skull Headmaster raised the choir members.

“W-what can we do for you?”

“Of course, you can’t do anything… No. As you well know, the sacred songs you sing sometimes contain divine power.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. When we all sing together, divine power spreads far and wide.”

“…Don’t start lying from the beginning. It wasn’t that much. And it’s sometimes. Not always.”

The Skull Headmaster suppressed his annoyance and spoke to the choir members. He disliked discussing mysterious things with non-wizards because of this. Unlike the records, they remembered things in their own way, which made the task even harder.

Ipadur opened his mouth to defend the choir.

“Isn’t it true that the emotions of singing a song are different yesterday, today, and tomorrow? I believe in your songs.”

“Master Ipadur…!”

The choir members teared up at the encouragement of the Empire’s greatest bard, who understood their hearts. Of course, the Skull Headmaster clicked his tongue as if he was displeased.

“That’s right. Magic isn’t just cast with the head, but also with a passionately throbbing heart. Isn’t singing the same?”

“????”

The Skull Headmaster stared at Yihan with shocked eyes at Yihan’s sudden words. It was a similar shock to when a Death Knight said, ‘Now that I think about it, I think I’ve accumulated too much killing, Master. I’m going to put down my sword and live.’ What nonsense is a bloke who’s learned so much talking about?

“Indeed…! Wizard. The wizard knows!”

“A wizard who stopped by the village a while ago insulted us for lying after listening to our song!”

The village choir members huffed and puffed as if they had a lot pent up. From a wizard’s point of view, it was frustrating to come looking for them because they were producing a magic-like effect with their songs, but only get reactions like, ‘It’s not working well today’ or ‘That’s strange, why isn’t it working?’ but from the singers’ point of view, it couldn’t be helped. What could they do if they were doing their best to sing but the effect wasn’t coming out?

“Well… if you’re okay with it, would you let me listen and record it directly?”

“We’re honored, Bard!”

The choir members stood in their respective positions at Ipadur’s words and cleared their throats.

“Ah, ah, ah. We will cut off the heads of our enemies and use them as fertilizer! We will give the blood of our enemies as water for the furrows…”

‘Isn’t the lyrics too violent?’ Yihan thought so, but Ipadur and the Skull Headmaster didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics.

“There’s none. No effect.”

“Yes. It’s a shame. I think it’s because we’re nervous.”

“Weak. It’s too weak.”

The Skull Headmaster clicked his tongue again as if lamenting. In the Skull Headmaster’s view, music magic had a structurally fatal weakness. That was the fact that the power of magic was too weak. The instability of primitive magic, which was influenced by emotions and feelings, was a disadvantage, but it was a disadvantage that could be overcome somehow. However, it was difficult to overcome the fact that the power of magic was weak.

Look at divine magic right now. Even if it was an irrational method, the power could be guaranteed to some extent as long as the caster drew out and offered their own vitality and magic power. But music magic didn’t draw out and offer vitality or magic power in that way. In music magic, the lyrics replaced the spell, and the melody replaced the action or magic structure… There was nothing to replace the necessary magic power. It was only natural since they didn’t offer vitality or magic power like other magic.

Then where does that power come from? They simply drew and used the power of the weak magic power flowing in nature. It didn’t burden the caster personally, but in this case, the power of magic naturally became extremely weak. If the surrounding magic power weakened even a little, the music magic itself couldn’t be cast.

In the Skull Headmaster’s view, the reason why the choir was showing even a little bit of a similar case to music magic was because they were singing together. When many people sang together, there was a high possibility that even insufficient power would gather and amplify, and sometimes a musician who was really caught up in emotions could instinctively squeeze out their magic power.

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to listen a few more times…”

“Do as you please. Until you’re satisfied, or until their throats are all hoarse.”

The Skull Headmaster gestured for Ipadur to do as he pleased, as if he had already lost interest. He was already annoyed at the thought of the students who were immersed in music magic this year not being able to achieve results and whining. Why do young students always mistake that they are different from their seniors?

Of course, challenge is the duty of a wizard, but if you’re not smart, you should take on challenges that you can do… The Skull Headmaster sighed deeply. He was so tragic and pitiful that he had to support Einrogaard’s budget for his disciples to try it out, even though he knew it was a stupid thing to do. Could there be anyone more pitiful than him in the Empire?

“Can I sing with you too?”

“Oh… I think that’s a good idea.”

“No… hey.”

The Skull Headmaster, who was full of self-pity, came to his senses at Yihan’s words. And he called Yihan and whispered softly.

“Are you doing this because I compared your salary to my servants earlier?”

“What are you talking about, Headmaster?”

Yihan was slightly surprised, but he pretended not to know. Of course, he also wanted to scratch the Skull Headmaster’s temper, but more than that, he wanted to build rapport with the villagers since he had come out for once. If the choir members thought, ‘Oh, that boy from the Wodanaise family is so sincere and passionate,’ wouldn’t it increase the possibility that they would hide him when he came to the village later?

“…Do as you please. More than that, why is a bloke from the Wodanaise family interested in singing?”

Ipadur was puzzled by the Skull Headmaster’s words.

“Lords originally like to sing…”

“That’s right. Ordinary lords would. The Wodanaise family… No. Never mind. Just sing. I hope you stand out on your own because you can’t sing.”

Despite the Skull Headmaster’s curse, Ipadur and the choir members welcomed Yihan very much.

“You don’t have to worry too much. It’s not a very difficult song, and we’ll match it together.”

“I didn’t know that an Einrogaard student would be interested in our choir!”

“I’ve always liked singing. I’ve always heard about the Philone Village choir, but I was so sad that I didn’t have a chance to go out.”

“Oh…!”

“Oh oh…!!!”

Yihan’s words accurately pierced the hearts of the choir members like a dagger. In the eyes of the choir members, Yihan looked like a commendable prospective choir member who might be joining soon.

“Which of the songs we sang do you like the most…”

“Ah. I have something to ask about the song we sang earlier.”

Yihan quickly got to the point so that the choir members couldn’t say anything else. The most important thing in a place like this was to sing hard rather than to sing well. If he just showed that he was working hard, the choir members would be commendable enough.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Yihan recalled the undead minions that the Skull Headmaster was using and raised his animosity. And he started singing with the choir members.

“We will cut off the heads of our enemies and use them as fertilizer, we will give the blood of our enemies as water for the furrows…”

Oooooooom—

Ipadur was startled by the sensation of goosebumps on his skin. Not only that, but people who were passing by and listening also stopped and turned their heads without realizing it. Unconsciously giving magical power to everyone who listened. It was a unique effect of music magic that ignored the law that the effect of magic weakened as the distance increased and the necessary magic power increased rapidly.

“Did you see that? It’s really amazing!”

“No… this is crazy.”

The Skull Headmaster was dumbfounded. Ipadur was excited and recording the sheet music with his own hands, but the Skull Headmaster was looking beyond that.

The Wodanaise bloke was not only scattering magic power around to increase the magic power concentration, but he was also unconsciously putting magic power into the melody he was singing and combining it with the melodies of other people to resonate the power. Even if he placed several powerful magic power amplification artifacts around him, he couldn’t produce that much effect. It was absurd.

Putting magic power into the words themselves was the beginning of language magic, and it was naturally a high-level magic that only those who specialized in language magic among the upper grades could do. To show that with a trivial magic like music magic.

‘What the hell is he doing?’

“Is there a problem?”

“That Wodanaise bloke is amplifying the magic. Since you know quite a bit about hardness magic, let me explain it simply…”

The Skull Headmaster explained, drawing a simple picture on the floor. He was scattering magic power around to increase the concentration, and if that wasn’t enough, he was unconsciously putting magic power into his voice to amplify the power of other people’s songs.

The old turtle beastman bard asked because he didn’t understand.

“Why are you scattering magic power around? Isn’t it bad for your health?”

“…That’s what I’m saying.”