Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 538

“Music magic?” Professor Volardi asked, his voice calm but his eyebrows raised just a fraction. He looked at Ethan with steady, grey eyes. His face was usually kind, but now it was still and thoughtful. Inside, though, a tiny spark of surprise flickered. *Music magic?* he thought. *Is this what Ethan is spending his time on? Have I not taught him well enough?*

A similar incident had occurred at the Blue Dragon Tower.

“-Gynan! That… what’s that blood! Don’t tell me you’re dabbling in dark arts because we banned card games…?”

Of course, the stuff all over Gynan’s clothes wasn’t blood but jam, but the emotion shown by his friends and Professor Volardi was similar.

“Professor, I can explain,” Ethan said, speaking as quickly as possible.

Just as Gynan had explained that it was jam, not blood, to avoid being dragged to the detention room, Ethan had to explain as quickly as possible to avoid being attacked by Professor Volardi.

“Music magic won’t be of much help.”

“…That’s where the weakness actually was!” Ethan said.

Ethan told the story of what had happened today in as much detail as possible, exaggerating where necessary. The desperation that he might be attacked if he didn’t properly explain the advantages of music magic washed over Ethan.

Ipaduru looked at Ethan with an impressed gaze at the lengthy explanation. ‘To be so interested in music magic…’

The Wodanaz family was known to have little interest in arts like music, but this boy was definitely different. Ipaduru vowed to do his best to help this Wodanaz family boy’s passion for music.

Other famous performers and bards of the Empire would be interested and willing to help if they heard that a boy from the Wodanaz family was so passionate about music.

“…So that’s what happened!”

“I see,” Professor Volardi nodded as if he understood.

‘Is that it?’

“Then why not just learn incantation magic?”

‘It’s not.’ Ethan blamed his arrogant self, who thought it was over just now. The dregs of arrogance that should not have been brought from Einrogaard still remained in his heart.

“Incantation magic, according to the Headmaster, takes this long.” Ethan held up one finger. Professor Volardi said without surprise, “Of course, incantation magic can take nearly a thousand years to master properly.”

“……” Ethan was shocked that a zero had been added. The Skeleton Headmaster was subtly trying to trick Ethan.

“But if you can infuse magic into words, the story changes. Not proper incantation magic, but a simplified form specialized for combat…”

“That’s why I was trying to learn music magic!” Ethan felt a sense of crisis and interrupted Professor Volardi.

“I was trying to overcome the limitations of incantation magic with music magic in my own way!”

“Hmm,” Professor Volardi fell silent.

Ethan was extremely nervous because he couldn’t figure out what the other person was thinking. The baby basilisk in his sleeve hissed. ‘Hold on. You’ll lose.’

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like the baby basilisk would win even if it attacked Professor Volardi. It would be difficult even if it became an adult…

“I still think incantation magic is a better choice, but I won’t stop you from trying.” In Professor Volardi’s opinion, a good teacher was someone who supported their students’ wishes as much as possible.

He was still skeptical about music magic, but he didn’t intend to stop his student from trying. A new magic that the professor himself didn’t know might emerge, mightn’t it?

“Thank you, Professor. I will do my best to repay your faith.”

“I see. Did you rest well outside?”

“Yes, I had a good time.” An ordinary student would have ended it here, but Ethan, being the professional student, added a word.

“But even while I was doing that, the magic I needed to practice kept coming to mind, so I was anxious.”

Ipaduru was impressed again, unaware of Ethan’s true feelings. To think there could be such a diligent genius in the world!

“Was that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

“…?” Ethan felt a sense of foreboding when Professor Volardi checked the time for a moment. When he thought about it, Professor Volardi was not an ordinary professor but a professional one.

“There’s still time until bedtime, so I’ll help you practice.”

“……” Ethan, who had underestimated the professional professor, bit his lip.

“But dinner with Ipaduru…”

“No, no. It’s alright, student Wodanaz. Don’t worry about this old man, and focus on your magic. I’m really grateful just for your help today.”

‘Are all bards bastards?’ Ethan thought he knew why the Wodanaz family didn’t show much interest in music.

Professor Volardi was interested in every school of magic that Ethan learned, but recently he had been most absorbed in the elemental transformation of lightning.

The lightning element was quite unique among the elements, with its uncontrollable destructive power and amorphous form. But conversely, if such a lightning element could be controlled as easily as the water element…

“It would be advantageous in battle,” Professor Volardi said.

As Professor Volardi twirled a lightning spear, the baby basilisk made a whimpering sound. It was clear that it no longer had the confidence to defeat that wizard.

“But Professor, is it really necessary to use the lightning element in a typical one-on-one battle?” Even the water element, which was considered to have relatively low destructive power, could be used destructively with good application.

Just look at Yumidihus, who did all sorts of things with water element magic, from steam explosions to body fluid control.

“Good question. Lightning magic using typical elemental transformation is useful when dealing with powerful wizards,” Professor Volardi explained calmly.

Among wizards, those skilled in defensive magic could block all of Ethan’s water element magic or other projectile magic. In such cases, this close combat was a surprisingly effective strategy.

Moreover, the lightning element was not a common magic, making it even more difficult to prepare for.

‘…Usually, if they can block all that, they’re a few levels above me, so should I even be fighting them?’ Shouldn’t the professors be the ones dealing with that?

Ethan had such questions, but he quietly endured.

“Take this.” The professor held out a heavy silver ingot.

Ethan was surprised by the unexpected gift and exclaimed, “Thank you!! I will cherish it and use it well!”

“…?” Professor Volardi looked at Ethan, wondering what he was talking about.

Ethan was flustered, wondering if he had misunderstood something.

“You have to use it for elemental transformation, so there’s no need to cherish it.”

“Ah.” Ethan understood what the professor meant and became embarrassed.

It was really difficult to purely shape lightning without anything. To think that a wizard had to tame lightning with only their will.

However, pure silver had a solid form and was a relatively lightning-friendly material. Becoming familiar with transforming the shape of lightning-infused silver would help in transforming the shape of lightning itself.

“Thank you. But where did you get this silver?”

“From the Headmaster’s room.”

“……” Ethan didn’t ask if he borrowed it or stole it. It was something he didn’t need to know.

Bzzzt! ‘It hurts!’ Ethan thought as he watched the lightning bounce off the floor. It wasn’t because the magic had failed. The magic practice itself was going well.

It was just that the silver evaporated a little each time it failed.

Crack! The silver, transformed into the shape of a spear, couldn’t withstand the power of the lightning and twisted, then crackled and lost its shape, causing the lightning to scatter and the silver to crumple.

The power of the condensed lightning was so strong that even a slight mistake would cause the solid metal to change uncontrollably. And in the process, it evaporated too…

Professor Volardi spoke to Ethan, who was visibly distressed.

“You’re doing well. You’re maintaining the elemental transformation.”

“Thank you,” Ethan said with a bitter expression, standing up.

Thinking about how much silver would be consumed before this magic was completed made him feel like his heart was already breaking.

As the sky gradually darkened and it was time to go in, Professor Volardi checked his pocket watch and said, “Oh, can we start tomorrow’s lecture a little earlier?”

“How much earlier?”

“About two hours.”

“……” The lecture was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, so starting it two hours earlier was definitely not ‘a little’.

But Ethan was a professional student. ‘Let’s think of it as finishing two hours early.’

“Haha. Of course, it’s possible. But what’s the matter? Is there anything I need to prepare?”

“No. I have to meet the giants.”

“……”

-Human wizard! It’s a human wizard!

-Welcome, welcome!

It was early morning, and as the end of the second semester approached, each day was getting colder. So much so that the cold would seep into your bones unless you cast a spell on your coat.

Ethan breathed out and greeted the giants. “Nice to see you all.”

-Want to see magic. Magic!

“Yes?” Ethan wondered what kind of magic he should use. Wouldn’t Professor Volardi understand if he shot a Water Prison Bullet at him to satisfy the giants?

-That one. That one!

The giant held a thick wooden bowl and tapped it with a spoon. “…It was about cooking.”

Ikurusha, the smartest giant, came out, pushing aside the giants who were gathered with expectant faces.

-Nice to see you all. Professor Begrek. How have you been?

“I’ve been well. Thank you.”

-Professors must be busy as the final exam period is approaching. Do you even have time to come?

“It’s alright.”

“……” Ethan unconsciously tried to say, ‘Professor, I’m your only student,’ but he came to his senses and held back. It would be crazy to badmouth the professor in front of others.

“As the exam is approaching, I want to get closer to the giants. I want to help with the work.”

-As you wish. Actually, when I first heard the professor’s words, I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Ikurusha recalled when he first heard Professor Volardi’s crazy plan, ‘Test the freshmen by borrowing the power of the giants.’ At that time, no matter how he thought about it, it seemed like a slightly crazy idea, so he argued, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to get closer to the giants before taking the test?’

There was no point in pitting young wizards against giants. A great wizard with a title like >Giant Slayer> might appear in the future…

It was difficult for outsiders, especially wizards, to get close to giants in a short period of time, so he was planning to persuade the professor again, using the excuse that the boy couldn’t get close to them.

But the boy from the Wodanaz family got close to the giants faster than he thought. He helped take care of the sheep and studied cooking diligently, succeeding in gaining the giants’ favor.

In fact, the giants even called Ikurusha and asked.

-When is that wizard coming?

-I don’t know.

-Go down and ask.

-I asked, but they said they don’t know.

-Then go down again! Go down again!

It was truly amazing that the giants showed such favor in such a short period of time. Now that things had come to this, Ikurusha had no choice but to acknowledge Professor Volardi’s plan.

He was qualified to compete with the giants, having become so close to them.

-To get so close…

“It’s only natural.” Ikurusha nodded as he watched Ethan being tossed into the air by the giants along with Professor Volardi.

Ethan was being cheered by the giants, unaware that he had dug his own grave.

-Hooray for the wizard! Hooray for the wizard!

-Our friend!

“Haha. It’s all thanks to you all looking favorably upon me. Thank you always.”