Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 583

The trust was gone, and it wasn’t coming back.

The students from White Tiger Tower, being carried on stretchers, looked at Professor Ingardel. Their eyes were like sad puppies who had been promised a treat, but then had it taken away.

Professor Ingardel: “Everyone…” His voice was quiet.

The students looked away, still upset.

Professor Ingardel: “I am truly sorry, everyone. I made a mistake. I didn’t understand how hard this exam would be.”

Lee Han, without thinking, blurted out, “You could say *that* again!” Giselle, standing beside him, gave him a sharp look, like he had lost his mind. Lee Han quickly added, “Sorry, Professor. It’s just… a habit.” He always felt the need to say ‘It’s okay’ when someone in charge apologized, even if it wasn’t okay at all.

A knight, looking surprised, asked, “Slimes? Were you attacked by slimes?”

Another knight frowned. “This many students? It can’t be just slimes.” Shifting Slimes were annoying, yes, and they could cause trouble. But they weren’t strong enough to take down this many students. Surely, even if some were caught off guard, the others would have fought back…

“Ugh… ugh…” An apprentice knight groaned, still on a stretcher.

The first knight’s voice became sharp. “Answer me! Were you attacked by slimes?”

“No,” the apprentice knight said quietly. “We… we weren’t attacked by slimes.”

The knight’s eyebrows shot up. “Not slimes? Then… what was it? Did you run into a giant, perhaps?”

The apprentice knight’s eyes widened. “Giants? In *these* mountains?!”

Another apprentice knight nearby whispered, surprised, “I thought giants were just stories…”

The first knight cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem! Never mind giants for now. If it was some *other* monster, then… well, that’s more understandable.”

The apprentice knight looked around cautiously and stretched out a finger. That finger was pointing at Lee Han.

“We were attacked by Wodanaz…”

The knights were silent, as if they had lost their words. The apprentice knights also read the atmosphere and lowered their heads in shame.

“Explain,” the knight commanded, his voice tight.

The apprentice knights stumbled over their words, trying to explain. “The Shifting Slimes… they changed into Lee Han’s group. They were so clever! They tricked us, lured us away… and then that… that *Wodanaz* tricked us into attacking the real Lee Han!”

“…I see,” the knight said slowly, his face darkening.

“But surely,” another knight interrupted, “not *everyone* fell for the same trick? Why are *all* of you like this?”

The other apprentice knights started to explain, “The Shifting Slimes, disguised as Lee Han’s group…”

“STOP! STOP!” the first knight roared, his face turning red with anger. “Are you telling me… *everyone* was tricked the same way?!” He couldn’t believe it. Maybe one or two falling for it was understandable, but *all* of them? They should have been suspicious! They should have been more careful! Instead, they were just… ashamed.

“No!” the knight yelled. “This was an exam! A competition! How could you trust anyone so easily, even if they seemed like friends? What have you learned from this, really?!”

One apprentice knight sniffled, tears welling up. “But… Wodanaz… he seemed so… so kind. We really thought we could trust him… Sob. I’m so sorry.”

The knights of the White Ash Tree Knights felt a heavy weight in their chests. It wasn’t Professor Ingardel’s exam that was the problem. It was *them*. They had been too relaxed, too sure of themselves.

“I have failed you,” one knight said, his voice low. “I haven’t trained you well enough if you couldn’t even handle a situation like this.”

“Ah, no, it’s not your fault!” an apprentice knight protested weakly. “It’s just… those Einroguard students tricked us first! We couldn’t help it!”

“Quiet!” the knight snapped. “Excuses won’t help you now. When we get back to the training grounds, you’ll understand what real training means!”

While the apprentice knights were being scolded, Professor Ingardel turned back to the students, his face still filled with regret. “Everyone,” he said softly. “I promise you, I will never set such a difficult exam for first-year students again. Thank you all for your hard work, even if it ended like this.”

“No!” a voice suddenly called out.

Professor Ingardel looked up, surprised. Lee Han had turned his head, looking directly at him. *What crazy student would argue with a professor who was clearly feeling bad?* Ingardel thought.

Lee Han said, “Professor, with all due respect, I hope you *will* prepare an exam like this for next year’s first-year students too.”

Suddenly, other students started to agree. “That’s right!” one shouted. “It would be a shame if only *we* got to experience such an amazing exam!”

“It’s not your fault, Professor!” another yelled, through gritted teeth. “We understand your good intentions!” The White Tiger Tower students, still sore and humiliated, were now shouting their support, their faces red with a mix of anger and forced enthusiasm.

“Everyone…!” Professor Ingardel looked touched, though slightly confused.

“Professor!” The students surged forward, surrounding Professor Ingardel in a group hug, patting him on the back and murmuring words of comfort. It was a scene of dramatic reconciliation, though anyone watching closely could see the forced smiles and clenched fists of the students.

Lee Han stared at the scene, his mouth slightly open. *What a bunch of phonies,* he thought, disgusted. *They’re doing this just because they’re angry that *they* were the only ones who got tricked!*

Lee Han thought, stepping into Professor Mortoom’s workshop, the Black Dark Hall. The room was dimly lit, smelling faintly of sulfur and old parchment. Dust motes danced in the weak light filtering through the high, arched windows. He took the exam paper from Professor Mortoom, his brow furrowing.

“Professor?”

“Cough. What is it, Wodanaz?” Professor Mortoom rasped, his voice like dry leaves rustling.

“Uh… is this… all?” Lee Han asked, holding up the single sheet of paper.

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“No, Professor. It’s nothing.” But Lee Han couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. He scanned the lecture room, his eyes darting around, searching for hidden traps or secret monsters. There was nothing. Just desks, chairs, and the dusty shelves lining the walls, filled with strange jars and dusty books.

Gainando, sitting next to him, munched happily on a sandwich, completely oblivious to Lee Han’s tension. He just stared at Lee Han with a blank expression as his friend peered suspiciously under desks and behind bookshelves.

Raphaelle, watching Lee Han’s strange behavior, finally turned to Gainando. “Why is he doing that?” he whispered.

“Huh? Doing what?” Gainando mumbled, his mouth full of sandwich.

“Wodanaz! I mean, Lee Han. Why is he acting like that?”

Gainando shrugged. “Lee Han’s always like that, isn’t he?”

Raphaelle just sighed, shaking his head. *This guy wouldn’t even notice if Wodanaz’s head vanished right in front of him,* he thought in exasperation.

“Cough. Wodanaz. There’s nothing hidden in the lecture room.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Han tried to summon a paper bird to check outside the lecture room. Professor Mortoom sighed and said.

“There’s nothing hidden outside the lecture room either.”

“Ah. I see.”

Lee Han tried to use Ogoni’s Emotion Recognition to figure out Professor Mortoom’s emotional color.

At that sight, Professor Mortoom thought he should just explain it.

“Cough. The last midterm exam was too noisy. So this final exam is going to be simple.”

“…Professor,” Lee Han asked, his voice filled with concern. “Could it be… that the school has run out of reagents? Is that why the exam is so simple?” He remembered what the older students had said. The Black Magic School wasn’t exactly known for its overflowing budget. They had complained about reagent shortages during the last midterm, groaning about having to make do with scraps.

Professor Mortoom coughed again, a little louder this time. “Cough. Did those seniors… did they say anything else about the Black Magic School?” He had a sinking feeling he knew what those immature seniors had been telling the freshmen. *Were they really complaining to the new students, filling their heads with worries about budgets and shortages? Freshmen who should be dreaming of dark magic and forbidden spells!* He still couldn’t believe that one freshman had actually gone to another school to *borrow* reagents last time. It was… embarrassing.

“What are you talking about?”

“That the Black Magic School is in trouble or…”

“Not at all.”

If Professor Mortoom was a master of black magic, Lee Han was a master of student sociability.

The moment the professor asked, he had already grasped the other person’s intention.

Gainando, who was listening next to him, tilted his head.

The seniors definitely said…

“Oh, our school is screwed up like a bi- cough!”

Lee Han kicked Gainando in the side with an invisible posture. Gainando bowed his head forward.

“…Anyway, the Black Magic School isn’t that troubled. Cough. So don’t think unnecessary thoughts and solve it quietly.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Lee Han was slightly relieved at Professor Mortoom’s words.

It seemed that this was really the exam, not some kind of trap.

Of course, this could also be a trick. Lee Han decided to relax moderately, including that possibility.

A great wizard must assume all possibilities.

Choose the creature that lives in the undead realm from the following.

1. Skeleton

2. Quinee

3. Sand Octopus

4. Rock Drake

5. Shadow Wraith

Lee Han thought after receiving the question.

At first glance, it seemed easy, but it was a trick question.

‘A skeleton is not a creature.’

The answer was ‘None of the above.’ Lee Han wrote the answer with a quill and moved on.

Gainando, who was next to him, looked at Lee Han triumphantly and said.

“Lee Han. It’s too easy, isn’t it?”

“Did you read the question properly?”

“Of course!”

‘That guy. I’ll have to check after it’s over.’

Lee Han was thinking of scolding Gainando severely later if he wrote down Skeleton.

How could he be tricked by such childish trick questions?

‘Lee Han, really.’

Gainando was rather angry at Lee Han in his heart.

He should trust his friend if they studied together like that, why would he ask if he read the question properly?

Choose the creature that lives in the undead realm from the following.

3. Sand Octopus

No matter how he thought about it, the only correct answer was Sand Octopus.

“Um… Professor?” After they had all handed in their exam papers, Raphaelle hesitantly raised his hand.

Gainando, still munching on the last bit of his sandwich, stared at Raphaelle, his eyes unfocused.

“Professor,” Raphaelle continued, his voice a little nervous but determined. “I would like to… to be tested on my undead summoning. On what I’ve practiced these last two semesters.”

“Cough!” Professor Mortoom coughed, surprised.

Gainando choked on his sandwich, sputtering. “Are you *insane*?! The exam is *over*!”

Raphaelle frowned slightly. “But… I still need to show you what I can do with summoning. Isn’t that… isn’t that the point of an exam? To show what you’ve learned?”

“You’re talking like Lee Han!” Gainando exclaimed, pointing at Lee Han with a half-eaten sandwich. “Are you both crazy?!”

Lee Han and Imirgue exchanged astonished glances. They were just as surprised as Gainando. They had never expected Raphaelle, of all people, to ask for *more* work. *What is he playing at?* Lee Han wondered.

Professor Mortoom coughed, a knowing look in his eye. “It seems,” he said slowly, “that you have become… attached to your summoned beasts.”

“Ah! No! Not at all!” Raphaelle protested quickly, his cheeks flushing. *Attached to undead? What would his family say? He was a knight, learning black magic to *fight* black magic users, not to become some sentimental necromancer!*

But Professor Mortoom just nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Cough. That is often the way with black magicians who specialize in undead summoning.”

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You see, unlike other summoned creatures, the undead are… difficult. They are unruly, stubborn, always testing your control. They barely listen to orders, and they are constantly looking for a chance to break free, to turn on their summoner.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “But,” he continued, his voice gaining a hint of passion, “if you can endure that struggle, if you can master them, then… then you will find yourself wielding undead power as easily as your own limbs. The sense of mastery, the sheer *pride*… it is unlike anything you can experience with other summons.”

‘Is that so?’ Lee Han thought, listening to Professor Mortoom’s words. He felt a little puzzled. He didn’t really understand this “pride” Professor Mortoom was talking about. Undead were certainly troublesome, picky, and often smelled faintly of decay. But summoning them didn’t exactly fill him with a sense of accomplishment. More like… mild annoyance.

‘This one is thinking too much again,’ Professor Mortoom thought, glancing at Lee Han and clicking his tongue softly. Well, it was hardly surprising that Wodanaz wouldn’t understand. He was already too skilled, too comfortable with the undead. He had skipped the struggle, the difficult part.

“It seems,” Professor Mortoom continued, “that you have had… an awakening recently. Cough. Very well. We have a little time left. Let us take a brief look at your undead summoning skills, then.”

Gainando let out a strangled yell, but Professor Mortoom ignored him, already gesturing for Raphaelle to step forward.

“Why are you doing this?!” Gainando wailed, grabbing Raphaelle by the collar and shaking him gently. “You *hated* black magic! Remember the old you! Come back to the dark side, Raphaelle! The side that *hates* black magic!”

Raphaelle shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. “…I still don’t like it very much,” he mumbled weakly.

“You’re lying! You’re completely lying!” Gainando shrieked. “How can you say you don’t like it when you’ve prepared so much?!”

While Gainando was still dramatically pleading with Raphaelle, Lee Han quietly raised his staff, ready to go first. *A dark elemental skeleton warrior would be perfect,* he thought, a small smile playing on his lips. It was the undead summon he could control best, the one he had practiced with the most. He had even managed to teach it a few dance steps recently. A skeleton dancer. That would definitely impress Professor Mortoom. A perfect score was surely within reach…

“Cough. Wodanaz,” Professor Mortoom said suddenly, turning to Lee Han.

“Yes, Professor?” Lee Han asked, lowering his staff slightly.

“You,” Professor Mortoom said, his gaze steady. “You don’t need to show me.”

Lee Han blinked, surprised. “…”