Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 648

Alsicle wasn’t fooled.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Alsicle waved his wand, summoning the helmet back. He glared at the rude object. “You’re just a helmet! Don’t be rude to a wizard! I’ll freeze you forever!”

“P-Please, help me, Master!” The helmet, no longer arrogant, called out to Ihan.

Unlike the students of Einrogard, wizards from outside the school were hard to predict.

Alsicle was annoyed and wanted to teach the rude helmet a lesson. He created thick ice, trapping it inside.

Then he asked Ihan, “A magical thing like this should be useful, right?”

“Well…” Ihan began, explaining that it was the Helmet of Wisdom. If it were useful, Ihan would use it all the time, even if it was a bit wicked. But this helmet knew little and took too long to answer questions. There was a reason Ihan didn’t use it much; he only took it out during the flood.

Still, Alsicle was interested. He wondered why someone would make a helmet to collect knowledge and what knowledge it held.

“I’m impressed you got something like this.”

“Then why don’t you buy it, Pengaerin?”

“Oh? Really?”

Ihan paused, surprised by Alsicle’s quick response to his joke.

“Are you really going to buy it?”

“If you’re selling, of course, I’ll buy it.”

“This helmet? Even the shops refused to buy it…”

“Well, a normal shop wouldn’t buy it. It’s a wicked artifact. But I’m a wizard. These things are great for research.”

Ihan’s eyes lit up.

He had tried to sell the helmet before, but no one wanted it. He thought, ‘If I can’t sell it to Alsicle now, I’ll be stuck with it forever!’

“Then take it for just one silver coin!”

“What? No way! What are you talking about?” Alsicle was shocked by Ihan’s crazy idea.

Alsicle came from a great noble family. Maybe he didn’t understand money very well. But even so, saying such a thing was too much. If people heard that Alsicle, a senior wizard, had taken an artifact from a junior wizard for only one silver coin, his nickname in the wizard circles and parties in the Empire would be ‘Artifact Thief’ or ‘Cheap Wizard’.

“How can I buy such an artifact for just one silver coin? Absolutely not.”

“Oh, dear.” Ihan pretended to think hard before speaking.

“Then, what would be a reasonable price in Pengaerin’s opinion?”

“These things aren’t paid for with money.” As a senior wizard, buying Ihan’s artifact with money wasn’t the custom. It was better than the rumor of taking it for one silver coin, but he could still get nicknames like ‘The Guy Who Will Drown in Gold’ or ‘The Junior Pressurer’. To show there was no pressure, an exchange was better. Alsicle would give Ihan an artifact worth a bit more than the helmet.

“…I really like gold coins. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Don’t be silly. Honor still matters even if no one is watching. Hmm. What artifacts do I have that would work?” Alsicle ignored Ihan and looked at his list. It was short because he had recently traded several expensive items for gold coins for his magic research. Also, Wodanaaz’s artifacts were powerful. They were scary and strange, but strong.

“Hmm. The staff with Count Jeokryeong’s mark… I don’t need it because I have the Frost Giant King’s gemstone… How did you even get the Frost Giant King’s gemstone?” Alsicle thought, then looked at Ihan, feeling wronged, and asked again.

“There’s a dimensional gate at the school… Didn’t I mention it when Ymidihus was here last time?”

“Did you?” Alsicle tilted his head. He still didn’t clearly remember Ymidihus, Wodanaaz, and Begrek’s visit. He remembered being shocked by Wodanaaz’s talent and crying…

“Pengaerin was going to lend me a staff with a Frost Agon’s egg, but Professor Begrek stopped him, saying that the stone from the Frost Giant King was better.”

“Thanks for reminding me of a memory I wanted to forget.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s your fault? It’s Professor Begrek’s fault.” Alsicle grumbled and looked through his artifacts. Nothing seemed right.

“Pengaerin, take the helmet first and give me something later.”

“No way. Then I’ll become ‘Alsicle the Trickster Wizard’.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” But no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find a good artifact to give Wodanaaz right now.

‘I have no choice.’

Alsicle decided to join some auctions soon. Ihan, confused by Alsicle quickly grabbing a catalog and letter, asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to join an auction. I have to send a letter by tomorrow to join the Crescent Auction.” Some Imperial auctions needed people to be there in person, but others were for people who couldn’t come. Since the Empire was so big, getting everyone together was hard. So, the Crescent Auction sent out a catalog of items, and people sent back their bids by letter before a deadline.

“Crescent Auction!” Ihan and Yoner were surprised.

“Why? Do you want to look at the catalog together?”

“That auction is known for its high prices!”

“Isn’t that a waste?”

“…That’s not the point right now.” Because people couldn’t see each other and had to bid by letter, they always bid higher than they normally would.

Lee Han knew he needed to look at the auction catalogue quickly. If he missed something good, it would be his loss.

But what could he do when in a hurry? Alsicle pushed aside the two bothersome students and opened the catalogue.

Lee Han’s eyes widened as he saw the Crescent Auction catalogue. It was thick and glossy, with gold lettering and pictures of amazing magical objects on the cover. Inside, the pages were filled with colourful illustrations and descriptions.

Lee Han wanted to make a lot of money without spending much. He knew auctions were important for this.

If he found treasures in various ruins or commissions, where else would he sell them?

Some wizards liked to take things apart and study them themselves. But Lee Han didn’t want to waste time doing that.

‘I wonder what’s up for auction.’

“Ooh, can I see too?” Lee Han asked, leaning closer.

Alsicle held up the catalogue slightly. “Fine, look. But don’t you dare start complaining about the prices. I’m trying to concentrate.”

He didn’t want someone complaining about prices while he was looking for good items.

Lee Han pointed at the page. “Two hundred gold coins for a Spadur’s egg? Two HUNDRED? Are you serious?”

Alsicle shrugged, turning the page slightly. “Well, Spadurs have feathers that are, you know, thirteen colours. Quite something to see.”

Lee Han frowned. “But… aren’t they just birds? Useless for magic? Don’t they just… sit there and look pretty?”

“Exactly!” Alsicle said, as if this was obvious. “They’re pretty. Isn’t that enough?”

Lee Han just stared at him, speechless for a moment. He let out a long breath. “Pretty birds,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Two hundred gold coins.”

‘The egg of a bird that’s only pretty costs over two hundred coins!’

It was an unbelievable extravagance in Lee Han’s eyes.

Henagon’s Wand. The wand used by Henagon, a famous wizard from the western part of the Empire, is imbued with the magic he used over a long period of time. Estimated price: fifty Imperial gold coins.

Then he saw a flower, the Rose Natar Blossom. It was described in flowery language, but the price was shocking: thirty-two thousand gold coins!

“Cough.”

Lee Han had never felt like he was under a mental attack, but looking at the auction catalogue gave him a similar experience.

A flower that was only pretty and useless for magic seemed to be more expensive than a fortress.

“I don’t understand why people don’t buy artifacts. They’re much better than those flowers!” Lee Han said, sounding indignant.

This was a matter close to his livelihood, as he was planning to excavate and sell artifacts later.

Why was the difference so extreme!

Alsicle sympathized with Lee Han’s feelings. “Well, artifacts… ordinary people have no use for them…”

People would save money on important magic research, but spend a lot on silly things like flowers.

In Alsicle’s opinion, the money spent on such things should be taken away and given to the wizards.

“Isn’t that robbery?”

“There’s a more wonderful and elegant expression than robbery…”

“Banditry?”

“My mistake. Let’s stop.”

Alsicle changed the subject and turned the page of the catalogue. It wasn’t that there were many items useful to wizards in the first place, but this auction was particularly bad.

‘Hmm. Looking at those things makes me want to sell something too.’

Looking at the expensive items, Lee Han wished he could suddenly become rich too.

Because the things he had were…

‘The Bracelet of Ten Thousand Horses or the Morning Star wouldn’t work, would they? Nor the Behemoth Necklace. Or the wand… Should I sell the silver spoon for detecting poison? Honestly, I don’t think it matters if it can’t detect poison. No, I don’t think I’d get much for it. The design should have been better. Or there should have been a story.’

Lee Han thought about how he could convince people to buy the things he had.

In the midst of this, a pocket watch, old and tarnished, with a web of cracks across its glass face, rolled out from under a pile of papers. Lee Han reached out and grabbed it.

“This is…”

It was unfamiliar, but then he remembered.

It was something he bought when he visited the ‘Glow-in-the-Dark Goblin’s Tangled Treasure Trove’ shop, which dealt with used artifacts, with the great wizard Baldororn.

It wasn’t exactly an artifact. The owner had said so, and Baldororn had agreed.

But…

-It seems you have some silver coins thanks to selling the artifact… Why don’t you buy it? It will be quite difficult to find a pocket watch in such good condition if you miss it once.

-Indeed. If Baldororn says so…

-No, no. I didn’t mean it with such deep meaning!

Now that he thought about it, it seemed like Baldororn’s words had some meaning in them.

Lee Han remembered something. People like the Skull Headmaster and Arsil, who were old and wise, often spoke indirectly, hinting at things instead of saying them plainly.

What if Baldororn’s words were some kind of hint?

‘There’s a good chance that’s the case.’

Lee Han, thinking about the thought that would have made Baldororn flip out if he heard it, began to delicately explore the cracked pocket watch.

Starting with detection magic, he searched for any hidden secrets inside the pocket watch in various ways.

However, there was nothing special about the pocket watch. Lee Han wondered if he was being too sensitive.

‘Should I put some magic power in it?’

Lee Han very carefully poured magic power into the pocket watch.

Checking the internal structure by sending magic power in this way was one of the specialties of enchantment wizards.

Wizards who make and fix magical items need to be able to check inside them without opening them up all the time.

Lee Han started with the disadvantage of having a naturally low amount of magic power, but he also had a sensitive magic detection ability comparable to it.

And a crazy beaver-like professor who bothered him to control the amount of magic power from the side.

Thanks to this, Lee Han was able to send an appropriate amount of magic power. The increasingly complex structure of the pocket watch was clearly felt.

Click!

When Lee Han’s magic power accurately touched the escapement inside the pocket watch, the sound of the second hand stopping clearly echoed in his ears.

And Lee Han felt the surrounding time slow down momentarily.

‘…Time magic?!’