Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 674

“Professor?”

At Lee Han’s call, Professor Bendojol, with tears of blood streaming down his face, said,

“The unicorn’s wounds haven’t fully healed yet. Don’t make it use its power.”

“Understood.”

Following the professor’s words, Lee Han didn’t resist and followed the unicorn as it led the way.

The fully grown unicorn was gentler than expected. Maybe it was because it was injured, because Professor Bendojol was there, or because Lee Han seemed a bit intimidating. Whatever the reason, it didn’t act up and guided him.

“!”

The unicorn led him to a small pond. Clouds gathered above the mountain peak, and the pond glowed with a unique color and magical power.

“This is…”

“Unicorns have the power to change the place they stay to suit themselves,” Professor Bendojol explained. “You could consider it another world.”

Just as the Frost Giant King had changed the surrounding area into his icy domain when he arrived, the unicorn had a similar ability.

Only then did Lee Han realize who had summoned the mist around the mountain peak.

It wasn’t Professor Bendojol’s magic, but the unicorn’s ability.

“Scoop up the water from that pond and take care of the unicorn,” Professor Bendojol instructed. “Since it’s a pond created by the unicorn, it will help heal its wounds.”

“Is it because of this place that the unicorn stays in the Bitter Mountain Range?” Lee Han asked.

“Yes. Creating a new world like this takes a lot of energy. It’s dangerous for a unicorn that hasn’t healed yet and is also taking care of its young to create a new nest elsewhere.”

“Indeed…”

“Hmph! So you’re not a complete fool.”

Professor Bendojol healed the burst blood vessels in his eyes.

He was envious and jealous, but he was also smart. There was a reason why Professor Lightning Steps kept him around.

Splash, splash-

Lee Han slowly scooped up water from the pond and splashed it on the unicorn. The unicorn lowered its head as if to say thank you.

At that moment, the dozing basilisk woke up inside Lee Han’s sleeve and saw the unicorn.

-……

The basilisk stared at Lee Han from inside the sleeve with betrayed eyes. But Lee Han couldn’t see it because it was inside his sleeve.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!

“?”

Suddenly, the basilisk started hitting Lee Han’s wrist with its tail. Lee Han was puzzled and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmph! You want the love of the basilisk and the love of the unicorn too? Do you think the world will let you get away with that?” Professor Bendojol twisted his face and cursed Lee Han.

He seemed to want to see Lee Han bitten by the basilisk and rejected by the unicorn, even though Lee Han was his student.

Lee Han ignored the professor and spoke to the baby basilisk.

“I can’t help it. You see it’s hurt, right? I’ll make you something delicious next time, so be patient. Good. Good. Oh my. You’re nicer than Phone Ring.”

“……”

When the basilisk was happy and closed its eyes again, Professor Bendojol was shocked.

That… That guy dares to trick the innocent basilisk with silly words!?

“To, toying with the basilisk… toying with the heart of the innocent basilisk…! You…! How dare you…!”

“Professor, is it true that the flower garden behind this pond has medicinal herbs?” Lee Han asked.

“That’s right! After you wash the unicorn with water, use the medicinal herbs to make medicine for it,” Professor Bendojol answered, even though he was angry.

Taking care of the unicorn was the most important thing.

“Do you know alchemy?”

“I know a little.”

“What about Dobruk’s Soul Return Potion?”

“I’ve helped make it before.”

In fact, Dobruk’s Soul Return Potion was too difficult for someone at Lee Han’s level to make.

It was an extremely difficult potion for the lower grades at Einrogaard to handle.

However, Lee Han had helped Yoane, Yoner’s sister, make the Soul Return Potion.

Professor Bendojol looked impressed when Lee Han said he had helped make the Soul Return Potion.

“Does your family know about alchemy?”

“Well… a little…”

“Knowing that makes things easier. It’s a potion with almost the same idea. Come here!”

Professor Bendojol put down the pot, lit the fire, and began to prepare the potion.

Then the unicorn made a soft cry. It was hot because there was a fire nearby.

The professor jumped up and apologized.

“I’m sorry! How could I make such a mistake! Some noisy and annoying guys are coming!”

“Can’t you just tell it to be patient?”

“You… you… can’t you be quiet!” Professor Bendojol looked at Lee Han like he was the worst person in the Empire.

There was a limit to how rude someone could be. How could he say such a thing?

“Watch the fire carefully. After boiling it for 30 minutes, turn it off and rest for a while.”

“Why stop?”

“Because I have to prepare the Drapilla.”

Drapilla was a plant with liquid inside its roots. Preparing it and taking out the liquid was harder than expected.

If you tried to do it with force, the roots would break and the liquids would mix. So, Professor Bendojol had to do it himself.

“I can prepare it too, but…”

“Ha! If you prepare it well, I promise in the name of the unicorn that I will teach you while crawling on all fours!”

* * *

“What should I do next?”

“Wait a moment. I can’t see,” Professor Bendojol said, raising his head and groaning. He was lying on all fours in front of the pot.

“Wouldn’t it be better to stand up since you’re okay?”

“Hey, do you think the promise I made in the name of the unicorn is a joke?!”

‘Does he just like crawling on all fours?’ Lee Han wondered.

Professor Bendojol didn’t know he was being doubted and told him what to do next.

“Now we just have to wait. Your preparation skills are great. Ugh.”

“Thank you.”

“But I don’t remember seeing you… Did you take the riding training course?”

“Well, I came in last year, so you haven’t seen me.”

“……”

Professor Bendojol dropped the coffee cup from his mouth.

“…Are you saying you’re going into the second grade now???”

“Yes. Didn’t Professor Lightning Steps tell you?”

Didn’t he say he was bringing a freshman to help solve this problem?

“I think he did… I don’t usually listen to what he says.”

“……”

“Amazing. You were a freshman.”

“Thank you.”

“For someone like that to be loved by the griffin and the basilisk. Damn it. The world is so unfair…”

“……”

Lee Han wanted to say, ‘It’s not like I asked for it,’ but he stopped himself.

He remembered the professor trying to throw dirt at him.

“Good! I recognize your skills. You need to stop tricking innocent beasts with clever lies, but…”

“I didn’t lie.”

“…You have the basics to take care of animals.”

“!”

Lee Han was more worried than happy when Professor Bendojol suddenly praised him.

The professor’s praise had more disadvantages than advantages.

Especially from someone like Professor Bendojol.

‘What crazy thing is he going to make me do?’

“No. I’m not good enough.”

“I said you have the basics.”

“I said no. You’re wrong.”

“…Are you the professor? Am I the professor!” Professor Bendojol growled, exploding with anger.

The student in front of him didn’t know, but Professor Bendojol didn’t usually praise students easily.

Even upperclassmen.

Taking care of animals needed real dedication, not just magic.

Normally, he would have watched the boy work for years before praising him, to see if he was really serious.

But since the griffin and basilisk loved him, and the unicorn liked him too, he knew he didn’t need to test him…

How dare this rude guy say no!

“I’m not good enough.”

“I said you are!”

“I’m not.”

“…Fine! Whatever! Do what you want!” Professor Bendojol stomped his feet and turned his head. He wasn’t scary because he was crawling on all fours.

After a moment of silence, Professor Bendojol spoke again.

“Brush the unicorn’s fur.”

“Yes.”

Annoyance was annoyance, but the unicorn liked that guy, and it seemed comfortable when he took care of it.

“Be careful when brushing its fur!”

“Yes. I’ll be careful not to lose a single strand.”

Unicorn fur was a rare and expensive ingredient, so you had to pick it up if it fell out.

Professor Bendojol looked like he was going crazy at Lee Han’s answer.

“You mule! I’m telling you to brush the unicorn gently so it doesn’t hurt!!”

“Ah. Yes. I’ll keep that in mind too.”

The unicorn relaxed and let Lee Han touch it.

Professor Bendojol sighed in relief when Lee Han took good care of the unicorn. The unicorn really seemed to like it.

Plop-

The unicorn rubbed its head against Lee Han’s palm and left something there.

It was a very small piece of horn.

“!!”

Lee Han was very surprised.

But Professor Bendojol was even more surprised.

Professor Bendojol desperately tried to stop the unicorn from being tricked by the rude student.

“Don’t be fooled by that guy! He just sees you as money!”

‘No. How did you know?’ Lee Han thought.

He had been wondering how much the unicorn’s fur or horn was worth.

Rumble!

At that moment, a sound like thunder echoed from the sky. Professor Bendojol stood up and said seriously,

“It’s him!”

“What…”

“I’m talking about the Do-cheol! He’s coming this way. What is Professor Lightning Steps doing!” Professor Bendojol waved his wand, panting.

Then, a dark shadow spinning beyond the mist came into view.

“Is that the Do-cheol?”

“Yes. He can turn into a shadow and slip through magic.”

Monsters were running up from below the mountain, as if being chased by something.

Lee Han realized that Do-cheol had driven the monsters up the mountain.

‘…They’ll be able to stop them.’

Trusting his friends below, Lee Han turned his gaze.

“Shouldn’t we attack first?”

“No! He has the curse of retribution on his skin.”

Do-cheol was not just a strong monster.

He had powerful curses, making him a threat that even skilled wizards didn’t want to face.

The curse of retribution was part of what made him so dangerous.

A powerful curse that returns any damage it receives!

“A curse?”

“Yes! He will try to kill the unicorn. We can’t let him have any chance!”

“Understood. Unleash, the lightning of Perkunthra!”

?!

Professor Bendojol thought he was crazy when Lee Han shot out a thick bolt of lightning.

The black shadow, hit by the lightning, howled. It tried to return the curse to the wizard.

The curse returned to Lee Han so quickly that he couldn’t avoid it.

Professor Bendojol watched anxiously, wondering if the boy would be burned.

“Unleash, the lightning of Perkunthra!”

“!?”