Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 769

After Irendil ranted for about fifteen minutes, he finally left, very angry that his love for beavers had been so insulted.

“Th-that was really scary… You were right,” Gainando whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead after the senior left.

Gainando looked calm, like a quiet tree. But when he got angry, it was like a storm. You could almost feel the air shaking when Irendil yelled.

“‘I think Gainando was wrong just now,'” Leehahn thought.

Even the nicest senior at Einroguard would be angry if you asked, “Do you like Professor Verdus?”

Leehahn would probably curse anyone who bothered him while he was practicing black magic and said, “Let’s see! Since you’re learning black magic… you must admire the Duke of Gonadaltez!”

“That’s not the kind of scary I meant,” Gainando said.

“R-right, right. I meant scary because of alchemy. They say he attacks people in the forest… He usually leaves the first-years alone, but I’ve heard he attacks them too.”

The students looked worried after Imyrg’s explanation.

Agtung, a student from Kalarograd, didn’t understand and asked, “Is this a joke?”

“Uh… yes. It’s a joke. Haha. It’s an Einroguard-style joke,” Leehahn replied.

“Haha! I knew it. I always found Einroguard jokes a bit hard to understand,” Agtung said.

Leehahn quickly moved on, knowing other Einroguard students had pretended serious things were jokes before.

Some things were hard to explain to people who weren’t from Einroguard.

“Leehahn, I think we need to figure out how to deal with Irendil,” Yoner whispered.

The other students were also worried. The alchemy students knew the forest monster was a real danger.

Their school used many different materials, so they had to go into the forests. Now, they had to face an enemy like Irendil.

Normally, they would ask an older student for help, but Irendil was an older student in the alchemy school.

The biggest problem for their studies was an older student from their own school.

“There must be a weakness, even for a senior like him,” Leehahn said.

“Like what?” Yoner asked.

“Fire, maybe…” Leehahn suggested.

“…I think a more peaceful way would be better,” Siana said quietly.

A more peaceful solution than setting their senior on fire would probably be best.

“What if Wodanaz tried to talk to him? Wodanaz is liked by the seniors, so it might work,” Yoner suggested.

“Can you really say they like him? If that’s true, then Professor Verdus’s strange behavior could be called affection… I’ll try, anyway. I’m not very confident, though,” Leehahn said.

Leehahn was known as a good negotiator with the seniors, but he wasn’t very confident himself.

It was more like they helped each other because it was useful, not because they were real friends.

Also, the seniors at Einroguard were strange, and you never knew when they might get angry.

For example, Irendil liked Leehahn because he had a dark spirit and was trying to clean up the pollution. But he could easily attack him if he saw him cutting down a tree in the forest.

“Maybe it’s better to avoid him. The forest of Einroguard is big, but he’s just one person. We might find a time when he’s not around,” Wodanaz said.

“Wodanaz, Irendil is a good spiritist. I’ve heard even spirits in the forest who are not bound to anyone tell him things,” Siana said.

“Blast!” Leehahn was unusually angry.

Siana was surprised. He was almost as angry as when he found the White Tiger Tower students who had run away from studying.

“Calm down, Leehahn. We probably won’t have to go into the forest much for now. We have these materials, after all,” Siana said.

“That’s true… Ah, I should ask Agtung,” Leehahn said.

Leehahn went to Agtung, who was watching and drawing the cleaning of the polluted material.

“Senior Agtung, when are you going back to Kalarograd? If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to you some more,” Leehahn asked.

Agtung smiled at the suggestion from the good student.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be staying another week. I still have things to do for the other students. You want to talk about black magic, right?” Agtung asked.

When black mages from different schools meet, they often share what they have learned.

Even within the same school, they learn different things, so comparing their knowledge was always fun and helpful.

“Um, yes. Something like that,” Leehahn said.

“Is there anything specific you want to talk about? If you’ve decided, I’ll prepare a bit,” Agtung said.

“I’d like to talk about black magic items that would sell well,” Leehahn said.

Agtung was surprised by the unexpected topic.

‘The wisdom of Einroguard’s black magic school, and the wisdom of Kalarograd’s black magic school. Together, we can make something that will sell.’ Leehahn thought.

Leehahn was planning to make items that would sell well in the Blackrock Workshop.

He had to improve the black magic school’s poor finances, even if it meant using seniors like Ogolthos and Professor Mortoom.

Some wizards might say, ‘Is gathering talents from different magic schools, even professors, really about making money?’ but Leehahn didn’t care about that.

If he could, he would even ask the Skeleton Headmaster to help make it.

‘I must… fill the black magic school’s vault…’ Leehahn thought.

As he fell asleep, Leehahn suddenly found himself in a familiar place.

It was a wasteland with an empty sky and horizon. It was the Black Book’s illusion.

“Greetings!” Leehahn shouted as soon as he saw the Black Book in the distance. The Black Book seemed surprised by his eagerness.

“I know why you brought me here, Black Book! It’s because I’m worried about the black magic school’s finances, right? Am I right? Then give me a secret plan!” Leehahn said.

Leehahn usually complained about the Black Book’s methods of making him learn everything. But today was different.

He had to think about new black magic items, so he welcomed the Black Book’s summons, which contained the Skeleton Headmaster’s vision.

However, the Black Book slowly shook its body from side to side.

“…You’re saying no?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book shook its body up and down, agreeing, and then opened its pages and pointed forward.

Leehahn was confused when it pointed to the empty horizon.

“What’s there?” Leehahn asked.

Instead of answering, the Black Book shrugged. It seemed to be telling him to look again.

‘What is it?’ Leehahn wondered.

Leehahn focused. He cast a spell to see better, and when that wasn’t enough, he used his magic power and focused it in his eyes…

Then, a faint figure appeared on the horizon. Leehahn knew who it was.

It was the Skeleton Headmaster in human form.

“You coward. I trusted you!” Leehahn shouted, grabbing the Black Book in anger.

Even if the Skeleton Headmaster had created it, the Black Book had spent so much time with Leehahn. Yet, it was summoning the Skeleton Headmaster without a word.

The Black Book fluttered its pages as if to say no and pointed again, telling him to look again.

Looking again, the Skeleton Headmaster wasn’t coming to kill Leehahn. He was disappearing somewhere in the distance.

‘Underground… or is it a dimensional gate?’ Leehahn wondered.

The dimensional gate, with a golden wheel pattern, looked like it was sending anyone who entered it underground.

The Skeleton Headmaster entered the gate and disappeared, then reappeared and entered again, repeating the process.

As he watched, Leehahn realized that the person looked younger than the Skeleton Headmaster’s usual human form.

‘Was it before he became a lich?’ Leehahn wondered.

Even if the Skeleton Headmaster was a great wizard who had reached the top at a young age, there must have been a time when he was even younger.

He must have learned magic from someone, and he must have had time to practice magic.

It was hard to imagine, but…

The Black Book fluttered its pages and moved its body. It seemed to be saying that Leehahn should go there too.

“…You’re saying I should go there?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book moved its body up and down happily.

“Why on earth?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book pointed to the Skeleton Headmaster, opened its pages and drew a picture of a great wizard, then pointed to Leehahn again, and then pointed to the picture of the great wizard once more.

It was a complicated gesture, but Leehahn thought about it and finally understood.

“So, you’re saying that the Headmaster entered that dimension when he was young, and that’s how he became a great wizard?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book agreed.

“So I should go in too?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book agreed again.

‘Isn’t this guy crazy?’ Leehahn thought.

Leehahn thought that as soon as he woke up, he should burn the book for suggesting such a thing.

Who is this guy trying to kill?

There were many dangerous and strange worlds that wizards could enter.

If the Skeleton Headmaster had entered and gained magic knowledge, it must be so dangerous that Einroguard couldn’t even compare.

To recommend that so confidently…

“The Headmaster was a great wizard even at that age, but I’m still a student. You made me feel safe by just teaching me magic, and now you’re trying to kill me like this!” Leehahn said, feeling betrayed.

The book fluttered its pages as if it was innocent.

The gate had appeared because Leehahn’s level had risen, not because the Black Book was trying to kill him.

“It appeared because my level went up?” Leehahn asked.

The book nodded. Leehahn said seriously, “You’re wrong.”

“Forget it. Let’s pretend we didn’t see that. Now, teach me magic. You didn’t call me here without magic, did you?” Leehahn asked.

The Black Book nodded reluctantly.

Even though Leehahn’s level had risen and he had discovered the gate, there was still much magic that the Black Book had to teach.

But shouldn’t a wizard go as soon as they find such a gate?

Even if it’s far away and looks like a mirage, you should keep walking…

‘My anger is going away,’ Leehahn thought as he got ready to leave for the Blackrock Workshop after waking up.

Although it had shown him the gate first, the Black Book was giving him magic that he needed.

He still couldn’t forgive it for suggesting he enter the suspicious gate!

‘Is it giving me useful magic so I can’t burn it? If so, it’s a truly evil object,’ Leehahn thought.

Old stories often told of owners who were tricked by evil objects they had found.

At first, you might not understand, ‘Why are they being tricked?’ But evil objects didn’t show their true nature right away.

They would trick their owners by pretending to be useful, and then show their true colors once they had gained their trust.

If the Black Book was like that, it might be right to get rid of it now.

‘But it’s useful. Ugh. Is this how people get tricked by evil objects?’ Leehahn wondered.

Leehahn stared at the Black Book, trying to decide what to do.

The Black Book, sensing his feelings, shook its cover in annoyance. He was a very rude owner.