Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 831

Giselle was angry. She tried to push her friends away with her fists. She accidentally hit Durke because Lee Han moved quickly to avoid her. After this, Giselle calmed down.

“Sorry, everyone. I fell for it.”

“Everyone has something that makes them react,” Lee Han said. He nodded to show he understood.

It was lucky Lagesa teased Giselle. If Lagesa had teased Lee Han instead, saying, ‘Hmph, as careful as a student of Headmaster Skull,’ Lee Han might have rushed into the domain too.

Everyone has something that can make them lose their cool.

“Don’t listen to Lagesa, Moradi. Just because Ziklin showed off a new domain doesn’t mean she’ll just rush in to face challenges like a crazy fighter.”

“……”

Giselle felt unsure what to think.

Because her sister might actually do exactly that.

‘She probably will do it.’

Wizards often go into dangerous old ruins on purpose. Knights often take on difficult trials to become famous.

This fame brings rewards. The braver a knight is, the more they risk their life, the faster they become stronger.

But they also die sooner.

“Hey everyone, think about this! When will you ever visit the Spirit King’s domain again? Huh? You young ones will leave school one day. You’ll work for knights or serve the Empire. What will you tell other knights when they ask, ‘What did you learn at Einrogard?’ Will you say you hid behind your friends and ran through the Punishment Room?”

“Lagesa, stop talking nonsense. Kids, don’t listen to him. Going into the domain just because of words like that is silly. What’s wrong with hiding behind friends to get through the Punishment Room? It’s a smart plan.”

“……”

“……”

Giselle and Durke looked uncomfortable.

Wodanaz could often make lies seem true, but even he couldn’t do everything.

He couldn’t make hiding behind friends and rushing through the Punishment Room seem like something to be proud of.

Any smart wizard with a good heart would know that’s wrong.

“Let’s do the challenge, Wodanaz.”

“We came here to do it anyway.”

“You were so good at hiding in the Punishment Room. Why are you acting brave now?”

Lee Han complained quietly.

* * *

*Flash!*

They stepped through the portal. Suddenly, they were in a new world. They felt safe, like they were being protected by magic.

Just like they expected, there was a thick forest. It was so dense that no light could get through. The forest seemed to go on forever.

…But it was upside down in the sky.

“…The ground… the ground is clouds! Can we walk on them?”

“Hey! Wodanaz is looking at us! Act brave!”

“Wodanaz, don’t worry! We’ll protect you this time!”

The White Tiger Tower students felt a little bad because Lee Han had looked unsure about coming. They shouted to make him trust them.

But Lee Han didn’t really believe them.

‘…Okay. It will be fine.’

If he really thought it was dangerous, he wouldn’t have come, even if his friends begged him. The owner of the domain had promised to protect them. He could go back if it got too dangerous. And the White Tiger Tower students were going first, so Lee Han could focus on using his magic.

Even though they were only second-year students, a group of knights who could also use magic was strong.

‘But I’m already starting to wish I hadn’t come.’

Lee Han thought as he stepped on the clouds instead of solid ground.

Seeing the green forest growing upside down from the sky and the clouds like a floor, he already wanted to turn around.

He knew other dimensions were supposed to be strange, but he didn’t expect it to be this weird right at the entrance.

“Wodanaz. Navida.”

“!”

A butterfly with see-through wings flew to them. It was the messenger from the Mad Forest King. Lee Han greeted it carefully.

The butterfly fluttered and then circled in the air, as if showing them the way.

“It looks like it wants us to follow,” Giselle said.

“Could it be a trap?”

Lee Han thought about Giselle’s question for a moment. Then he said confidently, “No. He invited us. He promised to keep us safe.”

“Right. Stupid question. Sorry,” Giselle said.

“It’s okay.”

Lee Han and his friends followed the butterfly, walking on the clouds. Instead of rain, leaves fell from above sometimes.

Luckily, they didn’t have to walk around lost for long. They could see where they were going in the distance.

It was a building made of mangrove trees. The trees grew upside down from a ceiling of floating seawater. The trees were like pillars and walls.

The butterfly led them into the Seafaring Forest House. Then, the owner came out to meet them.

It was Garisaima, the Pride Duke, a demon. He wore all kinds of fancy clothes – hats, helmets, shirts, dresses, pants, skirts – all mixed together in a strange way.

“…It’s a trap!!!! Trap!!! Run away!!!” Lee Han shouted.

“Huh? What?!”

The White Tiger Tower students jumped back, surprised by Lee Han’s shout. They pulled out their weapons.

Garisaima looked at them, confused. He seemed to ask, “What’s all the noise?”

Trap? Human wizard is being rude!

“Is that a Duke demon?!”

Lagesa pointed, looking very worried. He was usually calm, but now he was clearly nervous.

He had followed the students to see what challenges they would face in this dimension. He didn’t expect to find a powerful demon.

“Lagesa, you have to help us!”

“This is crazy! Isn’t this supposed to be the Mad Forest King’s place?”

The wizard is right – trap! How rude!

Garisaima scolded the rude guests.

He was also a guest here, in the Mad Forest King’s domain. And these wizards were saying silly things about it being a trap.

That was bad for the wizard’s own reputation. It was also insulting to the Pride Duke and the Mad Forest King.

It suggested that the Pride Duke was evil enough to set a trap in his friend’s home. And it suggested that the Mad Forest King couldn’t even protect his guests and let someone set a trap.

Lee Han tried to stay calm and listen to what Garisaima was saying. He looked at the demon carefully and asked, “So, you really are just a guest here?”

Of course!

“…But do spirits usually invite demons as guests?”

Giselle asked sharply. She sounded like she couldn’t believe it.

Her hand was near her sword, ready to draw it any second.

Wizards can’t know everything about all the different worlds. But there are some rules that are usually true.

One rule is that spirits and demons usually hate each other.

They almost naturally dislike each other.

The Mad Forest King knows how to respect demons. He’s a good friend.

“Sounds like a crazy spirit?”

“Wodanaz, he really seems like a mad spirit.”

‘I told you it was the Mad Forest King!’ Lee Han thought angrily at his friends’ whispers.

They said the spirit seemed mad, but they ignored him when he said it earlier!

“I understand. Your Excellency, Pride Duke,” Lee Han said. “Did you know that I was invited too?”

Of course! Garisaima introduced the human wizard!

The Pride Duke Garisaima explained proudly how kind he had been.

When a letter came for Pergunta, Garisaima was one of the first to say, ‘Oh, I know that wizard!’

“……”

Lee Han promised himself he would never trust a “safe” domain so easily again.

‘I have to be more careful!’

Who would have guessed that Garisaima would be right next to the spirit who invited him?

Quick, come inside! I wanted to talk to you anyway!

‘I really don’t want to go in there,’ Lee Han thought.

Giselle looked like she was thinking the same thing. She kept her face calm, but her eyes were still wary. “If it was just the owner here, that would be one thing,” she said. “But with a Duke demon here too, I’m a bit worried.”

Human wizards are so rude! There are other guests inside besides me!

The Pride Duke Garisaima shook his head. He looked annoyed that the wizards were still suspicious, even after he had tried to calm them down.

Lee Han looked unhappy and asked, “Is there another Duke demon here?”

No, it’s a human, like you.

The White Tiger Tower students looked like they couldn’t believe what the Duke demon said.

“What kind of crazy person would come to a place like this?”

“Are you saying someone was kidnapped?”

“Lagesa, what do you think?”

“Well… it seems a bit unlikely to me,” Lagesa said.

But before Lagesa could finish his sentence, Arsil walked out of the house.

Arsil had been wondering why her younger brother was taking so long. When she saw him and his friends outside, she smiled happily.

“……”

“……”

* * *

The Mad Forest King was a spirit. He looked like vines and tree roots twisted together in the shape of a person.

The Pride Duke spoke to him, sounding slightly annoyed.

Look, human wizards are here. You should change how you look. Don’t you think I look good?

Garisaima was wearing strange clothes – pants and skirts sewn together, clothes from different old times. But the wizards didn’t say anything about it.

Arsil repeated what Garisaima said, as if she agreed. Then, the Mad Forest King nodded and changed shape. He became a beaver beastman wizard, someone they knew.

“Is this better?” he asked.

“Aaargh!”

The students screamed louder than they had all day.

The Mad Forest King looked confused. It was even creepier because he was looking at them with Professor Verdus’s face.

“I heard that beaver beastmen and penguin beastmen are the most popular in the Empire. I chose to look like a teacher wizard you know well!”

“Kraaaah!!”

They must be screaming because they are happy!

“Please go back to how you were before,” Lee Han asked seriously.

The Mad Forest King changed back to his vine and root form.

-I am naturally very “mad,” so my helpers and people who don’t know me well don’t call me that. If these two friends hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have called you young human wizards that either.

“…Brother, what did you say?” Arsil asked.

I told him how amazing you are, little brother.

Lee Han looked like he was in pain when Arsil said that.

This was the problem with being friends with spirits!

You could meet them in any spirit’s domain, even when you didn’t expect it!

“Why is a Duke demon a guest here?”

It’s because the Mad Forest King is half demon and half spirit himself.

“Really? That’s a big secret… Wait, is it okay for you to tell me this?”

Don’t worry. I’m too “mad” to care.

‘That’s even more worrying,’ Lee Han thought.

Now, hurry! Show us your request!

Human wizard, hurry! Ask for the branch before the Mad Forest King changes his mind!

“……”

With two powerful beings urging him on, Lee Han felt like he couldn’t breathe.

He didn’t know encouragement could feel so stressful, even without any threats!

Lagesa also spoke to Lee Han, sounding serious.

“You need to say what you want, quickly.”

“Are you enjoying watching me panic?” Lee Han asked.

“You young one! Is this the time for jokes? He said he’s a mad spirit! You don’t know when he’ll go crazy. You need to finish your request and get out of here fast!”

Usually, Lagesa would have laughed at the students’ trouble. But not now. He was very serious.

This was a rare chance. Lee Han had to hurry.

“I understand. Your Excellency, Mad Forest King,” Lee Han said.

-Why are you asking? Spirit of the Magic Bullet.

“……”

Lee Han realized that the Mad Forest King had already lost track of the conversation. His mind had wandered off somewhere else.