Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 873

It was much harder to make a deal with a star than to even find one.

The Yaksha King was a very strict teacher. Ethan could only get a small piece of the star’s power.

“Hmm. I feel like I could draw out a bit more,” Ethan said.

“I think I will go back now,” the Yaksha King said.

“Aren’t you curious about this area?” Ethan asked.

“I will go back now,” the Yaksha King replied.

‘That valley is where Ossoo got beaten up…’

“I will retur… Wait. What did you say?” the Yaksha King asked.

Ethan, momentarily stunned, stared intently at the Yaksha King.

‘Could it be that this person… knows everything and is doing this on purpose?’ Ethan wondered.

However, the Yaksha King, with a face that showed nothing, pointed towards the distant valley.

“That is where the Kinnaras and Gandharvas live. They respect me as their king, but they do not serve me. I, too, am king but do not control them,” the Yaksha King explained.

One of the Kinnara musicians, with the body of a half-human, half-bird, saw Ethan and began to play music as if to welcome him.

The music was magic. It sounded like a siren’s song, but instead of hurting you, it made you feel good. Ethan felt the fatigue from focusing on the stars disappear.

“They seem like cheerful folk. …But why did they beat him up?” Ethan wondered.

“Hmm. Although I didn’t ask, Ossoo likely thought he needed their power. To get stronger and go higher, you need to learn everything you can from this place. It’s not strange that he tried to gain the power of the first ancestor race,” the Yaksha King said.

“So, when did he get beaten up?” Ethan asked.

The Yaksha King ignored Ethan’s words and continued, “Ossoo rested and recovered here before seeking them out. And he said something like, ‘You who sing and burn incense, listen to me, a dragon mage. Help me find the truth up above. If you help, I will give you more freedom.’”

“Wait. He got beat up just for saying that?” Ethan asked, finding himself siding with the Skull Headmaster.

‘I don’t know about the Skull Headmaster now, but the old Skull Headmaster was trying to do good deeds in his own way, yet they treated him so harshly,’ Ethan thought.

Ethan glared at the Kinnara musician in the valley, but the musician merely shrugged as if he knew nothing about it.

“No. He wasn’t beaten up just for saying that,” the Yaksha King said.

“Then why?” Ethan asked.

“When they ignored him, Ossoo used magic to try and gain their recognition through force. That’s when he got beaten up,” the Yaksha King explained. The young Ossoo was a great mage who had learned dragon magic, but the Kinnaras and Gandharvas of that valley were warriors who had faced countless strangers who had come to their dimension over the years.

When the warriors took advantage of their familiar environment and attacked, Ossoo couldn’t withstand them and retreated to the Yaksha King’s palace.

“……”

“As his disciple, are you thinking of retaliating? If so, I can help you,” the Yaksha King offered.

‘Is this perhaps a trap?’ Ethan wondered.

“If you think this is a trap, you are wrong. Of course, I am their king, but I don’t have to protect them all the time. If Ossoo’s disciple wishes…” the Yaksha King trailed off.

“…No. It’s alright,” Ethan declined.

“Hmm. Is it because of your emotional attachment to your master?” the Yaksha King asked.

If he had to choose, Ethan wanted to hit the Yaksha King even more than those races.

“If my master wanted to retaliate, he would have done it himself. And didn’t my master try to subdue them with force first?” Ethan pointed out.

“Indeed. But there are still parts that are hard to understand. Shouldn’t a mage be able to show their power in such a situation? I’ll tell you in advance, they are beings who cannot be persuaded. They have no interest in anything other than music and incense,” the Yaksha King said.

“If they can’t be persuaded, can’t you just leave them alone and go somewhere else?” Ethan asked, wondering what nonsense the Yaksha King was spouting.

What would change even if you forced such a strong opponent to submit with force in the first place?

A knife could fly from behind; it wasn’t a choice to make when facing a difficult goal.

“Wouldn’t it be the same elsewhere? In this dimension, there are very few who would lend their wisdom to strangers. A king like me is very exceptional,” the Yaksha King stated.

“Just because it’s hopeless doesn’t mean a foolish choice becomes a good one…” Ethan muttered.

“Hmm.”

Ethan was startled. Surprisingly, the Yaksha King laughed.

‘Could it be that he’s laughing because I insulted the Skull Headmaster?’ Ethan wondered.

“In some ways, you are better than your master,” the Yaksha King said.

“Yes? What…” Ethan asked.

Of course, it wouldn’t be magic, and he wondered if it was about personality, but Ethan hesitated.

He was confident that he could win every time in a personality contest with the current Skull Headmaster, but he wasn’t so sure about the past Skull Headmaster.

‘It’s hard to believe, but objectively speaking, there might be some possibility that the Skull Headmaster was a somewhat… quite… considerably… anyway, a fairly good person in the past,’ Ethan thought.

If that were the case, Ethan was likely to lose the personality contest. Ethan honestly didn’t have the confidence to live like the Skull Headmaster of the past.

“In what way are you referring to?” Ethan asked.

“I would tell you if you didn’t have emotional resentment towards your master, but in this situation, I cannot tell you,” the Yaksha King replied.

‘Oh, you little…!’ Ethan thought.

“Instead, I will tell you another story. There are demons in that sky, and Ossoo was once tricked by them,” the Yaksha King said.

“Is that really true!?” Ethan exclaimed.

“Yes. As for how he was tricked…”

The Yaksha King, who was speaking, paused. Suddenly, behind the black book, the air started to shimmer like water. A door was opening, but it wasn’t a normal door. It was a door between worlds.

“Hmm. Has the time to return already come? I look forward to your next visit,” the Yaksha King said.

“Wait, let me hear the story about being tricked by the demons…!” Ethan pleaded.

However, having already spent a lot of time on celestial magic, the dimensional door did not wait and swallowed Ethan.

The black book bowed to the Yaksha King and followed him into the dimensional door.

The Yaksha King, left alone, paid his respects.

A mage and disciple who had reached the truth were worthy of receiving the king’s respect.

*

*

“Ugh.”

Ethan, feeling the sunlight pouring in from the window, groaned as he woke up to the sensation of a giant dragon hugging him tightly. The telekinetic barrier was on the verge of collapsing.

After quickly reinforcing the magic, Ethan felt something in his pocket as he tried to wake up Jo-Orin.

“!”

A familiar horn-shaped fragment.

It was a horn fragment that he had received from the Yaksha within the Einroguard territory. The only difference was that it contained a much deeper and more intense energy.

If Ethan’s memory was correct, this was an item that requested help.

‘…Uh, but can he come?’ Ethan wondered.

Unlike the Yaksha within the same territory, the Yaksha King was an existence situated in a distant dimension.

He didn’t have a contract with Ethan, nor did he have any particular connection here, so Ethan wondered if he could appear with just a horn fragment.

Tap-

While he was pondering, he heard a collision sound from outside the window.

When he looked up, it was a paper bird. The paper bird came in through a small gap and flew to Ethan. And then, it spat out the voice contained within…

-Help m…

Plop!

…It couldn’t. Jo-Orin, still drowsy, irritably crushed the paper bird.

‘Was that Professor Verdus’s voice just now?’ Ethan wondered.

While Ethan was bewildered, a few more paper birds flew in. Jo-Orin skillfully intercepted the paper birds with her wings and tail.

She wasn’t a dragon for nothing. Ethan was once again impressed by Jo-Orin’s abilities.

“Your Highness. Your Highness,” Ethan called.

“Ugh?” Jo-Orin mumbled, still not fully awake, squinting one eye and looking around at Ethan’s voice.

She could hear Ethan’s voice from somewhere, but she couldn’t see him.

“I’m here,” Ethan said.

…Nooooo!

Jo-Orin let out a scream so loud that the dormitory tower shook.

She had crushed Ethan in her sleep!

Ethan! You mustn’t die! You mustn’t die!

“I’m fine…” Ethan reassured her.

“What’s wrong?!” Ean Durde asked, who had picked berries early in the morning for Jo-Orin, was startled by the scream.

“Jo-Orin crushed Ethan!!” Ean Durde exclaimed.

“…Grrrr!”

Ean Durde immediately revealed his hostility and glared at Jo-Orin. Jo-Orin hurriedly made excuses.

“I, it wasn’t on purpose…! In my sleep…!” Jo-Orin said.

“Grrrr!”

“I’m not dead,” Ethan said.

Ethan amplified his telekinesis, lifted Jo-Orin’s forefoot, and escaped. Jo-Orin, who had been sobbing, blinked at Ethan’s unharmed appearance.

‘Is Ethan so sturdy that he doesn’t get hurt?’ Jo-orin wondered.

“Absolutely not. I blocked it with magic,” Ethan answered immediately, afraid that she might misunderstand and hug him really tightly in the future.

Nevertheless, Ean Durde glared at Jo-Orin as if she were a senior who had murdered someone. Jo-Orin sobbed and explained.

“In, in my sleep…” Jo-Orin stuttered.

“Grrrr!”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Jo-Orin cried.

“Grrrr!”

“Ean Durde, calm down. If it were dangerous, I would have come out. More importantly…” Ethan started.

“What’s wrong?!” Professor Ben Dozol rushed in before Ethan could bring up Professor Verdus’s story.

He had heard Jo-Orin’s scream while camping in front of the Blue Dragon’s Tower.

“What on earth is going on! Dragon-nim! What eternally cursed wretches have startled you!” Professor Ben Dozol exclaimed.

‘I thought Jo-Orin had crushed Ethan,’ Professor Ben Dozol thought.

“You! Making Dragon-nim have such a misunderstanding!?” Professor Ben Dozol shouted.

‘Don’t get angry at Ethan!’ Professor Ben Dozol thought.

Jo-Orin growled at Ben Dozol, warning him. Ben Dozol looked as if he wanted to strangle himself.

“I was wrong! Please calm down!” Professor Ben Dozol pleaded.

“Y-yes. I understand,” Professor Ben Dozol said.

“I have prepared a meal. If you wish, I will bring it in,” Professor Ben Dozol offered.

‘Oh, Jo-Orin wanted to have an Einroguard meal with her friends here…’ Professor Ben Dozol thought.

“Haha. Please don’t ever do that,” Ethan firmly dissuaded her.

If she ate the food distributed by Einroguard, Jo-Orin could evolve into a Mad Dragon or a Demon Dragon.

When Jo-Orin nodded after being persuaded, Ben Dozol began to bring in the meals one by one.

“Hey! Bring in the dishes!” Professor Ben Dozol ordered.

The demons working in Einroguard grumbled as they carried the dishes.

‘Why do we have to work so hard because of that crazy professor!’ the demons thought.

On the huge banquet table, it seemed that almost every dish that the Einroguard students could imagine was laid out.

There was the smell of roasted meat and sweet pastries. Steam rose from bowls of hot soup. Yoner stared, his mouth open. It looked like a king’s feast!

“W-what is this?” Yoner asked, who was rubbing his sleepy eyes as he came down.

“A meal prepared by the professor,” Ethan answered.

“Does Your Highness usually eat this kind of thing?” Yoner asked.

Jo-Orin shook her head with a troubled face, answering instead.

Jo-Orin didn’t eat this much in the first place.

“Professor. Can we call the other students to eat together?” Ethan asked.

“Are you crazy??” Professor Ben Dozol asked.

“Your Highness. Can we call the other students to eat together?” Professor Ben Dozol asked.

“Yes,” Jo-orin replied.

Professor Ben Dozol glared at Ethan once and went to call the students.

The other tower students, who were wondering what was going on at first, arrived one by one, figured out the situation, and hurriedly called their friends.

“Praise be to Your Highness!”

“Long live Jo-Orin! Praise the mercy of the true royalty!”

“…Hey,” Ethan said.

Except for a few dissatisfied royals, everyone had a happy time. Jo-Orin, who suddenly received praise, seemed to be very excited.

“Can you treat me the same way tomorrow?” Jo-Orin asked.

“Of course, Dragon-nim!” Professor Ben Dozol answered with a happy smile.

The complaints that the students were eating too much had already disappeared far away.

Ethan could see the faces of the demons carrying food under the tower contorting fiercely.

‘I hope the professor doesn’t get attacked later?’ Ethan wondered.

Jo-Orin, who was excited, chattered and talked to Ethan.

By the way, Ethan. Jo-Orin caught a bug that was targeting Ethan in her dream! Ethan can rest assured. Jo-Orin will protect him even outside of dreams.

“I feel secure. Your Highness… Ah.”

Only then did Ethan remember the paper bird and paused.

‘Hmm. I can talk about it after the meal,’ Ethan thought.

Ethan nodded to Gainando, who was pulling on his sleeve, and cut the steak for him.