Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 949

Ihan and Yoner walked back to the warehouse, the setting sun casting long shadows behind them. They were pleased that Wodanaz and Maykin had found a great place to sell their herbs.

“Imagine the Maykin family’s workshop paying so much!” one of them exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Amazing, right?”

“I was surprised too,” said another. “How did it go at the other alchemists?”

“Strange,” came the reply. “Every alchemist we visited today was acting completely bizarre, like they’d had too much firewhisky for breakfast.”

Ihan and Yoner exchanged confused glances. Drunk alchemists? In the middle of the day? That sounded very odd indeed.

“What rubbish are you spouting?”

“Did you two go out drinking or something?”

Asan’s suspicion angered them both.

“What ridiculous things are you saying! Do I look like a fool to you?”

“Do you think I look irresponsible!”

‘I shouldn’t leave those two together in the future,’ Ihan thought.

Ihan soothed them, saying he understood.

Anyway, since they had secured a good contract, all that was left was to work hard and deliver the goods.

He still wondered how Yoanen had appeared so easily from another workshop. It was strange.

“Oh, right. I should ask Master if any of the other reagents can be regenerated.”

“That Wodanaz, he’s so diligent.”

The friends chuckled.

Thanks to the anticipation of the gold coins they would receive, the students didn’t mind the extra work at all.

And compared to having to keep up with the lecture progress inside Einroguard, this wasn’t a difficult task at all…

“Master? Master? That’s strange. Why isn’t he answering?”

After all the hard work of making and moving the herbs (Ihan had eventually given up on the crazy doppelganger and answered his question), the students felt a true sense of freedom.

“Here. Here’s your share.”

“At this rate, I don’t think I need to go back to Einroguard!”

“…You’re not really planning to desert, are you?”

“No, I was just joking.”

‘His eyes looked serious,’ Ihan thought.

The students, having received their heavy pouches of gold coins, began to plan what they wanted to buy.

Originally, they would have been limited by a lack of funds, but at this rate, they could probably buy whatever they wanted.

“A new practice bat would be too big and noticeable, right?”

“Isn’t there any way to hide it?”

“Even if the inspection is simple, if I get too greedy… Wait. They’re not going to do it like they did at the beginning of the year, are they?”

“…Surely they won’t do that again. The Death Knights are probably busy themselves.”

The students seriously pondered everything from the price to the possibility of concealment.

At first, they had been wandering around, unsure of what to do outside the magic school, but once they had gold coins and a wider range of purchasing options, they became very absorbed.

Seeing that, Ihan also began to think about buying some things.

He had much more time than the other friends, but it was better to prepare these things in advance.

Now that the herb work was finished, Ihan recalled the favor he had received from his senior.

‘Two bundles of purple roundwood, Swansong stored in a sealed crystal, and three bottles of fairy mead, that was it.’

Inside Einroguard, he had to buy them secretly or make them himself, but in Granden City, he could just wander around the city and find them.

All he had to do was buy them, and he would get five times the price. There couldn’t be an easier request.

As it happened, when he asked the merchant guild, they had purple roundwood and fairy mead in stock, so he could easily buy them.

And Swansong stored in a sealed crystal…

“>Greenbell’s Curiosities Shop> has it?”

“Yes. I heard they bought a few of them.”

“Great! Let’s go together!”

The friends, their pouches of gold coins feeling heavy, heard that they were going to visit an expensive magic shop in Granden City and trooped along.

Even Adenart was hesitantly giving off a ‘I want to go too’ vibe.

However, Ihan was cold.

“Guys, that place just puts useless designs and decorations on things and sells them for several times the price. If you’re going to buy something like that, you might as well buy the materials and make it yourself…”

“What should I buy there? Yoner. Weren’t you interested in >The Alchemist’s Glasses>? The ones made of special stone.”

“That’s too expensive. A hundred gold coins.”

“I can lend you some. If that doesn’t work, let’s ask the other guys to lend us some.”

Ihan shook his head as his friends ignored him and burned with the will to follow him no matter what.

‘I shouldn’t have given them the gold coins right away. I should have given them the money slowly over time,’ he thought.

“Alright. Just don’t regret it later.”

“Oh, right, Wodanaz. As a token of our gratitude for this, we want to pool our gold coins and buy you something.”

Anglophone spoke seriously.

Giving gold coins to a friend, especially one from a rich family, might seem rude, but a heartfelt gift was a different story.

Since the store they were going to was an expensive magic shop, it was even better to express their gratitude…

Thwack!

“Ack!”

“Didn’t you hear me say they sell things for a high price there? Are you doing this on purpose?”

“N, no. It’s just that high-end things are like that… And everyone else agreed…”

Anglophone looked at his friends as if he was dying of injustice.

But his friends had already avoided his eyes. Anglophone was shocked by their betrayal.

‘We discussed it together!’

There was a reason Moradi told him not to trust the guys from other towers besides the White Tiger Tower. They were rotten to the core.

“If you spout any more rubbish like that, I’m taking your pouch of gold coins and entrusting it to Moradi. Got it?”

“Y, yes…”

Anglophone couldn’t understand why he was being scolded.

And why he was the only one being scolded!

“…Wait a minute. Something’s strange.”

“What is it?”

Ihan stopped in front of the store, and his friends tilted their heads, puzzled.

Nilia cast a slightly suspicious glance.

‘Is he trying to keep us from going in?’

This friend from the Wodanaz family didn’t like wasting money himself, but he hated it even more when his friends wasted money.

If it was to get his way, he could block the door and keep them from entering.

“The door’s open, but there’s no clerk.”

“Maybe they went somewhere?”

“No. That can’t be.”

This Curiosities Shop, located in the central district of the city, catered to city nobles and the wealthy, so its rules were quite strict.

Just the last time he had come, a clerk in spotless clothes had greeted him inside the store, where pure magic light was emanating.

But for such a clerk to leave his post without permission…

“Shouldn’t we go in and check?”

“Salco. It could be dangerous if it’s a trap.”

Salco exchanged glances with Anglophone.

The meaning of the glances was simple.

-Wodanaz has been through so much lately that he seems to be more suspicious, don’t you think?

-That’s right. His temper has gotten a little worse too.

Anglophone nodded, thinking about being hit earlier.

“Wo, Wodanaz. I don’t think anyone would set a trap in a place like this…”

Adenart cautiously opened his mouth, thinking the same as his friends. The other students nodded.

However, Ihan was adamant.

Wasn’t it because he had been careless that he had met Yoanen?

‘Just because I’m outside the school doesn’t mean I can let my guard down. I have to think of the outside of the school as Einroguard.’

Ihan took out a crystal spinning top to predict danger. >Begrek’s Momentary Foresight> predicted too short a future to be suitable for this kind of confirmation.

As magic power was consumed, the top began to spin on the back of his hand. As Ihan tried to go inside, the top stopped spinning.

“It stopped spinning. That means there’s danger.”

“It could be because you’re moving around with it spinning on the back of your hand… Wodanaz. We look a little suspicious.”

Anglophone said pleadingly.

Even though they were disguised, if nearly ten students were buzzing around in front of the store, it could attract unnecessary attention.

“Quiet.”

“Kuh…”

“…In accordance with the master’s command, freeze!”

A magical copy made of cold air opened the door and jumped inside.

The friends watched the scene with anxious hearts. Now they had to pray that there was something wrong inside.

‘Creating a magical copy and throwing it into a store with no problems would be a bit rude and strange as a wizard!’

‘Aren’t we going to be banned from entering?’

-Intruder. Catch him!

A thick, rough, hostile voice was heard from inside, and a fighter ran out from the back of the store.

The students who were watching the scene through the window were startled.

What!?

But no matter how surprised the students were, the fighter was even more surprised.

The fighter, who had tried to subdue him, realized that the thing in front of him was a crude copy made of cold air, and shouted in astonishment.

“It’s a trap! A tracker!”

-Get out!

At the same time as the sound of people moving busily from the back of the store, the fighter hurriedly took out a pouch of powder from his pocket.

It was an item that would block the surrounding view with dark smoke.

However, Ihan’s reaction was one step ahead. From the moment he put in the copy, Ihan had been aiming his magic through the open door.

Wham!

Suddenly, a ball of water he sent exploded, the fighter felt an impact that felt like his spine was breaking and collapsed.

Even though he was wearing quite thick armor, he had a hard time breathing when he was hit properly.

‘He’s no ordinary wizard. Is he a combat wizard from the Knights? How far has the tracking gone…’

“Wodanaz. The other guys are running away. Let’s chase them!”

“That’s enough. Don’t be too hasty in a situation where we don’t know the other side’s strength.”

Ihan stopped his friends from chasing after them.

To be honest, he was a little worried that the fight would get worse in a situation where he wasn’t fully prepared, but the other side seemed to be frightened and retreated first.

And he had to check on the safety of the other people.

When he checked inside, the clerks and unlucky customers were all tied up and moaning.

“Are you alright?”

“Th, thank you! Those outrageous, those crazy bastards! To do this in the middle of Granden City! I will never forgive them!”

The students checked the surroundings and handed calming potions to the coughing customers.

When he came to his senses, the clerk told him what had happened in an angry voice.

“The bastards suddenly rushed in and told me to hand over the Swansong. When I said I didn’t have it, that it hadn’t come in yet, they tied me and the customers here up and searched the place thoroughly.”

“The Swansong isn’t here?”

“Yes? Yes. I was going to buy it, but the transport ship sank, so it was canceled.”

‘What are these guys doing?’

Ihan sensed that this was no ordinary matter.

The Curiosities Shop here was backed by a powerful force, as the price of the items it handled was high.

To attack such a place. It wasn’t something that city thugs or bullies would do.

Besides, the fact that they didn’t touch any of the artifacts showed their skill. They must have avoided setting off any magic traps or alarms that they didn’t know well.

As he was thinking, Ihan felt someone calling him from the >Einroguard Whisper> artifact.

The Beaver-Penguin-Fox of the Watchers Club was sending him a separate message.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Gonadaltees. The situation has changed. The request is canceled. Don’t approach Swansong.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Dangerous guys are involved. The fighters whose names have been confirmed include Villain from Garam and Three-Finger Akdin.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Gonadaltees. Are you listening?

Gonadaltees: Does the fighter Akdin have three fingers?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: It’s good to be curious, but is this the time to ask that? Yes. That’s probably why he got that nickname.

Gonadaltees: I think I caught him…

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: …Don’t talk rubbish.