Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 980

Yukbiltire was very confused. He missed seeing a vision from the strange doppelganger.

Dirette spoke carefully.

“The junior members of Einroguard, a school where they teach magic as gifts, are all… a bit individualistic, aren’t they?” Dirette asked.

‘And you’re the ringleader,’ Yukbiltire thought.

He kept the thought to himself for the sake of their friendship.

Dirette suspected that Yukbiltire’s influence had shaped the school’s unique character.

“I was talking about the junior from the Wodanaz family,” Dirette clarified.

“Ah,” Yukbiltire responded.

Dirette was briefly speechless.

He realized that the excuse of individualism didn’t really apply to that particular student.

“He probably couldn’t think straight with the Headmaster’s doppelganger standing right next to him,” Dirette suggested.

“Indeed. Still immature,” Yukbiltire agreed.

Behind Yukbiltire’s back, Dirette’s junior, Ogoldos, tapped his finger against his temple and twirled it around.

Inside and outside Einroguard, that gesture meant only one thing: Is that senior mad?

Dirette shook his head.

Yukbiltire wasn’t mad, just a bit eccentric… probably!

“Anyway, Yukbiltire, you understand now that I was right, don’t you? If you had listened to me, you would have learned five more dimensional visions by now,” Dirette said.

“That’s not logical…” Yukbiltire mumbled.

“Yes, it is. Very logical,” Dirette insisted.

Dirette, about to argue with his friend, suddenly realized something.

“Wait a minute. The Headmaster’s doppelganger went into Professor Verdus’s lecture hall too?” he asked.

“Senior… shouldn’t that have surprised you first?” Yukbiltire asked.

“No. It came to my lecture hall as well,” Dirette said.

“?!” Ogoldos was shocked.

The Headmaster’s doppelganger had visited Dirette’s lecture hall too!

“Did nothing happen to you!?” Ogoldos asked.

“Huh? Yeah…” Dirette replied.

“…You truly are amazing, Senior!” Ogoldos said, looking at him with respect.

He was truly worthy of a wizard who supported the Einroguard dark magic school. His skill was unmatched by that certain professor.

“You’re not really going to follow that junior to every class, are you?” Dirette asked.

“I believe that is the intention,” Yukbiltire confirmed.

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, like a thick blanket had been dropped over them. The shadows in the corners seemed to deepen.

It wasn’t just because it was the dark magic school’s workshop, but because Dirette sensed the junior’s unfortunate fate.

“So, if I just follow the junior from the Wodanaz family to the lectures he attends, I can learn visions?” Yukbiltire asked.

“Probably. But you’re in your fifth year, so you can’t. It’ll only work when you’re teaching,” Dirette explained.

“Auditing lectures is allowed at Einroguard…” Yukbiltire pointed out.

“Auditing lectures you’ve already taken is forbidden,” Dirette declared, immediately enacting the Dirette Law (something he made up on the spot whenever it suited him, much to Yukbiltire’s annoyance).

Yukbiltire protested, but his stubborn and illogical friend refused to change his mind.

“I am surprised, Master,” Lee Han said.

“Indeed, that wizard is remarkable. Even in the old era, such a one was rare,” the mad doppelganger agreed, nodding.

There was definitely something special about the wizard Verdus.

Even in ancient times, such a stubborn person was rare.

To keep trying to get what he wanted even after his artifacts were destroyed.

If it were the old days, he might have become a powerful enemy.

“Huh? Oh, Professor? I wasn’t that surprised by the professor. He’s always been like that. More than that, I didn’t expect you to look after other people’s magic, Master,” Lee Han said.

The mad doppelganger, having defeated Professor Verdus, was now giving the lecture himself.

The students weren’t too surprised, but Lee Han felt differently.

The mad doppelganger was actually going to teach the class himself!

Lee Han had been worried that the mad doppelganger would tell him, ‘Disciple, you try teaching.’

Forced magical training would be better than having to teach the seniors.

“Indeed. So, there was such a method,” the doppelganger mused.

Lee Han thought to himself, ‘A wizard who cannot control his tongue can never achieve greatness!’

“The reason for today’s lesson is that the royalty are greatly plotting something,” the mad doppelganger announced.

Lee Han was confused by the mad doppelganger’s words.

Planning something, were they?

What could it be?

‘Could it be?’ Lee Han wondered.

Only one thing came to mind. Lee Han asked with a shocked look, “Are you perhaps aiming for the position of Headmaster of Einroguard?”

The mad doppelganger looked at Lee Han coldly, as if he were looking at something disgusting.

“Ah, no. Nothing else comes to mind,” Lee Han said quickly.

“Why would royalty want to be the lord of this flea pit?” the doppelganger asked.

Lee Han, now feeling like a flea, remained calm.

“It’s a good position. The Empire recognizes it, and as a lord, you’re also a great noble of the Empire…” he explained.

“You can have it,” the doppelganger said.

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it!” Lee Han exclaimed, unusually upset.

The mad doppelganger was surprised by the sudden outburst from his usually polite student.

“I apologize. Your disciple got carried away,” Lee Han said.

“Surely you’re not going crazy. You can’t go crazy yet,” the doppelganger said.

“You don’t have to worry about that. So, what are you planning?” Lee Han asked.

The mad doppelganger didn’t answer Lee Han’s question.

Instead, he seemed to be thinking.

Lee Han was even more confused by the silence.

It was rare for the mad doppelganger, who usually answered like a helpful crystal ball, to not give an answer.

“That is something I cannot tell you. This plan is something that you, disciple, must not know,” the doppelganger said.

Lee Han was shocked.

‘Is he really aiming for the Headmaster’s position?’ he wondered.

He couldn’t think of anything else.

Teaching students who weren’t even his disciples, hiding that from Lee Han…

“Where are we going next?” Lee Han asked.

“Uh… the lecture is called ‘A Drop of Potion Instead of Complex Magic,'” the doppelganger replied.

“Alchemy, is it? Is this wizard also like that wizard from before?” he asked.

“Absolutely not. There’s no way there’d be more people like that at Einroguard… well, there is one, but it’s not this person,” Lee Han said.

As he spoke, Lee Han felt a little sorry for Professor Thunderstride.

‘But he probably won’t be that surprised, right?’ he thought.

“From now on, let’s please resolve any complaints with words!” Professor Thunderstride said.

The dwarf professor, seeing the Headmaster’s doppelganger sitting there blankly, quickly pulled Lee Han aside.

When Professor Garcia had warned him in the lounge, ‘You should be careful,’ he had no idea this was what she meant.

He knew that this student was resourceful and skilled, but he never thought he would bring the Headmaster’s mad doppelganger to the lecture hall to complain about a professor.

“That’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t bring him here on purpose either,” Lee Han explained.

“I heard he went to Professor Verdus’s lecture hall too! How is that not on purpose!” the professor exclaimed.

“…I did enjoy that a little, but anyway, that’s also a lecture I’m taking,” Lee Han admitted.

Lee Han explained honestly.

Of course, Lee Han had enjoyed defeating Professor Verdus a little, but it was a lecture he had to attend, so it happened.

How could Lee Han stop the mad doppelganger from following him?

Professor Thunderstride’s anger calmed down slightly at his student’s explanation.

The professor knew about Lee Han’s situation. Not many wizards could stop the Headmaster’s doppelganger from following them.

“If that’s the case, then it couldn’t be helped. You’ve been through a lot… wait a minute. Didn’t you finish your staff? Then why were you in Professor Verdus’s lecture hall…?” the professor asked.

‘Oops,’ Lee Han thought.

The mad doppelganger helped Lee Han out. The mad doppelganger quietly called out to Professor Thunderstride.

“Wh… what is it?” the professor asked.

“Excellent. You are a wizard who knows etiquette,” the doppelganger praised.

Professor Thunderstride was confused by the words.

The professor thought he was average when it came to etiquette, not particularly good.

“I thought someone like that wizard from before might appear again… but it seems that’s not the case,” the doppelganger said.

‘Aha,’ the professor realized.

Everything is relative.

A professor who comes after Professor Verdus would seem excellent just by breathing normally.

‘Thank you, Professor Verdus. I may not repay you later, but still!’ the professor thought.

Expressing his gratitude to Professor Verdus in his heart, Professor Thunderstride bowed his head.

“It’s just the etiquette that every Einroguard professor has,” he said.

“It doesn’t particularly seem that way… in any case, I have something to ask you,” the doppelganger said.

Professor Thunderstride paused.

Is this okay?

‘Won’t the Headmaster get angry when he comes back?’ he wondered.

Wodanaz was also a student, and since the skeletal Headmaster cared so much about his student, he was given the benefit of the doubt even when he was with the enemy.

But what if an Einroguard professor received a request from the enemy?

It was questionable whether that would also be given the benefit of the doubt.

“What… is it?” the professor asked.

“Let’s start with an oath. Secrecy is important,” the doppelganger said.

“That’s a good idea. Secrets are important,” Professor Thunderstride agreed immediately.

If possible, he wanted to keep the secret even when the skeletal Headmaster returned.

After finishing the conversation, Professor Thunderstride started the lecture as usual.

To be precise, it was a little different from usual.

Today’s Professor Thunderstride was kind and gentle.

“Professor. The reagent is contaminated,” a student said.

“Then go out and get i…! Ahem. Ahem. No. That can happen. You blockhead, eh?” the professor said.

“We’re not first years anymore…” the student mumbled.

“Shut u… Ahem. Yes. I forgot!” the professor replied.

Lee Han’s friends quickly understood the situation, seeing Professor Thunderstride, who usually got angry when mistakes were made, gently comforting them.

“Professor. I want to use more reagents!” another student said.

“Professor! I want to mix the solution in the cauldron, could you help me?” another asked.

“Professor! Actually, I was the one who melted the bottom of the pot last week!” another confessed.

Professor Thunderstride was shocked by the behavior of his second-year students.

These true Einroguard fellows!

“Professor,” Lee Han called out.

“What is it now!” Professor Thunderstride snapped as soon as Lee Han spoke.

Why would someone who never had any questions call out to him?

“I have a question too,” Lee Han said.

“Ah. Is that so,” the professor said, slightly embarrassed.

He often forgot, but this student was still a second-year.

There was no rule that said he had to succeed in every potion at once.

Professor Thunderstride walked over to Lee Han and checked inside the cauldron. He could feel the aura of completely dissolved silver ore in the shimmering silver liquid.

“…This is perfect?” he asked.

“It’s not about the potion… what did you talk about with my Master earlier?” Lee Han asked quietly.

No matter how he thought about it, he was worried about the mad doppelganger’s plan.

Could Professor Thunderstride have any clues?

The professor nodded at his student’s question.

“So, you were curious about that. I understand,” he said.

Professor Thunderstride took out a quill and started to write something on a piece of paper.

Lee Han looked at him expectantly.

“Here you go,” the professor said.

“Thank yo… ‘Thunderstride’s Submerged Incense’? Is this what my Master wanted?” Lee Han asked.

‘Thunderstride’s Submerged Incense’ was Professor Thunderstride’s unique scent that he had seen during the last exam preparation.

Just looking at the instructions made him feel dizzy with how difficult it was.

“No. I’m telling you to practice making that since you seem to have a lot of time on your hands,” the professor said.

After speaking, Thunderstride turned around and left.

Lee Han glared at his retreating figure.

That stingy professor!