Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1038

Trouble was brewing. “Let’s get out of here quickly. Oh, and it’s a secret that I’m the reason you’re leaving.”

“Surely the people from Petrograd won’t hold Ihan responsible, will they?”

His friends asked, sounding incredulous.

To call for the removal of a suspicious outsider, have it done, and then hold a grudge instead of being grateful? That was something even Valdrogard wouldn’t do.

“I think they might.”

“That’s right. There’s a high chance they will. Let’s ask the professors to keep it a secret and leave quickly. It would be best to blame the driver.”

Ihan looked at Professor Garcia with eyes full of respect.

Indeed, the wisdom of a senior who graduated from Einrogard first was extraordinary. The speed at which he found the optimal scapegoat in the current situation was about six times faster than others.

“Oh, and anyone from Petrograd who wants to stay longer?”

Ihan was about to leave when he suddenly thought of his friends and asked.

He had only been thinking of himself. Come to think of it, some of his friends might want to spend more time with the students from the second magic school they had met.

“Second?”

Professor Garcia tilted his head, puzzled, and folded his fingers.

Kalarograd, Valdrogard, and Petrograd… wouldn’t that be the third?

“What about you, Wodanaz? Are you going straight back to your villa when this is over?”

“No. I think I should visit the auction house soon.”

Ihan, who had successfully grown mandrakes last semester, was granted permission to participate in the [Imperial Horticulturalist Club]’s internal auction, thanks to Professor Willow’s recommendation.

Being granted permission to participate in the internal auction meant he was also granted membership.

As a new member of the club, it would be polite to visit and offer greetings first.

‘If I appear polite, my mandrakes might sell for even more.’

He didn’t usually like to boast about his major, but this time was an exception.

Ihan was seriously considering wearing a cloak with a picture of the Ghoul King or the Frost Giant King when he visited the club.

“The capital auction house… is it held at the Hall of Gold?”

“Yes.”

Auctions, by their very nature, involved gathering expensive items and inviting distinguished people, so they weren’t held just anywhere.

Of course, there were Einrogard-style auctions where people fought over sacks of potatoes on dirt floors, but generally, the Empire’s auctions guaranteed a minimum level of dignity.

In that respect, if an auction was held near the Imperial capital, it was most likely to be held at the Hall of Gold.

A sacred place where blessings of luck and wealth had accumulated since before the Empire.

In this hall, not only the Horticulturalist Club but also various other auctions were held. The eyes of students who wanted certain items sparkled.

Would they interact more with outstanding wizards from other Imperial magic schools, or would they mingle with greedy socialites who knew nothing about magic?

“It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do. We respect your schedule, Wodanaz.”

“There will be opportunities to meet Petrograd friends someday. Or not.”

His friends answered immediately.

Frankly, there didn’t seem to be much fun in staying in Petrograd any longer.

The most fun thing here was Guinan throwing poison on the knight’s face…

“I want to draw some more… Mmmph!”

Siana hurriedly covered Tiziling’s mouth. Ihan turned his head.

“What did you say just now?”

“Nothing! It was nothing! Priest Tiziling is also looking forward to it!”

The other priests quickly backed Siana up. Professor Garcia thought to himself as he watched them.

‘…Is the Phoenix Tower allowed to be like that?!’

It was good that the students from the priesthood were becoming more active and assertive, but sometimes he wondered if it was okay for them to be this way.

The students, riding in a carriage with the professors, carefully scratched the paper with their quills.

They were currently looking for auctions they could participate in.

“Here! This auction might be one we can participate in…”

A White Tiger Tower student handed Giselle the paper.

[Beechwood Auction] Weaponry sales by knights, for knights, and of knights. Only honorable knights may attend.

Ihan spoke without even looking at it, taking Giselle’s place.

“We can’t participate there. If you read further down, it says only current members of the Knights Order can participate.”

Attendance is not possible if you are not a member of the Imperial Knights Order…

The disappointed White Tiger Tower student asked, puzzled.

“How do you know this, Wodanaz?”

“I wanted to participate before, so I looked through the conditions. It didn’t work.”

The White Tiger Tower students were all internally dumbfounded.

There were quite a few places in the Empire’s auctions that restricted the qualifications of guests.

Even the internal auction of the [Imperial Horticulturalist Club] that Ihan was participating in was impossible to attend without being a member, so qualifications like belonging to the Knights Order or a club were quite common.

“It’s a really unfortunate thing. I don’t know why they put such restrictions. Can’t they think that free participation would further activate the auction? People who want to enter but can’t…”

“S-Sorry. Wodanaz. It was my fault.”

The White Tiger Tower student was terrified when Ihan suddenly started grumbling and complaining like a waterfall.

This was the scariest time to be around Wodanaz.

I’d rather he just get angry and swear!

“I guess there’s only wizard auctions then.”

“We should be grateful that’s even possible.”

The students grumbled as they checked the list of auctions they could participate in.

As students from Einrogard, they could participate in quite a few wizard auctions, but it was not enough to satisfy their greed.

‘I need an artifact to draw an astronomical chart during the next semester.’

‘If I think about research, I should take at least one relic.’

‘Is there an artifact that can be used to cheat during exams?’

The rarer and more expensive the relic or artifact, the more secretly it would appear in clandestine auctions.

Every time they saw a notice that said outsiders could not participate in internal club auctions, the students felt a deep sense of regret.

“Okay. All done.”

In the meantime, Guinan neatly put down his quill. The friends next to him tilted their heads, puzzled, and checked the paper.

Western Wizard Card Auction (Participating) Eastern Wizard Card Auction (Participating) Southern Wizard Card Auction (Participating) …

‘I shouldn’t have looked.’

The friends ignored him and turned their gazes away. Yoner asked worriedly.

“What are you going to do later if you only participate in things like that?”

“What?”

“What else? If you squander all your gold on cards…”

Yoner, still, being a cousin, slightly pointed to Ihan instead of raising his voice.

If he spent all the gold he had saved on cards, he might seriously have to sleep outside the tower during the next semester.

“I’m participating to sell cards?”

“…What?!!”

Yoner, as well as the other friends, were shocked. Ihan looked at his Blue Dragon Tower friends and warned them.

“Shhh. Everyone’s making plans.”

“B-But, Wodanaz. Guinan is participating in the auction to sell cards.”

“What?!?!!?!”

Guinan became sulky at his friends’ reactions.

Ihan soothed him and asked.

“Sorry. It was involuntary. More importantly, you’re selling cards? Has a magical criminal or evil god worshiper been threatening you recently?”

“…No?! If I want to buy something at the auction house, I need gold.”

Auctions could be participated in not only as a buyer but also as a seller.

Of course, you could earn gold by selling the items you had…

‘That’s really amazing!’

If it was Guinan and wizard cards, the story was different. Even the other tower students were surprised and whispering.

“Should we get more gold too?”

“We should have taken more requests…”

“That’s going to start in earnest in the second semester. There wasn’t time during the vacation.”

“We do have the money we earned with Wodanaz last time, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough.”

“…How did you earn it??”

As the students whispered, Professor Garcia cleared his throat to give advice as a senior.

“Everyone. It’s good that you’re all showing interest in auctions. But it seems like you’re getting caught up in greed and forgetting one thing.”

‘Is he telling us to restrain ourselves?’

“There are more jobs that require wizards at the auction house than you think. From appraisal to curse removal, potion making, and so on. If you’re from Einrogard, you can get plenty of requests.”

‘I was wrong!’

The students all looked at Professor Garcia with eyes full of respect as he shared the know-how he had used to earn gold during his school days.

If there was a true teacher in Einrogard, it would be the professor in front of them.

“Professor! What kind of requests…”

“Are there any particularly good requests for the White Tiger Tower?”

“Should we reveal that we’re from the Black Magic faction, or should we not?”

While his friends were showering him with questions, Ihan, who was looking around to see if there was anything worth participating in among the auctions other than the Horticulturalist Club, suddenly had an idea and opened his mouth.

“Professor. Professor.”

” ? ”

Professor Voladi, who had been sitting quietly, turned his gaze at his student’s call.

“How did you earn gold when you were a student, Professor?”

“Bounties and duels.”

Professor Voladi, who had answered kindly, waited for his student’s further questions.

Just as Professor Garcia was receiving all sorts of questions, it was obvious that the student in front of him would be grilling him like that too.

Considering his curiosity and inquisitiveness even more…

“Ah.”

Ihan nodded and turned his gaze back to the paper.

It seemed like he would have to earn it in another way after all.

The Hall of Gold, reminiscent of an old-fashioned palace covered in brilliant light, was bustling with a huge crowd. Ihan could feel the strange magical power flowing through the entire hall. It was a strong and ancient power that couldn’t be easily disrupted.

“It’s a historical place, student Ihan. Can you feel it?” Professor Garcia explained from the side as if he knew why Ihan was staring.

This Hall of Gold was a place where blessings of luck and wealth had accumulated since before the Empire.

It wasn’t just a simple metaphor. It actually meant that large-scale divine magics had been consecrated several times.

Thanks to that, some rules were enforced inside, like a microcosm.

You couldn’t pickpocket, or disguise an item as another item…

‘Gasp. I was calculating the weight of the gold.’

Ihan quickly regained his senses and talked about the flow of magic.

“It seems like these magical powers are creating separate rules inside.”

“That’s right. It’s an interesting place. Quite a few wizards come to see this magic, not just for the treasure.”

Professor Garcia explained that this Hall of Gold was probably not created intentionally.

The magic cast by several priests and wizards created an unexpected effect, and it has flowed in a way that preserves that effect.

“Student Ihan, you said you were going to visit the Horticulturalist Club first, right?”

“Yes. By any chance, what kind of gifts do Horticulturalist Club members like?”

“…It’s okay to just go without anything, so just go.”

Ihan grumbled inwardly.

Professor Garcia was too upright and incorruptible, so he wasn’t very helpful in these matters.

“The professor and I will wait here, so everyone, feel free to look around. If you have any questions, come find… Ack!”

“???!!”

Ihan was startled.

Professor Garcia screamed, his eyes wide with surprise, as if he had seen a ghost!

There was clearly a tremendous danger nearby. In fact, Professor Voladi was also exuding magical power and showing vigilance.

“…Student Ihan. Do you see it? Over there?”

“Are you talking about the elf wearing a turquoise turban? It looks like it has magic on it, maybe to make it shine? The gold decorations seem like they would lower the price…”

“How did you even see that? Not that, next to it! Next to it!”

“??”

“It’s my senior.”

Ihan was dumbfounded at the sight of the great artist who had run away first, loitering around the hall.

Oh