Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1104

Jo Ulin puffed out his cheeks. “This idea of learning just *one* magic at a time is a silly joke! The Empire should make a law against such slow learning!”

Lee Han chuckled quietly to himself, just a little puff of air. He was very glad Jo Ulin couldn’t see him right now. He felt like he could sense things better lately, and he might have given himself away.

“But Your Majesty,” Gonaltes said, tilting his head slightly. “If it’s possible, shouldn’t the Headmaster just cast the spell on me himself? Why do *I* need to learn it?”

Jo Ulin blinked. “Huh?” He stopped talking and thought for a moment. “Wait… you’re right.” He looked confused. “Hmm… there must be a reason!” He said, trying to sound sure, “Probably!”

Gonaltes just looked at him, saying nothing.

Lee Han kept his face calm. *Honestly,* he thought, *there probably isn’t any good reason.* If there was a reason, it was likely just to make things harder for his student, or maybe to give him extra magic practice! *Actually,* he thought with a small smile, *maybe those are the same thing for the Skull Headmaster.* He knew the Headmaster wouldn’t agree to cast the spell even if asked. Lee Han was going to have to learn it himself.

*Could Uman being here actually be good for me?* The thought popped into his head. He hadn’t thought about it before, but now he was really considering it. Maybe he was the only student who could actually gain something from Uman’s visit.

Jo Ulin noticed Gonaltes was quiet and got worried. “Lee Han?” he asked quickly.

“Ah, sorry, Your Majesty,” Gonaltes replied. “I was just thinking about what kind of magic it will be.”

Jo Ulin’s face brightened. “Exactly! I knew you’d understand!” He nodded happily. “Actually, I had another idea! While you are learning divination magic, you can learn *all* the magic for this semester at the same time!”

“And then?” Gonaltes asked, keeping his voice even.

“Then,” Jo Ulin continued excitedly, “you can learn transformation magic the same way! Learn all of *that* semester’s magic at once too! If we do everything fast like that, Uman will have extra time, so he’ll definitely let us do it!”

Lee Han quietly closed his magic book.

*Hmm,* he thought, *I really need to think about how to keep His Majesty Uman here until next semester.*

As Lee Han walked towards the tall stone building that was the Hall of Emptiness, ready to meet Professor Pasellet, he saw some familiar faces. Seniors from his club! He smiled and waved. “Greetings, Senior Falcrius!”

Falcrius turned, his eyes widening in a friendly way. “Hahaha! Wodanaz! Long time no see!” He gave Lee Han a strange look. “Did you have a good holiday? Though, I doubt it!”

Lee Han blinked, confused by the odd greeting. *Is this how people in the Flamen Order say hello?* he wondered. “Why do you think I didn’t have a good holiday?”

Falcrius chuckled, a low “huh-huh” sound. “I heard you were stuck with the professors the whole time?”

“No! That’s not true!” Lee Han was surprised and a little annoyed. *How did that rumour spread?* he thought. “Where did you hear that? And even if I did spend time with professors, it doesn’t mean it was a *bad* holiday.”

The seniors looked at Lee Han like he was speaking nonsense. Falcrius shook his head. “Of course it’s a bad holiday! It’s like… like dropping mud in clean water. It makes it dirty! Professors ruin holidays. It’s just a fact.”

The other seniors nodded in agreement. It was clear they weren’t going to argue about this.

Lee Han changed the subject. “So, where are you all going? Everyone’s been complaining about the inspector lately. Is the Kitchen Club doing okay?” He knew the new inspector, Uman, was making things difficult for everyone in Einrogard.

“Ah!” one of the seniors said, grinning. “We’re doing great, actually!”

“Huh?” Lee Han was surprised again.

“His Majesty hired us,” Falcrius explained, puffing out his chest a little. “To deal with His Majesty’s… well, his leftovers.”

Another senior nudged Falcrius. “Hey, it’s *health food*.”

“Right, right,” Falcrius corrected himself. “Health food. Who else would make health food?”

Lee Han understood. “Ah,” he said slowly, impressed. *Of course!* He should have known not to underestimate the seniors. They were like reeds in the wind, bending but not breaking. When faced with trouble, they just changed direction! Instead of closing down, they got a job!

“Huh-huh,” Falcrius chuckled again. “Actually, it’s easier work than before. His Majesty gives us everything – all the food, everything we need.”

“But isn’t the food… terrible?” Lee Han asked, making a face.

Falcrius waved his hand dismissively. “Huh-huh-huh. I lived through the Great Spirit Famine. Wodanaz, I eat anything with thanks.”

Another senior leaned in closer, looking around to make sure no one was listening. “Actually,” he whispered, “it’s just Falcrius who likes it. We think it tastes bad. So, we… uh… we taste-test the ingredients while we’re cooking.” He winked.

Lee Han’s eyes widened. *A secret snack!*

“But isn’t there dragon magic in the food?” Lee Han asked, worried. “Won’t they find out?”

“Heh heh,” the senior chuckled. “It’s all allowed! I told them that checking the taste is important for good cooking. Come by secretly sometime, Wodanaz, and we’ll share.”

*Wizards are so good at finding ways around rules,* Lee Han thought, smiling. The Kitchen Club seniors were using the rules to get extra food while they cooked. It wasn’t fancy food, but it was much better than just “health food”.

“Wait a minute,” Lee Han said suddenly, realizing something. “You started working, but why didn’t you call me? I’m in the Kitchen Club too!” He was a good cook, he thought. Why hadn’t they asked him to help?

The seniors looked at Lee Han strangely. Falcrius frowned. “The inspector told us not to ask you? Didn’t you know?”

“Yes?” Lee Han said, confused.

“He said to limit the number of students who are in too many clubs,” another senior explained. “You’re in, like, a million clubs, Wodanaz.”

“Oh,” Lee Han said, understanding now. “I see. Thank you for telling me.” *Even for clubs,* he thought, *the inspector is thinking about things like that!*

When Lee Han reached the Hall of Emptiness, a tall, grey stone building, he saw the golem senior standing in front of the entrance, like a statue guarding the door. But this time, the senior was different. “Senior!” Lee Han called out, surprised. “Why are you a rock golem now?!”

He remembered clearly that last semester the senior had been a shiny bronze golem, and sometimes even a bright brass one. Now, he was rough, grey rock.

Someone from another magic school might say, *Why are you making such a big deal about something small?* But Lee Han was a student of Divination. He knew that even small changes could mean big things. Divination wizards learned to see the future in tiny details.

The senior had become a golem in the first place to avoid bad luck, and now he was changing the *type* of rock. Something was definitely wrong.

“The inspector told me bronze was dangerous,” the golem senior said, his voice heavy and slow, like rocks grinding together. “He said I should change to rock.”

“Oh,” Lee Han said quietly. He could hear the tiredness in the golem senior’s voice. Even though golems don’t show faces, Lee Han could tell he was exhausted – all because of the inspector. He quickly changed the subject to be polite. “I came to see Professor Pasellet. Is he inside?”

“Ah, you’re here for magic lessons?” the golem senior said. “Come in. *I’ll* teach you.”

Lee Han stopped, feeling uneasy. “Huh? But… didn’t the Headmaster say Professor Krauer would teach me?” He was sure the Skull Headmaster had told him it would be Professor Pasellet. Why was the senior saying *he* would teach him?

“Is something wrong with the professor?” Lee Han asked, worried.

“A problem?” The golem senior sighed, a puff of dust coming off his rocky body. “Well, if you want to call it that, yes, there’s a problem. You’ll find out soon enough. You know Professor Pasellet has different personalities, right?”

“Yes,” Lee Han nodded. He knew Professor Pasellet was a banshee hybrid and a very good divination wizard. He used different personalities to deal with the dangers of seeing the future.

“When he heard the inspector was coming,” the golem senior continued, “the professor brought out a personality he doesn’t usually use.”

Lee Han waited, curious. He knew Professor Pasellet’s personalities could be difficult. Sometimes he was normal, sometimes very shy, and sometimes very angry.

“Are there even *more* personalities?” Lee Han asked, surprised.

“Of course,” the golem senior said, as if it was obvious. “The personality that came out this time is… the personality of the greatest archmage ever.”

“Wow!” Lee Han gasped. *The greatest archmage!* Just the name sounded amazing. “With a name like that, he must be incredible…”

“That’s right,” the golem senior agreed. “When he’s like this, the professor’s divination is on a whole different level.”

“But… why isn’t he here then?” Lee Han asked, confused. “Wouldn’t he be able to teach me even better?” Maybe the professor had just gone to get something for the lesson.

“Hmm,” the golem senior said slowly. “You might not understand yet, junior. Really good divination… it’s hard to understand from the outside. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I know,” Lee Han nodded again. Divination magic was often strange and hard to understand, especially the really powerful stuff. He remembered the prophecy he had heard before: *If you want to avoid the bad luck coming soon, stay away from all royals.* What did *that* even mean?

“But what does that have to do with the professor not being here?” Lee Han asked, bringing them back to the point.

The golem senior sighed again. “The professor thinks meeting *you* will bring him bad luck. So, he told me to teach you instead, and then he ran away.”

“Ran away?!” Lee Han was shocked. “No, wait! That’s… that’s rude!”

“Why are you yelling at *me*?” the golem senior said, brushing dust off his arm. “The professor is the one who ran!” He sounded annoyed. The professor, in his genius archmage personality, was giving strange orders – like making the ivy on the Hall of Emptiness grow faster, and filling the Lake of Uncertainty with… uncertainty. It was driving the golem senior crazy!

“I… I’m sorry,” Lee Han said quickly. “It just sounded so unbelievable, I got angry for a moment.” *But,* he thought to himself, *it doesn’t sound completely wrong.*

The golem senior thought the same thing. *This junior does have a talent for finding trouble,* he thought. Just last semester, Lee Han had brought back the Headmaster’s crazy clone *and* a dragon! It made sense that Professor Pasellet, who could sense danger, would run away.

“Where did the professor go?” Lee Han asked, his voice full of energy. “I’ll tell him to come back! It’s the Headmaster’s order! We’ll prove his prophecy is wrong!”

The golem senior looked at Lee Han, surprised by his enthusiasm. “Give up,” he said slowly. “Even if it’s something else, once a really good divination wizard decides to run, you’ll never find them. And I can teach you instead…”

“But your time is precious!” Lee Han said, jumping up and down a little. “We have to find the professor!” The golem senior was a little touched. Despite the scary rumours about Lee Han, he seemed like a good person.

“Alright, alright,” the golem senior said, giving in. “Give up on finding the professor, I mean. Let’s just open what he left behind.” He unfolded a scroll that Professor Pasellet had left on the table.

Lee Han leaned closer, curious. *What kind of magic did he leave?* he wondered. *A constellation spell? No, too simple. Lake divination? Maybe something more active… Ancestor’s Voice? That’s 5th circle magic, too hard for a 2nd year. But… Professor Pasellet probably doesn’t care about that.*

*Wham!* The scroll seemed to shout as it opened.

**Instructions for Lee Han Wodanaz:** Teach him magic.

**P.S.** Never call me, never look for me, and *definitely* don’t tell the inspector I’m gone.

*Pasellet Krauer*

“No way! Are you serious?!” The golem senior yelled, shocked. He stared at the scroll. This magic was way too hard! “Teach *this* to a 2nd year??”

“Why would he teach this?” the golem senior muttered to himself. “It’s not like we’re running from an evil dragon right now!”

“!” Lee Han froze. The senior was sharper than he thought.

“Senior,” Lee Han said quietly, “Actually… it’s not normal, but I’ve been practicing magic already.” He explained how he had found the music for it a while ago. “I haven’t mastered it yet, but I’ve been practicing.”

“Ah,” the golem senior said, surprised. “Is that so?”

“Yes. So, if you could just give me the instructions…” Lee Han said hopefully.

“Alright, alright,” the golem senior said, nodding slowly. “Just wait a moment.” He turned slightly, as if he was going to get something. But then, he started to move towards the door, quickly.

In a flash, Lee Han grabbed the golem senior’s rocky hand. “Senior!” he said, his voice firm. “You’re not planning to give the instructions to *another* senior and run away too, are you?”

The golem senior stopped, completely still. “You…!” he exclaimed, his voice full of surprise. “What magic did you use to see *that* coming?!”