Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1000

“Well, I’m off then,” Lee Han said, holding a hamster cage as a goodbye.

The hamster inside squeaked angrily.

“Wait! Wodanaz, just a moment!” Giselle called out, sounding flustered.

“Aren’t you going to punish these fools?” she asked, gesturing to the students nearby.

The White Tiger Tower students looked sad. They knew their grades were not as good as the Blue Dragon Tower students.

“Hey!” shouted a Blue Dragon Tower student. “That’s not fair!”

The two towers’ students exchanged bewildered glances, realizing belatedly.

‘Oops.’

“I wasn’t talking about you guys…”

“Moradi,” Lee Han said calmly.

Giselle, who had been frowning and trying to explain to the Blue Dragon Tower students, stopped when she heard Lee Han. Lee Han had been quiet lately, she thought, almost… distant.

Surprisingly, Wodanaz was smiling gently.

“I told you I had something more important than the exam, didn’t I?”

“…Uh… uh-huh.”

Giselle was utterly overwhelmed by this side of her friend that she had never seen before. It was true that when someone was too surprised, they couldn’t react at all.

“Come to think of it, I think I’ve been pushing you all too hard. It’s not always the answer to force things. You all probably have your own paths.”

“……”

Not only Giselle but the other students also froze in turn.

It was as if a basilisk had used its petrifying gaze; everyone was completely still.

Whether his friends were petrified or not, Lee Han spoke kindly.

“Don’t overdo it, everyone. Well, I’ll be going now.”

Even after Lee Han disappeared, his friends couldn’t immediately return to normal. Only after a few minutes did someone shout.

“Wodanaz has broken!!!!!!!”

“Thank you, Professor Willow.”

“Don’t mention it, lad. I should be thanking *you*.” Professor Willow chuckled, his voice like dry leaves rustling. He handed Lee Han a piece of thick parchment. The paper smelled faintly of earth and ink. At each corner was a detailed emblem of the Imperial Horticulturalist Club, and the rest of the page was filled with tightly written words – the schedule for the upcoming auction.

And, proudly listed among the auction items was the mandrake that Lee Han had grown.

Originally, this mandrake was to be grown and submitted for the final exam of the [The Wizard’s Life with Plants] course.

But due to the actions of a mischievous dragon and basilisk…

-……

The baby basilisk became sullen.

It wasn’t its fault!

…Lee Han’s mandrake had already fully grown by the midterm exam.

It had grown so well that Professor Willow had even suggested submitting it to the Imperial Horticulturalist Club auction, of which he was a member.

“If this sells, I’ll buy you and His Highness a present.”

The baby basilisk’s tail wagged with joy.

“Here. Here’s an invitation. It’s during the vacation, so you can participate yourself.”

The Imperial Horticulturalist Club wasn’t open to just anyone. It was a prestigious club that only horticulturalists with outstanding achievements could join.

In other words, the fact that the mandrake Lee Han submitted was going to be auctioned off within the club, and that he was allowed to participate, meant that Lee Han had also been granted permission to join the club.

Perhaps this was a more valuable reward than the gold coins he would get from selling the mandrake.

“And lad, one thing you mustn’t forget…”

“The Imperial Horticulturalist Club Journal. Am I right?”

“That’s right!”

Professor Willow chuckled merrily, his bark-like face crinkling.

Talking to an outstanding student made even the tree himself happy.

The professor took out a small booklet. It was a booklet with [Imperial Horticulturalist Club Journal] written on the cover.

“Don’t forget to receive this. With this, you can share information about plants from all over the Empire.”

“Yes. I was definitely planning on securing the [Imperial Horticulturalist Club Journal], where you can share information about which plants are popular where, what events are causing prices to rise and fall, and from whom you can obtain good plants.”

“…Well, good. It’s good that you know so well.”

He was so knowledgeable that it made him flinch.

“From next semester, we’ll be meeting as fellow horticulturalists within the club. But don’t get too absorbed in plants. The other professors will resent me.”

Wizards who didn’t know much about plants didn’t understand, but there was nothing as attractive and addictive as plants.

Professor Willow knew many people who were so engrossed in the magic of collecting and growing plants that they couldn’t escape.

If Wodanaz became engrossed in the joy of growing mandrakes and neglected his other classes, how disappointed would the Einroguard professors be?

“I’ll keep that in mind. And even if I become engrossed in other things, the professors won’t resent Professor Willow. It’s not because of plants, but because I’ve changed my mind.”

“Changed your mind?”

Professor Willow was puzzled by the top student’s words.

“From now on, I’m not going to obsess over exams. What does other people’s evaluation matter on the path of magic?”

“Hmm. Usually, those are the words of failing lads… but it’s alright if it’s you.”

Originally, words like ‘Only you need to know the path of magic you walk’ were usually muttered by failing students in Einroguard from the punishment room, but those words sounded a bit more dignified when spoken by the top student.

Professor Willow decided to trust the boy in front of him rather than worry unnecessarily.

“So, you’re planning to just breeze through this exam?”

“Yes.”

“I see. But what’s that?”

Professor Willow, noticing the thick report Lee Han was holding, asked curiously.

“It’s a report submitted for the [Tragic History of Ancient Artifacts and Summoning Magic] course.”

Professor Willow focused on ‘submitted’ rather than ‘to submit.’

Tilting his head to the side, he saw Professor Milley’s handwriting, which read ‘Perfect Score.’

“…Alright. Good luck!”

Instead of scolding his student as a detestable lad, the professor quietly praised him.

It was truly an attitude that only a professor with dignity could show.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Professor Thunderfoot, sitting in a cabin chair and eating chicken noodle soup, stared at his student as if he were crazy.

Not obsessing over exams anymore?

That was like a baker suddenly saying he would never bake bread again.

Just as dragons fly and ghouls crave flesh, Wodanaz had to be obsessed with magic.

“I’ve decided to reflect and change.”

“No… it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to reflect on, or anything to change…”

Professor Thunderfoot reluctantly checked the golden potion Lee Han had submitted.

Annoyingly, there wasn’t even the slightest error. It was a perfect potion, unbelievable for a mere second-year student to make.

A lad who makes such potions isn’t going to obsess over exams?

Was he perhaps planning to mock the students of Einroguard in a different way from now on?

‘He’s terrifying. To think he can overwhelm other wizards like that.’

“But come to think of it, Professor, you made a poison for me.”

“…Cough, cough cough.”

The dwarf professor, who had been slurping noodles through his beard, coughed and choked.

“If… if you’re talking about Arlkan’s Eternal Sleep, I couldn’t help it. The headmaster’s clone told me to keep the secret, what was I supposed to do?”

“Hmm.”

Lee Han stared intently at Professor Thunderfoot.

Under that gaze, the professor became uneasy, wondering if he should have asked his student to make him a snack.

Historically, when examining the causes of death of alchemists, there were surprisingly many who were poisoned by their students.

This spicy soup was quite suitable for hiding poison.

“…Shall I do what’s left?”

“No. You should finish everything since you came. I need to finish the exams quickly and help the headmaster too.”

“Ah, no. How long has it been since you recovered? Don’t overdo it. I’ll have Professor Bendozol do it, so you rest more!”

Professor Thunderfoot, who had suddenly become a professor who cherished and loved his student, stopped Lee Han from getting up.

As his student sat back down, Professor Thunderfoot cautiously asked.

“Aren’t you curious about what the potion you just submitted is like?”

At that question, Lee Han sighed lightly.

And then, as if frustrated, he said.

“Professor. Didn’t I tell you? I’m not going to obsess over exams anymore.”

‘He comes here first and gets a perfect score, and then spouts nonsense, this lad…’

Professor Thunderfoot cursed his prized student inwardly.

Somehow, he seemed to have become even more detestable.

Lee Han finished the exams much faster and with a much more relaxed attitude than usual.

He didn’t have to worry much about the [Wand Materials and Magic Amplification] course, which he had essentially finished before the final exam (Senior Yookveltyre was evaluating it instead of Professor Verdus, who had disappeared), or the [Good Spells to Go Mad With] course, and so on.

Of course, he couldn’t completely ignore them. Even though the exams were over, the lectures remained.

“I know. That he disappeared.”

“You knew?”

Lee Han was slightly surprised that Yookveltyre knew about the ascension of the mad clone.

“We even built a memorial stone.”

“Ah. Senior Dirette ordered it, right?”

“What? No…”

“As expected, Senior Dirette is very considerate.”

“What’s that…”

Yookveltyre tried to point out the absurdity of his junior’s words, but according to the tradition of the Enchantment Magic School, Lee Han ignored the other person and said what he wanted to say.

“More importantly, Senior. I heard you know a lot about Small Worlds.”

“I’m not an expert, but to some extent…”

“Have you ever heard of a crown-shaped Small World magic like this? I happened to use it this time, but the restrictions are more difficult than I thought. If there are any related grimoires, I would appreciate a recommendation. I’m planning to read them during the vacation.”

At his junior’s words, Yookveltyre quickly realized what magic he was talking about.

It was definitely that faint crown that flickered above his head when he was wandering around the underground mine area last time.

He didn’t say anything because he was afraid of ruining the magic with unnecessary interference, but it seemed his junior had figured it out himself…

“You… you used it?” Yookveltyre stammered, eyes wide.

“Yes, I did,” Lee Han replied, a little surprised by Yookveltyre’s reaction. “Yes.”

“But… *how*?” Yookveltyre asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“Ah, well,” Lee Han said, thinking for a moment. “It was a bit of luck, but Senior Dirette said something that gave me a clue. He said being ‘good and dedicated’ wasn’t exactly right, but… similar.”

“You… you talked to Dirette?” Yookveltyre repeated, even more stunned. His jaw dropped slightly.

‘I was so interested in it?’

Why did they talk together without him?

Of course, the answer was that he was only thinking to himself and not telling Dirette, but it wasn’t easy for Yookveltyre to realize that.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“…No.”

“Well, seniors probably have more important magic, so that’s probably why.”

Lee Han’s consolation didn’t really resonate with Yookveltyre.

“…Did I do something wrong to Dirette?”

“Don’t you do it every day? What’s new?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“It is that bad.”