Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1003

“So, all the people who lent money threatened you?”

“There were a few who threatened gently, if you can believe it.”

“…Weren’t there any creditors who didn’t threaten at all?”

The Skull Headmaster slowly shrugged.

“Your magic has improved greatly, but you still ask foolish questions. In that situation, who would willingly hand over gold and cooperate?”

The people of the Empire weren’t fools. Even though the Skull Headmaster was the Emperor’s magical advisor and guardian of the Empire’s magical defenses, they weren’t just going to hand over gold.

People were not happy because the Skull Headmaster’s magical projection had appeared in Einroguard. And his plan to trap it in another world, instead of just sending it back, didn’t sound good to them.

It was easier to find someone willing to invest in Professor Verdus’s new artifact…

“That’s absurd! How could they!”

“It’s true. Verdus is a highly renowned artifact craftsman in the Empire, no matter his personality. To someone who wants a masterpiece, the craftsman’s personality only increases its value.”

“Tch! You foolish people!”

As his student raged at the foolishness of the Empire’s people, the Skull Headmaster was pleased for once.

Any outstanding wizard was bound to feel indignation towards the Empire’s people.

The boy from the Wodanaz family was now passing through the path he was meant to take.

“I will create movable type and spread books! To warn them not to be deceived by Professor Verdus!”

“…That’s for you to do later. For now, let’s think about the creditors.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

Ihan returned to his senses.

‘Hmm. I wonder how the noble families are doing.’

Because Einroguard was a school for magic, many students came from important families. Luckily, Ihan was friends with some students from noble families.

Of course, these families hadn’t granted the Skull Headmaster’s requests.

But Ihan thought he would have done the same.

‘I think I would have refused such a request too.’

If the Skull Headmaster, who usually asked for suspicious sponsorships and investments, suddenly flew in and asked for gold coins for trapping a spirit in another world, Ihan would have felt uneasy too.

But what he was about to do now wasn’t a request for more gold coins, but an extension of the deadline.

It was a much more persuasive situation.

…Even though the Skull Headmaster had threatened them roughly…

“I am trusting in your ability to persuade the noble families.”

“!”

At the Skull Headmaster’s words, Ihan realized that they were thinking the same thing.

“Can I do it?”

“Haha.”

The master smiled at his student’s question.

Then, he answered seriously.

“It’s not a matter of whether you can or cannot, but that you must. Otherwise, your seniors will be conducting magical research with only mud, stones, and twigs next semester.”

Ihan felt a heavy sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders.

“……”

Then, he paused.

“Oh, but why aren’t any of the other seniors…?”

Originally, higher grades in Einroguard came with higher responsibilities.

So why was Ihan, a second-year, bearing this responsibility alone?

The Skull Headmaster kindly answered.

“Shall I summon Yukbeltyre, or perhaps Caton? Tell me which senior you desire. I will summon them if necessary.”

“…Diret or Illeg would still be better choices…”

Ihan mumbled, suggesting other senior students who might be more helpful.

However, the Skull Headmaster shook his head.

“The two of them are not well-suited for persuasion due to their kind natures.”

“Indeed… Wait a moment.”

Ihan felt a sense of unease.

Then what about me?

“And the two of them are needed to resolve this situation.”

“I suppose so. The professors must all be busy.”

Now that he thought about it, there really wasn’t anyone to call upon.

The professors and fifth-year students were either busy or unhelpful, and the fourth-year seniors were the busiest year group at the moment…

“Assuming I take on the task of persuading the noble families… how should I persuade the officials?”

“I am trusting in your ability to persuade the officials.”

“……”

Ihan wondered if he had misheard.

But the Skull Headmaster was serious.

“Even if they are strict officials, they wouldn’t be so heartless as to turn away a young talent who will support the Empire, coming to them with a request.”

“…I understand, for now.”

It was a bit absurd, but it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible either.

Hadn’t Ihan been in charge of dealing with the officials just last year?

Basically, the Empire’s officials didn’t particularly like the Skull Headmaster.

How could they like a great wizard who would unhesitatingly uproot the Empire’s foundations for the sake of Einroguard?

Even without being threatened, there were several officials who were very angry and upset just from seeing him.

However, these officials were surprisingly lenient towards the students.

Unlike the wicked Skull Headmaster, the Einroguard students were talented individuals who would go on to play active roles throughout the Empire after graduation.

“Persuading the noble families… I’ll do that, persuading the officials… I’ll do that. Who else did you threaten?”

“I think I visited the Magic Tower and a few mage guilds. I needed manpower.”

Great magic wasn’t completed with just gold. Even if all the necessary reagents were prepared, it required a considerable amount of manpower.

It wasn’t for nothing that wizards gathered together to build magic towers and guilds to refine their skills.

“I had those I gathered prepare magic separately. Among them, I selected the skilled ones and brought them to Einroguard.”

“Oh. I haven’t seen them?”

“They were waiting below. There was no reason to have them directly confront the clone.”

“Ah, I see. So they must have left while I was unconscious.”

“That’s not entirely wrong.”

The Death Knight glanced at his master.

To be precise, after the battle ended, the wizards kept asking, ‘Why aren’t you using the magic we prepared?’ so the Skull Headmaster chased them away, telling them to get lost.

The Death Knight glanced at his master, thinking, ‘Is that really how you’re going to explain it?’

“…Wait. Not entirely wrong? Something’s strange. Aren’t you leaving something out?”

‘As expected of my student.’

The knight was inwardly pleased.

Wizards must be able to find clues even in the midst of chaotic disorder!

By the time they arrived in the Imperial capital, Ihan had completely grasped the information about the creditors involved in this incident.

First, the Imperial officials.

Thanks to the Skull Headmaster’s rough threats, the finance minister and his subordinates had eventually opened the treasury and handed over gold coins.

Ihan had to persuade them.

Next, the various noble families.

Thanks to the Skull Headmaster’s rough threats, the heads of the families had eventually opened their vaults and handed over the necessary reagents.

Ihan also had to persuade them.

Finally, the magic towers and mage guilds throughout the Empire.

Thanks to the Skull Headmaster’s rough threats, they had stopped their research and magic and all stepped forward.

Ihan also had to persuade them…

“……”

Having finished organizing, Ihan stared intently at the Skull Headmaster.

‘Isn’t the workload distribution a bit strange?’

He thought that the Skull Headmaster should take the lead on at least one of the three.

“What is it?”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to persuade the wizards, Headmaster?”

To the Einroguard students, he was a lord of terror and violence, but to the wizards outside, the Skull Headmaster was the most respected great wizard.

The wisest and most wicked—no, the most astute—of those currently called great wizards in the Empire.

It might be better for the Skull Headmaster to approach these people and persuade them with his authority.

“How so?”

“By sharing lost secrets from the past, or giving advice on magic that isn’t progressing…”

“Those are methods I’ve already used in the past, so they won’t work.”

“……”

As long as the Skull Headmaster’s history was, his old methods weren’t working anymore.

Now, the magic towers and guilds were too unimpressed to be moved by the great wizard’s wise advice and respect.

“Rather, introducing them to an outstanding wizard is much more effective. I even took Professor Garcia with me in the past.”

The Skull Headmaster recalled the old days.

The wizards belonging to the Accumulated Rain Magic Tower, the Daylily Magic Tower, the Green Feldspar Magic Tower, and so on, had sparkled like Einroguard students finding candy when they saw the young Professor Garcia.

If they didn’t want a genius who took courses in all schools, they weren’t qualified as wizards of the magic tower.

-Your Excellency! Please, when Kim graduates, to our magic tower…! There’s no need to force it. Just say a few good words about our Accumulated Rain Magic Tower!

-Duke Gonadaltes! If you send Kim to our magic tower, we will push all the gold coins supported by the Empire this year!

The Skull Headmaster’s eyes softened at the distant memories.

“Thanks to that, I received a very generous amount back then…”

“…Wait, Professor Garcia came to Einroguard, didn’t he? Did he perhaps visit other magic towers before coming here?”

“No. He came straight here. Because he’s smart.”

Professor Garcia was a wizard who had walked the path of a true Einroguard wizard.

Enrolling in Einroguard, advancing to the 5th year instead of graduating, being promoted to professor instead of graduating…

Ihan felt a strange sense of heaviness in his heart.

“Then didn’t the other magic tower wizards protest?”

“They did protest. But what could they do? Garcia chose it.”

The Skull Headmaster shrugged lightly.

Even a great wizard couldn’t change a person’s will.

Several magic towers sent gifts to gain favor, but that was their choice.

The responsibility for failure was naturally theirs as well.

“……”

Ihan gave him a look of contempt, but the Skull Headmaster ignored it and said.

“It will work the second time. I think it will even work three times.”

“I’m a little worried about whether I can do as well as Professor Garcia. As you know, I’m much more lacking than him.”

?”

Everyone from the Death Knights to the Skull Headmaster was puzzled.

Was there anything that the Wodanaz kid lacked more than the young Professor Garcia?

‘Arrogance?’

‘Rudeness? But he’s already rude enough.’

“I’m not a troll hybrid, so my strength…”

“…Don’t worry about that.”

The Skull Headmaster was dumbfounded by his student’s concern about the most useless part.

What strength was needed to visit the magic tower…

“Then let’s go collapse… no, persuade the officials first.”

After passing through the city gates, the Skull Headmaster instructed the knights who were acting as coachmen. Ihan suddenly had a thought and asked.

“Will I be able to see Her Highness, Princess Zo-urin?”

“That won’t do.”

“Ah. I see she’s under house arrest.”

Come to think of it, Zo-urin had achieved the unprecedented feat of deceiving both the Emperor and the Skull Headmaster and escaping.

As such, it wouldn’t be strange if she was confined to her home.

“She isn’t.”

“Yes?”

“House arrest, what nonsense. She doesn’t go out much anyway unless there’s something to do. Don’t judge His Majesty’s children by the Empire’s laws.”

“Then why can’t I meet her?”

“Because if you go to see her, she’ll grab you and won’t let you go until the end of the vacation.”

“……”

“Maybe she won’t let you go even after the vacation ends.”

“Come on. Her Highness isn’t so stubbornly mean.”

“Haha. A dragon expert has appeared. Anyway, meet her after you’ve done everything. I’ve clearly warned you. Turn right. The road is blocked.”

-Would you rather fly, sir?

“No. I need to show a humble and reflective attitude this month. I cut through the city wall last time because I was in a hurry.

At those words, Ihan inadvertently glanced out of the carriage.

One corner of the capital’s city wall was cut off in a straight line as if with a sharp knife.

He was really curious about what had happened, but Ihan endured it with great patience.

‘Let’s not ask. Nothing good will come of hearing it…’