Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1029

Professor Garcia spoke carefully to Lee Han. “Student Lee Han, are you aware that many students in Petrograd are interested in studying spells?”

Lee Han was confused. ‘Spell studies?’ he thought. ‘Why is he talking about this now?’ It seemed like a strange topic to bring up suddenly.

“Oh, I see. Spells are important in magic, of course,” Lee Han replied.

For wizards, spells were more than just tools. They were like the rules of magic, giving it shape and form.

Magic could be anything, but spells helped wizards control it. They were like guides, stopping magic from becoming too wild or out of control.

“I am also interested in spell studies,” Lee Han added.

Lee Han liked spells that were efficient and simple.

Spells related to ancient magic were easy to focus on and good for using magic quickly, because just saying their names gave a short summary of what they did.

“No, no. Petrograd students are interested in something different. They love spells for how they sound, like music. The rhythm and melody of the spell itself, the magic that comes from the sound… that’s what they care about.”, Professor Garcia explained.

“Music magic? That’s… interesting. I guess I’ve always focused on spells that are useful and efficient,” Lee Han replied.

“It’s alright, Student Lee Han,” Professor Garcia said, looking a little disappointed.

He had hoped to make Petrograd seem interesting, but it wasn’t working out as he planned.

“We’re here,” Dalser announced, pointing ahead.

In the flat field, dozens of wooden carriages, their canvas roofs patched and faded, were arranged in a circle. They looked like they had traveled many miles, like the wagons of wandering traders.

Unlike traders, there were no supplies or campfires around the carriages.

“Let’s go in,” Professor Garcia said.

“Where to?” Lee Han asked.

“Just lift the cover of any carriage and go inside,” Professor Garcia replied.

The Petrograd wizards stepped into a nearby carriage without hesitation. Professor Garcia, Professor Voladi, and Alcicle moved as if they knew what to expect. The students followed carefully.

Gainando gasped.

Stepping into the carriage felt like stepping through a doorway into another world.

‘The carriages were all magical portals!’ he realized.

He had wondered how a magic school as big as Petrograd could travel so easily. This was the answer.

The school’s territory was a separate magical space, and the carriages were just entrances that moved around.

The Petrograd territory felt very different from Einroguard.

Instead of one main building, there were buildings of all shapes and sizes scattered around like toys.

There was a building shaped like a giant devil’s horn, and another that seemed to grow out of a huge tree. Some buildings floated on a shimmering lake, and others were just tents with signs that said ‘Petrograd Classroom.’

Gainando turned to Lee Han. “It’s really unique, isn’t it? Lee Han? …Lee Han?”

Gainando looked around. The others were there, but Lee Han was gone.

“Where did Lee Han go?!” Gainando exclaimed.

“What are you talking about? We came in together… Wait, where did he really go?!”

At first, Lee Han thought Petrograd was just a very unusual magic school.

Then he realized he was in a dark, cold place. It smelled damp and earthy, like an old cellar. He could barely see in the dim light, but he could make out rough stone walls and a low ceiling. This was definitely not Petrograd anymore.

Then the wizard ghost he had met before appeared next to him.

-You promised… to release the magic…

Lee Han quickly tried to explain, “No, I’m trying. It just takes time. It’s a difficult problem that other wizards couldn’t solve, right?”

He couldn’t believe he had been kidnapped for not releasing the magic.

Lee Han tried to stay calm. “Even so, how could you kidnap me like this?”

-Kidnap…?

The ghost seemed confused by the word ‘kidnap.’

“You dragged me here. Wait, there were professors right next to me. How did you do that?”

One of them was a powerful wizard from Einroguard, and the other was Professor Voladi. How could he kidnap him without them noticing?

-I… did not kidnap… You… visited…

Lee Han grabbed the ghost and asked more questions to understand what was happening.

It was hard because the ghost couldn’t talk clearly, but he slowly pieced things together.

So… ‘I accidentally teleported to this basement?’

Lee Han realized something strange. Wizards who travel between places using magic sometimes have problems. It’s like a side effect of teleporting.

Sometimes monsters can follow them, or their bodies can change. Lee Han’s problem was different, but just as annoying.

He had accidentally teleported to this basement.

Did that mean he might end up in this basement every time he teleported in the future?

He didn’t teleport often, but it was still a frustrating problem.

‘Is it because I accepted the ghost’s offer?’ Lee Han wondered.

Lee Han wanted to know why he kept teleporting here, but it wasn’t easy to figure out.

Many wizards had tried to solve the puzzle, but gave up and wanted to destroy it instead. Because of this, it was very hard to find any clues to this strange space.

“Ugh… I should have studied spacetime magic more,” Ihan thought, feeling a bit silly as he looked around.

From the outside, it looked like there was no way into the basement. But once Ihan was inside, it was just a normal basement, a bit dusty and smelling of damp earth.

“Is there perhaps a way out of here?” Ihan wondered aloud.

A voice replied, sounding a little annoyed, “What? Can’t you just leave by the stairs over there?”

“?!” Ihan was shocked by how obvious the answer was.

He realised it was true – just because you couldn’t get in from outside, didn’t mean you couldn’t get out.

Carefully, Ihan stepped onto the stairs.

As soon as his foot touched the first step, the space around him twisted again. Suddenly, he was back in Petrograd, the place he had been trying to reach.

Lately, many students in Petrograd were totally fascinated by someone called the ‘Great Artist’.

No one knew the Great Artist’s real name, who they were, how old they were, if they were a man or a woman, or even what their face looked like. But it didn’t matter.

The Great Artist was so talented and charming that the students of Petrograd were completely under their spell.

“And so, you shall prosper happily in this land! …For it is your right and your duty!” The Great Artist spoke in a slow, smooth voice, but it was full of power.

The students listened, completely drawn in.

“To become the best at magic, you must only think about yourself. Only yourself. Being extremely selfish is the best thing. You don’t need to think about anything else. Do you understand?”

One of the Petrograd wizards listening raised a hand and asked.

“G-Great Artist. My family not only pays my tuition but also sends me extra money, which I spend entirely. Is that alright?”

“It is alright. I forgive you. If you desire it, then it is good.”

“Great Artist! My family wants me to become a wizard quickly and get a good job in the Ministry or a wizarding guild, but I don’t want to. If I work in a place like that, my art will disappear!”

“It is alright. If you do not wish to work, you do not have to work. If you desire it, that too is good.”

The students cheered loudly, like they were worshipping a god.

With a gentle touch, the Great Artist touched the black stone in the center. This stone was very hard and could absorb magic, making it almost impossible to shape.

But as the Artist touched it, the stone began to open up like a flower, slowly showing its beautiful shape.

The students gasped and murmured in awe at the beautiful thing that was appearing. They couldn’t even imagine what kind of magic the Artist had used.

Just then, a student who was standing guard quickly turned and whispered to the Great Artist. This student was someone the Artist had asked to watch out for strange things happening at the school, like if a skull started floating around.

“Great Artist, guests have arrived at the school.”

“What kind of guests?”

“They say they are guests from Einroguard.”

“!”

Though their face was hidden by a mask, the Great Artist was visibly shaken.

“Is there a flying skull with them, by any chance?”

“No, there wasn’t.”

“…Then maybe it’s okay. But wait… if it’s not a skull, why would anyone visit this place of pleasure and fun?”

“I heard they are Professor Garcia Kim and Professor Voladi Vegrek.”

“Those annoying kids…!”

“Yes?”

“No, never mind. Those kids can’t change my mind.”

Thud! Thud!

“???”

The Great Artist turned their gaze towards the commotion that suddenly arose from the crowd.

Then, suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. A wizard who looked like he wasn’t from Petrograd had appeared among the students and was saying sorry.

“Oh, excuse me! I didn’t mean to just appear here like this.”

“Did your magical travel go wrong? Anyway, it’s fine, don’t worry. Actually, it’s lucky! Think of it as a great chance.”

“Yes?”

“The Great Artist, who is an amazing wizard and is teaching us real art, is giving a lecture right now. Do you know what he just told me? He said I never have to work again!”

“…Oh, that’s a lecture?”

Ihan was bewildered.

What kind of Great Artist’s lecture was this, at Gainan’s level?

No, even Gainan wasn’t this bad.

‘Even Gainan would ask me if there was anything to study after playing for about a week, while watching my mood.’

“Are you a guest from Einroguard?”

The Great Artist called out to Ihan in that slow, smooth voice. Ihan looked at the Great Artist – their face hidden by a mask, wearing a long, flowing robe, and with a faint magical glow around them. Ihan felt a little nervous.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Everyone, welcome our guest from Einroguard! The wizards from Einroguard are poor people from the Empire, and we should feel sorry for them.”

Another person might have felt slightly insulted, but Ihan reacted a little differently.

Rather, he was slightly touched.

‘Are they a good person?’

“They learn magic for silly and pointless reasons. They work so hard and try to understand all the secrets of magic. But in the end, they only learn a little bit of magic that isn’t even useful.”

“W-Well, I don’t think it’s *that* bad.”

Ihan was surprised by how much the Great Artist was exaggerating.

He knew that some students in Einroguard didn’t study magic very seriously.

The Great Artist, knowing this, did not deny it.

“That’s a good point! You’re right. Not all wizards from Einroguard are like that. There’s still some hope for them. Any sensible wizard would try to graduate as fast as they can and never go back to that terrible place.”

“Actually, I was like that too.”

The Great Artist showed a very favorable reaction to Ihan’s response.

“But that was in the past, and recently my thoughts have changed a bit…”

“Why? How have they changed?”

“That’s…”

Ihan paused, about to tell them about what happened with the Skull Headmaster’s doppelganger.

He thought that if the other person was an old disciple of the Skull Headmaster, they might get angry.

“You wouldn’t get angry if I told you, would you?”

The Great Artist burst into laughter.

“Me? I never get angry. Do you know why? Because I live for my own pleasure. There is no anger in such a person.”

“Actually, I learned magic from the Headmaster and his doppelganger…”

Crash!