Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1039

“Shouldn’t you have run off by now? Far, far away?” Lee Han asked, tilting his head.

Most wizards who broke their promises did. They vanished into the wild mountains, hiding where no one could find them. Professor Beumo was the rare exception, of course.

Lee Han had expected the Great Artist to disappear in a puff of smoke. He thought he’d be long gone.

“What are you talking about, Lee Han?” Professor Garcia replied, sounding a little impatient. “If I go too far from the city, how will I get the materials I need?”

It was at times like these that his outstanding student’s lack of experience was revealed.

If you were from Einroguard, even if you ran away because you couldn’t keep your promise, you would still take what you needed.

“It also has the effect of hitting them from behind, in reverse.”

“……”

Professor Garcia was explaining and didn’t see Lee Han looking at the Artist with dislike.

“I see why you didn’t go far, Senior… I mean, Senior. Anyway, we had to talk about the portrait, so this worked out well.”

As Lee Han was about to speak, Professor Garcia quickly stopped him.

“Wait a minute, Lee Han.”

” ?”

“Shouldn’t we talk about it later?”

“Yes? Oh, I thought you’d want to know right away. Are you worried he’ll be shocked?”

The story of how one of his paintings turned into the Skull Headmaster from his prince days was a difficult story to accept, even for the Great Artist.

But Lee Han believed it.

He believed that a wizard as outstanding as the artist would accept the truth and make it his nourishment.

‘Senior will definitely be okay.’

“No, that’s not it…” Professor Garcia hesitated.

The professor didn’t care if the other person was shocked because of the Skull Headmaster’s portrait, but rather…

“…Ack!”

The Great Artist, who had been wandering around the hall, made eye contact with Lee Han.

The Great Artist, who let out a short scream, disappeared into the crowd in an instant.

“…If he met Lee Han right away like this after running away from Petrograd, even if he was a senior, he would be ashamed…”

“Ah.”

Lee Han realized belatedly.

He didn’t care much, but the senior wizards had their pride.

“I didn’t think of that at all. Indeed, pride…”

Lee Han, who was thinking about the senior wizards, felt a strange sense of something felt wrong.

It was as if he was missing someone.

‘What is it?’

However, before he could resolve that sense of something felt wrong, the Great Artist reappeared.

Then, the Great Artist reappeared. His long, black hair flowed down his back like dark silk. The mask was gone, replaced by delicate features – high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and full lips painted a subtle rose color. He looked like a noble lady from an old, respected family, dressed in elegant robes of deep violet.

‘Ah, right. I have to respect Senior’s wishes.’

Lee Han spoke with the most foolish attitude possible.

“I really don’t know who that person is, Professor.”

“…I’m not trying to trick you, so there’s no need to act so silly,” the artist said, glaring at his junior.

Sometimes, unnecessary consideration hurts people more.

“In this hall, you are to call me Mrs. Azirmo…”

There were many better fake names, but Lee Han was puzzled by the artist’s appearance, bringing one of the most famous dragon names in the kingdom.

“Is there a reason you chose the name Azirmo?”

“That’s a very good question. Yes, there is a reason in the dragon race,” the artist was satisfied with the question and readily explained.

The various races of the empire each prided themselves on being the best, but if one were to pick one great race that no race could ignore, it would be the dragon.

The ancient race of the continent, born with innate perfection.

“Dragons can choose everything for themselves. Their name, gender, color, contractor, and even whether or not to become a disciple of the Skull Headmaster.”

‘Can’t other races choose the last one too?’

Lee Han thought to himself, but he held back because he thought he would get angry if he said it.

“That’s why, when I escaped from the clutches of the madman, I borrowed that name with the intention of choosing everything myself like a dragon.”

Names have magical power.

For an artist who abandoned his old name and chose a new name with the intention of becoming the master of his own destiny, the name of the most famous dragon in the empire seemed like a natural choice.

“I see.”

“In a way, it’s no exaggeration to say that the name of the dragon protects me.”

“But Senior, one of the paintings you left behind has turned into the Headmaster from his young prince days.”

“……”

The artist staggered too much for the dragon’s name to protect him. His face was as pale as lead.

“Are you okay?”

“Seriously? Are you seriously asking me that? What wizard could be okay after hearing those words?”

“That’s true.”

Professor Garcia nodded without realizing it.

No one from Einroguard could be calm after hearing those words.

To say that as if he had picked up a stone on the street…

“How on earth???”

“I don’t know… Actually, I think it accidentally turned into a moving picture. When we were practicing.”

“When we were practicing? But I didn’t feel any change at that time?”

“You said you weren’t a disciple, so you were sulking…”

Lee Han tried to explain in as much detail as possible.

In fact, the painting changed due to a coincidence that was hard for even the professors to explain. There was a clear limit to how much he could explain.

But one thing was conveyed accurately.

The fact that the Skull Headmaster’s painting from his prince days was sulking at the artist!

“……”

The artist looked like he was about to throw up.

What was more disgusting than the evil Skull Headmaster was the sulking Skull Headmaster. He couldn’t imagine it.

“Are you okay?”

“No. I feel like my mind is collapsing. I need to check my condition after the auction is over today.”

“How about meeting him once…”

The artist shook his head at his junior’s suggestion.

The shock was already too great. The artist himself had no idea what would happen if he met him in person here.

“The fact that it has changed is information that is valuable enough. I express my gratitude.”

“But I think it would be more helpful to meet him.”

“It seems that the method is not wrong,” the artist changed the subject as if he hadn’t heard.

He didn’t know exactly what effect the magic practice with the youngest disciple of the school had, but thanks to it, he was convinced that the overall direction of the magic was not wrong.

If Lee Han changed the painting to make it come alive, the artist himself could do it too.

‘But I will never summon such a wizard.’

The artist was determined.

Even if he summoned the young Skull Headmaster, he would be moderately dry and cold, not the kind of person Lee Han described…

…But the image he had heard once did not easily disappear from his mind.

“Ugh. Get out of my head! You evil spirit!”

“……”

Lee Han suddenly became worried when the artist screamed as if he was suffering from a headache.

‘Should I have just hidden it?’

“No. You did well to tell me. I’ll have to know someday. Overcoming it is up to Senior.”

Professor Garcia was subtly cold-hearted.

The professor wasn’t free enough to worry about a narrow-minded senior, let alone a disciple.

“Anyway, then… I’ll be on my way.”

Lee Han opened his mouth as he had to meet the members of the Horticulturalist Club as well.

He had told his senior everything he needed to tell him, so now he had to go do his job.

The artist, who had recovered from the shock, said.

“Wait. You came here to participate in the auction. Which auction are you planning to participate in?”

“I was thinking of participating in the Horticulturalist Club auction first,” Lee Han said what was confirmed, as other auctions had not yet been confirmed.

“That’s good. I was thinking of participating too,” the artist said as if it was a good thing.

He had come to hear the rumor that a rare plant had come out, and it seemed that his junior had plans as well.

“Let’s go together.”

“Oh.”

Lee Han was embarrassed by the sudden words.

The Great Artist was, of course, a respectable senior, but if he was asked if he wanted to go to the Horticulturalist Club together, the answer would be no.

He had learned that lesson painfully from what he had experienced in Petrograd.

‘There’s no good reason to hang out with a Buyeo wizard.’

If the Horticulturalist Club said something like, ‘Hey! Aren’t you the wizard who ran away after receiving a request for my work!’, Lee Han, who was standing next to the artist, would automatically be recognized as ‘the shameless wizard’s junior’.

It could be said that it was an excessively harsh initiation ceremony for a new club member.

“Um, Senior. You can’t visit the Horticulturalist Club if you’re not qualified.”

“I know. Of course I have it.”

In the past, he had completed a mansion made of living trees, and the artist had received a cordial invitation from the members of the Horticulturalist Club.

Of course, he could attend the event.

“…Then let’s go together…” Lee Han moved his feet in a slightly sullen state.

‘I shouldn’t have pretended to know him!’

“Student Lee Han. Are you going with Senior?”

“Yes…” Lee Han showed a slightly hopeful look in response to Professor Garcia’s question.

Was the professor trying to save him from this situation?

“That’s great!”

“…?”

Lee Han wondered for a moment if he had done something wrong to Professor Garcia.

“Be sure to get a lot.”

“???”

“What do you need?”

“Everything from here to there.”

The manager looked like he was about to faint at the declaration of the black-haired noblewoman.

It wasn’t something anyone could do to buy it for a huge premium before the auction even started.

Lee Han was puzzled inside.

‘Did you have something that you shouldn’t compete with?’

The Great Artist suddenly stopped by another auction house in the hall on the way, instead of meeting the members of the Horticulturalist Club right away.

-Hmm. That’ll do.

Eastern Harvester’s Guild Potion Auction (Large Quantity of Rare Potions)

Then he made a declaration that Lee Han would probably never be able to make in his life.

“Did you have something you needed?”

“No. I didn’t want to wait until the auction and argue annoyingly. Have the purchased potions sent to this Einroguard student’s mansion.”

“…?!!”

Lee Han was as surprised as the manager.

“Senior. I don’t have the money to buy that… I mean, I have it, but I don’t want to spend it on that.”

“You’re so good at saying ridiculous things. Are you saying I’m going to force you to buy it? Use it when you go back to Einroguard. You’re only a second-year student, so no matter how many of these potions you have, it won’t be enough. Hmm. Let’s stop by there too. You said you’re also learning the Buyeo magic school? You’ll need some useful consumable gems.”

Lee Han couldn’t come to his senses and was dragged away. It was so shocking that he didn’t even point out the absurd word ‘consumable gems’.

“Put everything from here to there out.”

“But, someone said they would buy this gem…”

“Call them.”

“Yes?”

“Call them and tell them I’ll pay twice the amount they offered as consolation.”

The problem was solved immediately.

Lee Han felt a similar thrill to when he saw the Skull Headmaster casting his unique world.

A certain level of wealth had a similar effect to a unique world.

‘…Respect!’

Only then did Lee Han realize what Professor Garcia meant.

A Buyeo wizard who doesn’t run the school or waste his wealth meaninglessly was truly the embodiment of enormous wealth.

He was endlessly grateful that the embodiment was his senior.

“Wizard card set. Let’s buy this all now.”

“Senior. Why the wizard cards?”

“Huh? Don’t you guys play with them?” The artist was puzzled.

Wasn’t it time for them to play with them when they were in the second grade?

“…Thank you for the gift.”

Lee Han thought he would just take it and give it to Gainando.