Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1040

A very rich man, a millionaire from the Empire, was buying many things at the auction. At the same time, another wealthy person, a wizard, arrived.

It was Zandanni of the Alzadk family, a fourth-year student at Valdrogard.

“Senior, aren’t you being too wasteful?”

“Wasteful?”

Zandanni asked, looking at his junior from Valdrogard, who studied gem magic at the Enchantment Magic School. The junior seemed worried.

Wasteful, he said.

Why did he think Zandanni was wasting money?

“Even so, buying it before the auction starts is too… wasteful…”

“Haha!”

Zandanni laughed.

This junior, who was highly regarded at Valdrogard, was often timid despite his talent.

“-But, still, shouldn’t we be studying magic instead of hunting since the exam is tomorrow?”

“-No need to worry. The professor is coming with us. Isn’t friendship between students more important than magic?”

Zandanni understood his junior’s reaction.

Paying a lot of money to buy something before the auction even started could seem wasteful.

But it wasn’t wasteful at all.

“It’s more wasteful for a Valdrogard student to bicker without dignity at an auction house.”

“Yeeeesh…”

The junior trailed off.

He seemed to agree, but his face showed he wasn’t convinced.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just participate in the auction and save money?’

The junior wondered if he was the strange one, compared to students from other magic schools.

It didn’t seem like students from other magic schools bought things so expensively…

Eastern Collectors Guild Potion Auction (Large Quantity of Rare Potions)

“Oh!”

Zandanni, who had found a good auction in the hall, straightened his clothes and approached the manager.

“I’d like to purchase it in advanc…!”

“I’m sorry.”

“?!”

Zandanni was surprised.

Were there things that money couldn’t buy?!

“Why? If it’s because the amount of gold coins to be paid is too much, please look at this crest and reconsider.”

“How dare I doubt the credit of a precious person from the Alzadk family?”

The manager quickly explained politely.

“The reason it’s impossible is that someone has already purchased it.”

The sign now read ‘Eastern Collectors Guild Potion Auction (Large Quantity of Rare Potions) (Completed)’.

The manager hung up the sign. Zandanni realized he was too late.

“Who dares…!”

“Uh, isn’t it okay for other people to do it too?”

“I won’t forgive them!”

Zandanni was angry.

His junior was surprised because Zandanni was usually gentle and never got angry.

“Think about it. What if we can’t buy the gems we need because of that fellow who took it first?”

“That would be a bit… infuriating, but… isn’t it unavoidable?”

Zandanni ignored his junior’s words and moved on.

Being stopped once was enough. As a Valdrogard student, he couldn’t afford to lose again.

But soon, Zandanni was frustrated again.

“I’m sorry.”

“Someone else.”

“Already…”

“Kroooooh!”

It was fun when he was doing it, but not when it happened to him.

Zandanni stamped his feet and looked around.

Now, it was a serious problem, not just about pride.

‘I need the supplies for the second semester.’

Gems and potions that he usually thought were cheap were now hard to get.

Even if he bought them through other people, it would take time, and he wouldn’t get enough.

“If I use them sparingly…”

“No! It has to be plentiful.”

The world called it ‘waste,’ but Zandanni didn’t care.

[Ancient Chess Relic Auction>, [Magician Card Trick Item Auction>, [Southern Wine Auction>, [Petrograd Art Exhibition Auction>, [Eastern Cavalry Guild Mount Auction> etc., Zandanni looked for gem and potion auctions.

“!!!”

Zandanni stopped and his eyes widened.

A brightly colored flyer caught his eye.

“Senior! That’s Bagni’s Red Diamond!”

His junior was also surprised. A diamond made by a fire magician hundreds of years ago had appeared.

When he saw it, Zandanni forgot about all the other gems he had missed.

I have to buy that!

“Manager! Manager! I’ll buy that! Five times the…”

“Did you say five times?”

‘I’m not late!’

“Yes!”

“Please wait a moment.”

The manager sent a paper bird to someone.

After a while, the manager looked troubled.

Zandanni, who had felt like he would win, felt his heart sink.

“Wh-Why?! What’s wrong?”

“Someone else offered ten times the amount. I’m sorry. According to the rules, that person…”

“Kroooooh!”

Zandanni screamed, like a student from Einrogard who had failed an exam.

It was humiliating.

The worst part was that he had been petty and then lost!

-Bagni’s Red Diamond is already sold? Before the auction even started? The big shots came quickly.

-That’s right. I heard a magician from the Wodanaz family bought it.

-Ah. That fifth-year from Einrogard?

-Fifth year? Wasn’t it fourth year?

“!!!”

Zandanni realized something.

The only magician from the Wodanaz family who would buy potions like this was one person.

“Damn it…! If I had known it was the Wodanaz family, I would have acted differently!”

If Zandanni had known his opponent was from a great noble family, he wouldn’t have been careless.

He would have known they had a lot of money and acted accordingly.

‘Just you wait. I won’t lose next time. I swear on the pride of Valdrogard!’

“I’ve got something quite useful!”

Mrs. Azirmo, the great artist, was happy to get Bagni’s Red Diamond.

Bagni, a great fire magician, often put his magic on gems instead of in books.

If you’re unlucky, you might find a common magic, but if you’re lucky, you might find a rare magic that no one knows.

“Have them send a letter when they break it later.”

“Yes… Yes?????”

Lee Han, who was confused, shouted late.

What am I supposed to do?

“Why?”

“Did you say break it?”

“Then you have to break it…? Why do you think this gem is red?”

“Isn’t it because the people who broke the gems cried tears of regret?”

The artist ignored the junior’s nonsense.

“It’s hard to see the magic inside without breaking it. Bagni wasn’t a kind magician. …Wait. Are you not going to break it because it’s too precious?”

The artist wondered if that was why he was acting strange.

He’s from the Blue Dragon faction and a great noble family?

“Th-Th-That can’t be!”

“Do you perhaps already have debts?”

The great artist looked suspicious.

Debt wasn’t surprising for a magician from Einrogard. One of the professors was a big debtor.

Do you want a certain magic but can’t afford it, so you borrow money, or do you wait until next time?

Einrogard magicians usually borrowed money. The more skilled they were, the more they wanted to borrow.

And considering the junior’s skills…

“Do you think I’m Professor Verdus? I’m not.”

“You’re even more suspicious for denying it so strongly. You’re also stingy with spending gold in strange areas.”

“I have to spend a few more years in Einrogard, so isn’t it stranger to waste money recklessly?”

Lee Han’s words made sense.

The strict headmaster didn’t let students from rich families bring their wealth.

If you waste money just because you’re rich, you’ll have a hard time when you return to Einrogard.

But the artist shook his head.

“If you’re worried about that, don’t be a miser and learn how to collect gold. That madman is okay with what you earn during the semester.”

The artist wanted to give his Einrogard junior two pieces of advice.

That was labor and smuggling.

Smuggling was hard to advise because it depended on the situation, but he could advise earning money during the semester.

“Um. I’m trying to collect it diligently…”

The artist chuckled at his junior’s cute remark.

How much could a second-grade student have collected in Einrogard?

“Tell me. I’ll listen and give you advice.”

“First of all, starting with what I worked on during the last club week, the gold coins I earned during the vacation…”

Lee Han counted the requests he had done and the rewards.

Even though he hadn’t included the inheritance or the silver coins he received from his friends, the artist was shocked.

Why is a guy who has collected so much so miserable!?

“I heard that I’ll be officially receiving requests from the second semester, so what would be good?”

“Hmph. You’re already doing well on your own.”

“!?”

“How could they grow Mandrakes like this in such a short period of time?”

“I can’t believe it. It must be a trick.”

“Be careful what you say. Are you insulting Professor Willow’s honor?”

“…It’s not that, but Professor Willow is human, so can’t he make mistakes?”

The members of the Horticulture Club wondered how they could grow Mandrakes so quickly.

“Ahrak’s Purple Poison?”

“There’s a limit to that. That’s impossible.”

“Arlkan’s Growth Elixir?”

“Then there would be traces left.”

“Dragon’s Flame?”

“Don’t say crazy things. Why don’t you just say it’s an ancient mysterious watering can relic?”

Even the plant experts couldn’t guess, which was frustrating.

How could they suggest dragon’s breath as a possibility?

“Mrs. Azirmo is also attending. She seems to be interested in Mandrakes.”

“Indeed. That’s likely.”

The Mandrake was worth paying attention to.

It was the first time such a mysterious Mandrake had appeared.

“She might know. She’s a very skilled magician.”

“Certainly…! Good idea.”

The noblewoman entered the hall. The Empire’s horticulturalists greeted her and asked questions.

“You’ve arrived, Mrs. Azirmo! Have you seen this Mandrake?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t heard the rumors, would I?”

“Do you have any idea how it was grown?”

“Well? Do you have any guesses?”

The artist tilted her head and asked Lee Han.

He might have a different idea.

Lee Han answered without thinking.

“They used dragon’s breath to replace the sun and promoted growth.”

“Don’t say crazy things. You might as well say you grew it with an ancient mysterious watering can relic.”

The artist scolded his junior.

Oh