Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1076

Alsecle sighed, a mountain of letters threatening to topple beside him. “Such rude people,” he muttered.

“So, what did you do?” Alsecle asked.

Alsecle was already certain that Ihan had done something under the name of Steddle Nago.

“I might not have done anything.”

“There’s no way you didn’t,” Alsecle said, his belief in Ihan’s mischief unwavering.

Of course, considering the time, Ihan hasn’t had much opportunity to do anything lately.

He’s been busy hunting monsters from the void beyond dimensions during vacation, solving problems at other magic schools, getting kidnapped by evil dragons, or subjugating evil god worshippers.

‘Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, why is this guy doing this during vacation?’ Alsecle suddenly asked himself.

Shouldn’t a student spend a more refreshing and pleasant vacation?

Of course, there are limitations as an Einroguard student, but even considering that, Wodanaaz’s vacation was too full of professors.

“Actually, I did do something,” Ihan confessed.

“When and what did you do?”

“I was wandering around as Steddle Nago last night.”

“…What!? When!?” Alsecle was shocked.

He thought Ihan had done something recently, but he never imagined it would be yesterday.

Wasn’t he modifying a small sailboat on the second floor?!

“I floated it briefly for testing… But didn’t Professor Verdus feel anything was wrong when we all disappeared?”

“Would he?” Alsecle wondered.

‘I suppose not.’

While Ihan and his party were working on the second floor and even flying in the air, Professor Verdus was completely absorbed in his own work, which he found the most interesting in the world.

Even after hearing that the two wizards had left, he said, ‘Really? Then I should finish this and go back.’

Of course, the knights were ruthless. They immediately grabbed Professor Verdus by the scruff of his neck, threw him into a carriage, and set off for Einroguard.

“More than that, it’s a shame that Professor Verdus went back.”

“Yes!?” Ihan, who was explaining, was startled by Alsecle’s words.

Could some kind of magical contamination have occurred?

“Still, Professor Verdus needs to be here so Voladi Begrek will attack Professor Verdus instead of me.”

“Indeed.”

Ihan was impressed.

Alsecle was quick-thinking, just like a genius wizard should be.

“So, you were flying the airship and people gathered, so you said you were Steddle Nago?”

“Yes. Aren’t people being a bit excessive?”

“I think I’d be curious and go find a wizard who stole Professor Verdus’s stuff…” Alsecle said seriously.

If there was a wizard who completed the magic of the permafrost and a wizard who stole Professor Verdus’s belongings, he would want to meet the latter first.

“It’s impossible to answer all of them, but you can’t ignore them all either. How about responding to one or two of the better invitations?”

“I was planning to ignore them all.”

At Ihan’s answer, Alsecle shook his head and explained.

“You seem to be planning to keep using this fake name, but if that’s the case, there’s no point in ignoring all the invitations. It’ll feel strange.”

“So you think ‘Steddle Nago’ sounds fake?”

Ignoring the protest lightly, Alsecle continued.

“And when inviting a wizard who has achieved great feats, they prepare proposals and gifts to match. Even if you reject the proposal, you’ll be tempted by the gifts, right?”

It was a bit embarrassing to call stealing the professor’s treasure a great feat, but Alsecle’s words certainly made sense.

You can receive gifts just by attending the event.

‘It certainly suits my disposition.’

“Lastly, one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Go and tell them I’m not that close to you…” Alsecle’s voice, who was nearly buried alive by letters overnight, was desperate.

Ihan had no choice but to nod.

“Dirette. But are you okay?” Cohorti asked cautiously.

Unlike the Einroguard black magic school students here, Cohorti was an alumnus.

Perhaps that’s why he was more worried about a friend of the same year.

“About what?”

“Well, I was wondering if it’s okay to keep taking care of the juniors here without meeting your friend.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a backlash erupted from the black magic school juniors.

“What’s wrong with us that you’re saying that!”

“Now that I think about it, you’re not a senior anymore, are you? Mr. Cohorti. Why are you here? Go to where you work!”

‘You bad kids.’ Cohorti was inwardly hurt.

Of course, Cohorti wasn’t a reliable senior even while he was in school.

Still, he helped the juniors as Dirette told him to, but they were repaying his kindness like this.

“Which friend?” Dirette asked, genuinely puzzled.

He couldn’t guess who Cohorti was talking about.

“Aren’t you talking about the princess?”

“It must be Senior Yukbeltire.”

As soon as the juniors answered and Cohorti nodded, Dirette exclaimed in shock.

“Why is she coming out here?!”

“Oh, uh? Aren’t you two very close… Ah, aren’t you?” The black magic school students hesitated.

“We’re not very close… Ugh… Not even close… Yeah. We’re close, but I don’t want to see her until vacation, and it’s definitely not like that, okay? I actually feel relieved not seeing her, okay?”

“Don’t you take care of her too well for that to be the case?”

“Senior is just naturally kind. He even made a contract with that ugly undead because he felt sorry for it.”

As the juniors whispered, Dirette flared up.

“It’s not ugly. Be quiet.”

“Sorry.”

“And Yukbeltire will be busy with her own things too. Got it? I’m comfortable not seeing her for once, so don’t say worrisome things. I have no complaints about moving with the juniors.”

At Dirette’s words, the juniors all attacked Cohorti.

“That’s right. Senior… No, Mr. Cohorti, why did you say such a thing!”

“Senior Dirette has no complaints about taking the time for us. Don’t try to make trouble between us.”

Cohorti felt the cold stares of the juniors. They were definitely not happy with him.

He decided that even if the juniors came to where he worked later, he would never acknowledge them.

‘You guys. Just you wait.’

Still, because Cohorti was being attacked too much as a friend, Dirette personally changed the subject.

“Cohorti. Tell us about where you work. So the juniors can listen and take notes.”

“Hmph. Tell them to go when they’re in 5th grade.”

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant. Cohorti realized he had made a mistake.

It was the worst remark that made not only the juniors but also Dirette angry.

“…I messed up. I apologize.”

In the end, Cohorti had to treat the black magic school students to ice cream with plenty of peaches and plums mixed in.

Even while licking the ice cream in the waffle, the students didn’t stop glaring.

“I said I’m sorry…”

“Hmph.”

“I’ve been having a hard time at work lately.”

Cohorti opened up about the work he’s been doing recently.

Even if the black magic school wasn’t popular, there were still offers for students who graduated from Einroguard. Of course, Cohorti also received several offers.

A wizard belonging to the Imperial Army in the northern contaminated area, a research wizard at the Black Magic Tower, a guest wizard of the Order of Knights formed to track down magical criminals, a black magician who manages and supervises the gravediggers in the area…

And what Cohorti chose among them was a watcher belonging to the [Wasteland Star Chaser] in the west.

The Wasteland Star Chasers, who are excellent hunters and patrols, also monitor demons and magical crimes, and for this, they needed a skilled black magician.

“Come to think of it, why did Senior Cohorti join the Wasteland Star Chasers?”

“Huh? Because the pay is the best.”

‘I shouldn’t have asked.’ The juniors all regretted it.

It was truly an amazing talent to not feel respect like that even though he was in the same year as Senior Dirette.

Should they just drop the ‘senior’ and call him ‘Mr.’ again?

“Anyway, this Wasteland Star Chaser job is harder than I thought.”

“Ah. Certainly, the section you have to move through…”

The western wasteland area boasted one of the largest areas in the empire. It was common for Wasteland Star Chasers to spend three nights running through this land.

“No. That wasn’t very hard. My body is actually more comfortable than it was at Einroguard.”

“Really? That’s strange. Weren’t the wizards considerate?”

Dirette was silent inside.

It was truly unfortunate that the juniors’ senses were distorted.

It wasn’t that the Star Chasers were considerate, but that life at Einroguard was that harsh…!

“Then what was difficult? Was the enemy strong?”

“No. I haven’t even seen a strong enemy. In the first place, those demons and magical criminals can’t come out that often. What’s hard is the people.”

“People? You said magical criminals didn’t come out often?”

“Not magical criminals, ordinary people.”

In fact, the work of the patrols was more about going to prevent things before they happened than chasing after them to arrest them.

If someone got their hands on an evil black magic artifact, they would go and stop them before they caused an accident, and if they made the wrong potion and got poisoned, they would go and detoxify them…

And in this process, Cohorti realized that the people of the empire didn’t listen very well.

-You must throw away that amulet!

-What nonsense! Do you even know how much I paid for this?

-The mirror is cursed! Please let me go in and release it!

-Do you think I’ll let an outsider into my mansion so easily? Don’t even dream about it!

“…They don’t listen even if I tell them it’s dangerous.”

“Oh dear.”

“If they don’t know much about magic, it can’t be helped. Try persuading them as you learned at Einroguard.”

‘Did we learn that?’ At someone’s words, the other students were inwardly puzzled.

It didn’t seem like they had learned persuasion in particular…

Cohorti became a little more gloomy after hearing the juniors’ words.

“As I learned at Einroguard? I tried it… But it… had a bit of a reverse effect.”

“A reverse effect?”

“I tried to sneak in and get rid of it quietly, but I got caught.”

The black magic school students couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“Too bad! To get caught!”

“If you hadn’t been caught…!”

“Right? I think so too.”

Dirette was silent once again.

He wanted to tell the juniors, ‘It’s not that you got caught that’s the problem, it’s that you tried to destroy it secretly that’s the problem,’ but it didn’t seem like it would do any good.

“So, did you get fired? Are you going to re-enroll in Einroguard?”

“Don’t say such terrible things even as a joke.”

Cohorti glared with a serious face.

And then he met Dirette’s eyes.

“…Ah, no. It’s not that 5th grade is terrible…”

“Shut up and keep talking.”

“So, I came to the capital to apologize.”

Dirette and the juniors had come to the capital during vacation to do some requests, research, and visits.

Then they heard that Cohorti was also in the capital and met like this…

“Is the owner of the destroyed item a noble in the capital?”

“Actually, it’s the family elder. Count Jau. A person known for being generous.”

Cohorti, who arrived in front of the Count’s mansion, shook the gift he had prepared slightly.

If he went and explained what a Star Chaser magician does and gave this gift, the generous Count would surely step in and solve the problem himself.

“Are you sure you’re not being too hopeful? Is there a guarantee that Count Jau will solve everything?”

“He’s known for being generous. Just watch.”

Dirette was worried for no reason.

Of course, the rumor that Count Jau was generous wasn’t a false rumor, but just because he’s generous doesn’t mean he’ll forgive and solve everything.

The juniors were whispering as if they were all thinking similar things.

“Senior Dirette. Should we abandon Mr. Cohorti and move separately?”

“…Still, let’s not do that…”

While they were whispering, a carriage from a family they had never seen before stopped in front.

And a person with a rough face and a fierce look in his eyes jumped out. Dirette stepped aside, thinking he was a guest of the Count.

…Until the other person whispered in a familiar voice.

“Senior Dirette. It’s me.”

“…?!!”

“Oh!”