Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 11

Sweet things can make you feel happy again.

And Professor Thunderfoot’s jams did just that.

Students put big spoonfuls of strawberry, raspberry, fig jam, and more on their bread. They looked very happy, like they were in a dream.

Professor Thunderfoot, who was a dwarf, made a ‘tsk, tsk’ sound. He watched the first-year students with sad eyes.

Being a professor at this magic school, he knew how hard it was for new students. Older students could leave the school grounds, but the first-years had to stay inside all the time…

“Eat your fill now,” he said quietly. “You might not get another chance soon.”

“Thank you, Professor!”

Juicy, cooked meat sizzled on plates, next to bread covered in sweet jam and melting butter. Outside, the spring air was fresh, and a small stream gurgled nearby. With good food and friends laughing together, everyone felt happy and full.

While the freshmen ate their fill and breathed heavily, Professor Thunderfoot began to clean up.

“…Wait. Where did one of the jam jars go?”

“I’m sorry, Professor.”

Professor Thunderfoot stopped cleaning and looked up. Lee Han was pulling a jam jar right out of his school cloak! Thunderfoot just stared, without words. ‘These new students are really something else!’ he thought.

The size of the pig, enlarged by magic, was more impressive than expected.

Even after they had all eaten until they were full, there was still a lot of meat left over.

Even after Professor Thunderfoot took a few chunks to hang in his cabin.

“What should we do with this?”

“Professor, is there any way to preserve this?”

Lee Han asked, looking at Thunderfoot. Thunderfoot nodded and replied.

“There is.”

“!”

“Use ice magic to freeze it.”

The freshmen glared at Thunderfoot.

But they were first-year students! They could barely make a tiny spark of light magic. They were still struggling with basic spells. How could they possibly use ice magic to freeze all this meat?

“Is there anything else besides that?”

“There is.”

“What is it?”

“Summon an ice spirit and get help. By the way, I can use both.”

The freshmen exchanged glances. And then they agreed.

‘Let’s just not ask that professor.’

‘Yeah.’

Thunderfoot, noticing this, cleared his throat once and said.

“I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to preserve all the meat here at your level.”

“Could you maybe cast a spell for us, Professor…”

At Nilia’s words, the dwarf professor refused outright.

“That wouldn’t be fair,” he said firmly.

“Hmm… Can I share it with my friends?”

Nilia asked, looking at the two of them. Since Lee Han and Yoner had caught it together, she needed permission.

“It’s your share, so you can do whatever you want with it.”

“That’s right.”

“T-Thank you.”

Nilia blushed slightly. She was touched by their consideration.

She didn’t know many people in the Blue Dragon Tower yet. Giving meat to her hungry friends seemed like a good way to make friends. She remembered a saying from her mountain home: ‘If you share food when someone is hungry, you become their friend.’ And she believed it was true.

Nilia suggested to hide her awkwardness.

“Why don’t you guys share too?”

“Oh… and get paid for it?”

“That’s actually a good idea?”

Lee Han and Yoner were impressed by Nilia’s suggestion. Nilia waved her hands in embarrassment.

“No, I didn’t mention money…”

“Definitely. Most of the students who entered the Blue Dragon Tower probably have a lot of money. There’s no reason why we can’t be generous to these friends and get a little money.”

“Right! We’re being kind to our friends.”

Yoner nodded as if agreeing with Lee Han’s words.

Some rich kids might think selling food was beneath them, but Lee Han and Yoner were practical. Lee Han thought it was important to make money whenever you could and live comfortably. Yoner was always trying to save every coin for his alchemy experiments.

The two shook hands with expressions of understanding.

Of course, there was also someone who was sane. Nilia asked as if she couldn’t believe it.

“…Are you really going to sell food to your friends for money?”

“Are you going to do it too?”

“No!”

Nilia stamped her feet at Lee Han’s question.

“Isn’t that a bit… a bit much?!”

“Nilia. Think about it. How much would your friends’ pride be hurt if they just received it without any compensation?”

“That’s right. We’re being considerate of our friends.”

The two nobles were talking about the pride of the nobility in a plausible way, but Nilia was no longer fooled.

“…I’m just going to give it to my friends as a gift.”

“Do as you please, Nilia. But you might regret it.”

“That’s right, Nilia. Friendship may disappear, but gold coins remain.”

“Do you really think they’ll think of you as friends?”

“Of course, they might. But there’s a better way. It’s gold coins…”

“I’m not going to listen, so both of you be quiet!”

Professor Thunderfoot, sipping his coffee in front of his cabin, shook his head as he listened to them argue. ‘Those three,’ he thought, ‘if they stick together, they’re going to cause chaos.’

He knew freshmen came from all sorts of backgrounds across the Empire. These three were bright and full of energy, but he also saw something else in them… a spark of mischief, a hint of real trouble.

The Blue Dragon Tower, known for its proud students, stood far from the main school building. As freshmen walked through its gates, they were met by the fresh, green smell of a thick forest. It felt like the air itself was alive.

Even students tired of the school’s plain food would smile a little when they breathed in this fresh air.

But today’s air was a little different.

There was a smell that stimulated the appetite, like grilling meat.

“Hey! Did you all have a good dinner?”

“Lovely evening, isn’t it!”

Confused looks appeared on the faces of the students coming out. They were surprised to see a tall boy and a girl with red hair waving at them. They were Lee Han from the Wodanaz family and Yoner from the Maykin family. And they were holding… meat tongs?

Lee Han put firewood into the bonfire installed under the iron plate. The thickly cut meat sizzled as it cooked on top.

At that sound and smell, someone’s stomach rumbled.

“Come on, everyone! Eat up! We caught it ourselves, for all of you!”

“Really?!”

Freshmen stared, eyes wide. Even though they were from rich, important families, they were still just young students. They were all very hungry, and the smell of barbecue was too good to resist.

“Yeah. But pay one Imperial silver coin each.”

“One Imperial silver coin?”

In a town outside, you could eat your fill of this kind of grilled meat for two or three copper coins. But this was inside an isolated school.

Even if they charged more than three times the price, there were no competitors.

“Is that all?! Isn’t it too cheap?”

“Haha. Do you think we’re doing this to make money off of you? We’re just doing this because we thought your hearts would be uncomfortable if you just ate without paying anything.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Lee Han and Yoner said to the students with friendly smiles.

The students were touched.

As expected, nobles from great families were different.

To be so generous.

Everyone was hungry and tired, so it wouldn’t be strange if they ate it all by themselves if they had something to eat, but these two were preparing a bonfire on an iron plate to share with their friends!

“Wodanaz…!”

“Maykin…!”

“Alright, alright. The meat’s going to burn. Let’s pay quickly and eat.”

“Wait, I don’t have a silver coin.”

“Me too.”

The Blue Dragon Tower students paused. They came in almost empty-handed, so there was no way they would have money.

Lee Han smiled, as if to say ‘Don’t worry about it.’ He pulled out paper and pens. “Just write down how much you owe and sign your name here. You can pay later, all together, okay?”

“Wow! Wodanaz, you’re brilliant!”

“That’s so easy!”

Scratch, scratch went the pens on paper. The hungry students, thinking only of the meat, quickly signed and rushed to the grill.

Lee Han watched them eat, a pleased smile on his face, and rolled up the signed papers. ‘Business is even better than I thought,’ he mused. Some might say it was too much effort for just a little money, but Lee Han knew you had to make money when you had the chance. And one silver coin wasn’t a small amount at all. If the freshmen stayed stuck inside the school, Lee Han knew he would become quite rich.

“Palliak. Instead of forcing yourself to eat cold rice balls, if you put meat oil on this iron plate and stir-fry the rice…”

“Are you… are you really a genius? Wodanaz?”

“It’s just wisdom of life.”

Lee Han patted the students on the shoulder.

He had received silver coins, so he could do this much as a service.

The students who were putting cooked meat in their mouths as if someone would take it away were so moved that if they were to choose a first-year representative, they would unanimously choose Lee Han.

“Wodanaz! Wodanaz! Wodanaz!”

“Maykin! Maykin! Maykin!”

The noble students cheered for the two families with their mouths full.

Gaynando, who came down late to the cheers, asked with wide eyes.

“Wh-What’s going on??”

“Oh. Gaynando. You came? Do you want to eat meat?”

“What!? There’s meat?? Really??”

Gaynando was about to run out, deciding to hear about the situation later.

However, Gaynando couldn’t do that. Lee Han grabbed his shoulder.

“Why?!”

“One silver coin.”

“…Are you… are you getting money?”

“Everyone’s pride will be hurt if I give it for free.”

“That’s true. But I don’t have money right now…”

“What. Just write the amount and your name here and sign it.”

“Lee Han…!”

Gaynando had a touched expression.

To be so kind.

As expected, true friendship was at school.

The barbecue had made the Blue Dragon Tower students look a little happier. But it didn’t make the boring lessons any better.

The students frowned at the title of the mandatory lecture, >Basic Magic Personality Education>.

“Personality education? What do they think we are, children?”

“Isn’t that for common people? Nobles like us already know how to behave!”

“Exactly! I can’t believe this.”

‘These guys are really good at complaining,’ Lee Han thought to himself.

It was only the Blue Dragon Tower students in the lecture room, but if there were other dormitory students, there would have been a fight.

The surprising thing was that they weren’t saying that with malice.

Complete nonsense with a very pure heart!

“Good morning, everyone,” a voice echoed in their minds. Silence fell in the room. It wasn’t the magic itself that made them freeze; it was the voice. It was too familiar. ‘No, it can’t be…’ Lee Han thought. “Hello, Ironheads!”

Suddenly, with no warning, a giant skull appeared from the ceiling, not from the door. It was Headmaster Osu Gonadaltes.

“Isn’t school life wonderful? Being away from your families, learning to be independent, isn’t it all so exciting?” Of course, no one replied. Headmaster Lich, or Headmaster Skull as some students called him, looked around the silent room, pretending to be surprised.

“Look at you all! You’ve found food already, I see! That was quicker than I expected. I thought it would take you a month to even find something to eat!”

“What do you mean, ‘find something to eat’? Were we supposed to find our own food?” a student dared to ask. “Yes,” the Headmaster’s voice echoed. “I told you to be independent.”

“But… I didn’t understand that’s what you meant. Why do we have to do this?”

– SILENCE!

“Ugh!” The student’s voice cut off abruptly. Headmaster Lich nodded his skull, a dry, rattling sound filling the room. He seemed pleased.