Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1110

Saratan felt a little unfairly treated, but he calmed down.

In truth, he had developed a strange sort of attachment to this wizard.

It was strange. Saratan had only been beaten by this wizard. But feelings didn’t always make sense, did they?

The wizard had saved Saratan from danger before. This had made a big impact on the spirit.

Saratan thought, *As the better being here, it’s up to me to warn this wizard about the danger.*

‘I’ll endure it. You little rascal.’

-Wizard, please listen to me. If a powerful spirit appears, wouldn’t you be in danger too!

“Hmm?”

Lee Han looked around. Professor Garcia seemed sad by the lake. Professor Voladi was nearby, and so was Jo-Urin. Many wizards from the Magic Tower were also there.

‘Could I be in danger?’

Honestly, with this much power here, they could probably take on a demon duke!

Thinking that, Lee Han pretended to listen attentively.

Since the spirit was talking, Lee Han thought arguing with him might make him angry and stop talking.

“Indeed. If a powerful spirit appears, it could be dangerous. Spirits are fearsome beings, after all.”

-Phew! You finally understand!

‘?’

The baby basilisk, who had been listening to the conversation from inside the sleeve, tilted its head.

Based on past experience, if asked who was more fearsome between the master and the spirit, it would naturally be the master.

He seemed to have frightened almost all the spirits he had met…?

“So, what fearsome spirit are you talking about?”

-It’s probably one of darkness, lightning, or fire.

Saratan carefully conveyed what he had sensed.

Saratan could sense a lot about the other spirit. Even though he wasn’t at full power and was stuck in the wizard’s staff, this showed he was a special spirit.

He was called ‘Fighting Champion King’ for a reason. He had caused a lot of trouble among spirits. A good fighter also had to be smart.

Lee Han thought Saratan’s warning was silly.

‘What is this guy?’

If it’s one of darkness, lightning, or fire, isn’t that practically meaningless information?

Lee Han felt he could have said as much.

“I, I see. Thank you for letting me know. Anything else I should know?”

Lee Han sounded a little disappointed, but Saratan didn’t hear it.

On the contrary, he was thrilled that the wizard was paying attention to his information and excitedly said:

-The guy is probably an exile.

“An exile?”

-A spirit that wanders around without settling in any one area.

Basically, spirits were beings from another dimension, like angels or demons.

Nevertheless, the reason they were familiar to the people of the Empire was that they were relatively friendly and approachable among the beings from other dimensions.

Of course, they were wary of those with excessively imposing magical power, but with that exception, spirits tended to be quite friendly.

However, not all spirits were so friendly. Saratan, for one, had been sealed away for his excessively violent crimes.

Usually, exiled spirits were highly likely to have been chased away by other spirits for committing many sins, like Saratan.

-He probably hasn’t fully broken free yet, so quickly find where he’s hiding and finish him off!

“Huh? Finish him off?”

Lee Han was slightly taken aback.

In fact, Saratan was just as bewildered.

-Then what are you going to do?

“Persuade him, or… make a contract…”

-How do you make a contract with an exiled spirit? What did you hear from my explanation… I’m, I’m sorry.

Saratan was so shocked, he forgot to be polite. Lee Han wore a dubious expression.

“You’re under contract with me right now, aren’t you?”

-…That’s not a contract…

To call imprisoning someone inside a staff and torturing them a contract was an insult to spirits.

He thought, *Being trapped in a staff is nothing like a real contract, where spirits and wizards share names and souls!*

“Alright, alright. We’ll attack and banish him, okay?”

-I’m ready.

Saratan growled belligerently.

He was ready to face any spirit, whether it was of darkness, lightning, or fire, and give them a good beating.

“Okay. Thank you.”

After replying, Lee Han immediately went to see the professors.

Saratan thought he would be released from the staff. He stared at the wizard, confused.

No…!

The Empire’s adventurer party, the Guardians of Shadow Valley, hastily spurred on their Pegasus.

They had just heard that someone else had found the artifact they were searching for.

Jute, the party’s leader, a warlock from Calarograd, cried out in an anxious voice.

“Honestly, these miners! If it’s a magical item, they should call a wizard, not knights!”

“Calm down, Jute. Other knights, maybe, but the Aspen Knights wouldn’t do anything so reckless.”

Iliane, the orc warrior who was in charge of the party’s protection, soothed Jute.

Everyone in the Empire knew that knights were ignorant of magic, but the Aspen Knights, with their experience and skill, were a bit different.

They weren’t greedy enough to make silly mistakes, were they?

“They’re actually heading to the Magic Tower right now.”

“That’s a problem in itself. We did the tracking, and you’re telling me we have to sit back and watch the Magic Tower guys take the credit?!”

Jute shouted, sounding like he couldn’t stand it.

They had deciphered old books, followed hidden maps, dealt with several looters and bandit groups along the way, and finally arrived at their destination, only to find that some miners had accidentally excavated the ruins and taken the artifact?

It was too much, even for bad luck. Jute grumbled incessantly.

“What’s with warlocks? It’s like being cursed from the start. There’s no way things will go smoothly. I knew it since Calarograd.”

“……”

“……”

The party’s adventurer companions exchanged glances.

Jute, who led them, was objectively an excellent wizard, but he had one flaw.

Whenever things didn’t go his way, he would start blaming himself, saying, ‘It’s all because I learned black magic.’

Of course, warlocks weren’t a welcome school in the Empire. In some remote villages, they would show sensitive reactions like, ‘Eek! Keep him away from the graveyard!’

Jute was a skilled and successful wizard. His friends thought he shouldn’t regret becoming a warlock anymore.

He was already a sufficiently excellent wizard…

“Jute. Calm down. It’s just a minor coincidence.”

“That’s right. Being unlucky because you learned black magic is just a superstition. You said so yourself.”

“…Maybe. Let’s try to persuade the Magic Tower guys first.”

Jute, who had finally calmed down, nodded.

In fact, the situation wasn’t completely terrible. As a matter of custom, wizards often yielded to those who had been chasing after something first in such situations.

Besides, the Aspen Knights had the artifact, didn’t they?

The Aspen Knights weren’t minions of this Daylily Magic Tower, and they wouldn’t hand it over to them, risking the resentment of this adventurer party.

However, the reaction that awaited the party when they arrived at the Magic Tower was completely different from what they had expected.

“…You’re busy right now?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. If you could wait a little longer…”

The Magic Tower wizards repeatedly bowed and apologized.

They hadn’t finished… convincing their guest yet.

Until that persuasion was over, they had to make any other guests who came from outside wait.

“Wow. What’s going on?”

Jute was furious at the sight of his orc friend speaking so nonchalantly.

“Don’t talk nonsense! There’s no way all the wizards of a Magic Tower like Daylily Magic Tower are busy! It’s not like a great demon has been summoned!”

“Then?”

“Daylily Magic Tower…! I didn’t think you’d be like this, trying to steal the artifact with such tricks?!”

Jute trembled.

Jute had always disliked Magic Towers (to be precise, ever since he graduated from Calarograd but didn’t receive an invitation from any Magic Tower).

The Magic Tower wizards didn’t explain anything. They just said they were busy. This made Jute even more suspicious.

“I’m going in secretly! I’ll have to meet the knights and persuade them, even if I have to use force. These cowardly guys. Do you think you can take advantage of me just because I’m a warlock?”

His companions were dubious, but they followed their leader, trusting him.

Jute grumbled a lot, but he had never been wrong about magic!

Lee Han, having met the professors, excused himself for a moment and left the banquet.

Of course, the process wasn’t easy.

-Are you perhaps leaving?

-No. There’s something I need to check for a moment…

-Did we perhaps make a mistake or do something wrong…

-It’s not that, I really just need to check something for a moment…

-Please don’t just leave! We still have eight more events prepared!

……

Lee Han and the professors were silent. A heavy silence flowed between them.

Saratan asked in confusion:

-If you’re so scared, why don’t you take me out?

“No. It’s not that I’m scared of the spirit, it’s that I’m scared of the Magic Tower people.”

……

Saratan cursed inwardly.

This wizard was thinking about something else after he had gone to the trouble of telling him?!

However, not only Lee Han but also the two professors were thinking similarly. Professor Garcia cautiously spoke up.

“Um, Professor Begreck. I’m just thinking now, but maybe the request… never existed?”

Could it be that the Daylily Magic Tower’s request was just to call Lee Han and feed him well, treat him well, and entice him?

It was a novel request, unlike anything he had ever heard in Einrogaard’s long history, but Professor Garcia’s suspicion was growing stronger.

Lee Han said to deny reality:

“Maybe the spirit Saratan mentioned is that request?”

“I hope so…”

Professor Voladi checked the time for the next class, regardless of what conversation they were having.

‘I can teach for about 30 minutes.’

Crack!

“?”

A group of adventurers appeared in front of Lee Han, along with the sound of a wall collapsing.

‘Huh? Are they thieves?’

Lee Han immediately thought that, then immediately regretted it.

This wasn’t Einrogaard, so why was he suspecting people as soon as he saw them? It was very rude.

“Ah. It’s a wizard from Calarograd.”

Lee Han regretted it even more after hearing Professor Garcia mutter from the side.

He was suspecting a Calarograd wizard, not a Valdrogard wizard…

‘It’s a Magic Tower, so breaking a wall is fine.’

“Do you happen to know where the Aspen Knights are?”

Jute asked without panicking, like a seasoned adventurer.

Showing signs of panic here would only make them look more suspicious.

“The Aspen Knights? I don’t know. Are the knights here at the Magic Tower?”

“…I see. Let’s go this way!”

“Ah. Wait! That way is…”

Lee Han was flustered and tried to stop them.

They seemed to be guests from outside, but the place they were trying to go to was the lakeside where the Meditation and Relaxation Society was taking place.

Lee Han didn’t know how this event would look to outsiders.

But the fact that the Magic Tower wizards didn’t call outsiders on purpose to reveal it meant…

‘It might feel very unfamiliar or strange!’

“You can’t go there!”

“Aha! I see! The knights are here!”

“No, that’s not a guest area…”

Before Lee Han could finish speaking, Jute turned back with his companions.

And a moment later, he returned with a dazed look.

“Why are all the wizards lying down there resting?! Have they been hit by illusion magic???”

“…It’s, it’s a new event. That the Magic Tower is running.”

Professor Garcia felt he had to say something. He tried to defend the Magic Tower, but it didn’t help much.

Jute was lost in thought, wondering if the entire Daylily Magic Tower had fallen into an evil god’s faith.