Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1129

The fire giants carefully lifted the charred bodies of their fallen comrades from the scorched ground where Juzen had been defeated. They carried them with solemn respect.

Then, as if a thought suddenly struck them, they turned their fiery gazes to Ethan.

“So,” one giant boomed, his voice like rumbling rocks, “when will you challenge the King?”

Ethan blinked, completely taken aback. “Huh?”

The question was so casual, so unexpected, it was as if they were asking about the weather. For a moment, Ethan wondered if he had somehow become friends with these massive creatures without realizing it.

Ethan was surprised by their question. It was so casual, as if they were old friends. He thought, ‘It’s not like we write letters about challenging powerful beings.’

Like, “Where should I go next to fight someone strong?” or “The Fire Giant King sounds good, right? You fought the Frost Giant King already.”

Calm down!

As Ethan was about to reply that even if all dimensions collapsed, that would never happen, the hamster quickly squeaked a warning.

“What do you mean, calm down?”

“Don’t underestimate the nature of the fire giants. The frost giants are cold and calculating, but these ones are hot-blooded and quick-tempered.”

Ethan was shocked again.

Of all the giants he had met so far (though it was only the Einrogard giants and the frost giants), the most vile, persistent, tenacious, and emotional were the frost giants.

Just looking at their faces, they seemed to say, ‘You’re the challenger recognized by the King! Fight me!’ How could they be cold and calculating?

But no matter how unfairly Ethan felt, the hamster didn’t care.

The truth doesn’t change just because someone feels unfairly treated.

“Besides, many of their kin have been killed. Some of their bodies were stolen as sacrifices.”

The hamster squeaked, pointing to the sky.

The blood-red atmosphere trembled hotly, as if symbolizing the fire giants’ rage.

Was it really a good idea to refuse these angry giants so firmly?

“…So, what do you want me to do?”

“Stall them! You’re good at that!”

‘What does that mean?’

Ethan bristled slightly.

Anyone listening would think he was a liar.

If he had felt more confident and relaxed, he would have used a powerful attack, like a ‘grape barrage’ spell. Ethan swallowed his anger.

“I understand. …I’ll visit you sometime when I have some free time!”

Oh! I see.

The fire giants were very pleased with Ethan’s soulless answer.

Even the sky, which had been vibrating hotly, suddenly became calm.

“The King is also looking forward to it, Challenger. Congratulations.”

“……”

“Don’t, don’t worry. We’ll never meet. Never.”

The hamster hurriedly made excuses at Ethan’s cold glare.

Meanwhile, back in the village…

“No!!”

Nigisoth was shocked and shouted when his friend suddenly entered the dimension.

Siana and Tizling were just as surprised. Hadn’t he clearly sent this signal before the battle started?

Suspicious enemy, defensive, attack, support nearby.

From the professors doing their work on the other side of the village to the death knights who came as coachmen, everyone knew that a defensive battle was the most effective, even without Ethan’s instructions.

But the person in question chased after the enemy and entered the dimension, which was absurd.

“Hey, Wodanaz!”

When Siana shouted, forgetting the unique etiquette that a priest should have, Tizling hurriedly stopped her.

“There must be a reason…”

“…First, I will deal with those who remain and then follow him!”

Nigisoth summoned flames again, creating a vortex of fire.

Originally, the defensive battle of the Einrogard students was quite aggressive from an outside perspective.

In that situation, abandoning the defensive and turning to the offensive, the power of the flames exceeded expectations.

‘This is really strange. The spirit is helping me.’

He should have been resting, but his magic power was maintained. Nigisoth was amazed again.

Of course, the remaining mercenaries were having a terrible time.

They were barely trying to escape in a poisoned state, but what grudge did that crazy priest have…

“Enter the house next door.”

“Y-You! You’re awake?!”

The mercenaries were startled.

The prophet, who seemed crazy before, was now speaking clearly and giving good advice.

They had given up on him, thinking he had already gone mad when he was calling them monsters…

“The wall is collapsing.”

“In… Indeed!”

The mercenaries threw themselves into the empty house next door and knocked down the wall. The wall, which had cracks and a few missing bricks, collapsed in an instant.

Nigisoth was embarrassed by the sudden obstacle.

‘How? Was he calculating this?’

“There is a precognitive magic user over there!”

Tizling coughed and shouted.

She had tried instant divination by sacrificing a handful of hair, but the precognition was blocked. It was a clash between precognitive wizards.

“Take out everything you have! Break through the village and escape!”

The mercenaries took out their scrolls, potions, and possessions.

Juzen had long disappeared from their minds. Why would they take care of a guy who ran away alone?

“Prophet! Advise us! Which way should we go!”

“Southwest… Monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster!!”

“…Crazy!!”

The mercenaries burst into anger at the prophet’s sudden malfunction.

Why was the prophet suddenly acting crazy again?

But the mercenaries soon found out why.

The enemy wizard, who had returned from the dimension where Juzen had disappeared, was rushing towards them, emitting murderous intent.

‘I won’t miss a single one!’

Ethan’s murderous intent was enough to make the nerves of the mercenaries, who had gone through thick and thin, stand on end.

In fact, these mercenaries had no reason to be threatened so much. They were not worshipers of evil gods, and they were only hired for money.

But from Ethan’s point of view, he couldn’t know how deep their relationship with Juzen was.

What if even one of them escaped, returned to the cult of evil god worshipers, and conveyed Juzen’s message?

“Stop! The moment you approach any further, I will release this monster into the village!”

One of the mercenaries took out a steel flask and threatened him. The flask vibrated, as if proving that it contained a very powerful monster.

At that moment, the mercenary suddenly threw the flask into the air. The flask naturally fell into Ethan’s grasp.

“????”

Neither illusion magic nor telekinetic magic could manipulate it so naturally without any signs. The mercenary blinked.

“Stop! I will kill anyone who doesn’t stop!”

“You…!”

The mercenaries were dumbfounded when the threat they had made was returned to them.

The mercenary at the front raised his armored hand. A faint blue glow shimmered around his gauntlet, forming a shaky magical shield. He hoped it would be enough to slow down the approaching mage.

Lee Han’s sword flashed out, black as a starless night. The obsidian blade met the blue magic with a soft hiss. Instead of stopping, the black sword seemed to drink the magical energy. A sharp crack echoed as the gauntlet split, then shattered into pieces that clattered on the dusty ground.

The mercenaries, already weakened by the lingering poison in the air, lost all heart. Their shoulders slumped. Coughing harshly, they threw their swords and axes onto the dirt.

“Sur… Surren…” one mercenary wheezed, raising his hands in a trembling gesture.

*Whack!* Lee Han’s wooden staff connected with the side of the mercenary’s head.

Lee Han blinked, looking down at the man who now groaned on the ground. “Oh,” he said, a little surprised. “Were you trying to surrender? Just now?”

Another mercenary, watching with wide, scared eyes, nodded quickly.

“You should have said so louder,” Lee Han said, scratching his head. “I thought you were still trying to fight. My mistake.”

“N-no, sir! Absolutely our fault, sir!” the first mercenary stammered, scrambling to sit up and bowing his head repeatedly. “We should have been clearer!”

*Too bad for poor old Gregor,* the mercenary thought, rubbing his sore head. *But better him than me. A man’s got to survive.*

Ibinta had a past. He used to be part of a bad group of adventurers. He was even the boss of thieves in the capital city. But now, he was alive because Headmaster Skull had been kind to him.

Thanks to this great mage, who always looked for the good in people and gave them another chance, Ibinta was able to become a new person.

…or so he was supposed to say if anyone asked.

“…Yes…”

Ibinta nodded with a reluctant expression.

The death knights walked with him, giving advice. Ibinta wasn’t sure if their advice was actually helpful, but they were definitely scary fighters.

In fact, he wasn’t sure if it was really useful, but Ibinta didn’t have many options.

He wouldn’t want the blade of execution flying at him from behind, so he had to do as he was told, wouldn’t he?

“By the way, when are we going to look for those evil god worshippers?”

Ibinta asked, cautiously watching their reactions. From Ibinta’s point of view, he had reason to be anxious.

He had heard so much about the evil great mage’s notoriety, how could he be relieved if there was nothing to do?

He was even more anxious.

He had been ordered to help find the evil god worshippers, so Ibinta wanted to make a contribution somehow.

That way, his life would be extended, and he could postpone the trip to the infamous Einrogard underground prison.

But Ibinta’s enthusiasm had the opposite effect.

-You heinous criminal. Finally, you’re showing your true colors.

The knights rebuked Ibinta very sternly.

-Don’t you have a heart? You’re more cruel than we undead. Can’t you see the people of this village suffering? And yet, you want to go look for evil god worshippers?

“Ah, no… that’s…”

Ibinta lowered his head, having been fiercely attacked by the knights for saying the wrong thing.

Was asking to go look for evil god worshippers such a terrible thing to say?

‘Could it be… that they picked me because the great mage’s disciple needed an errand boy?’

At this point, he began to wonder if the search for evil god worshippers was just an excuse, and they had picked him because Gonadaltes’ disciple needed a useful errand boy.

-If we just stay still, the evil god worshippers will show up on their own.

“Yes? Have you set a trap?”

Ibinta wondered if a grand plan was being prepared without his knowledge.

-No. There’s nothing like that. But considering the successor’s track record, even just going on quests will eventually…

-Shhh. Be quiet. How can you reveal such heavenly secrets to an outsider? What if he tells the successor?

-I suppose so.

“???”

Ibinta was even more confused as the knights whispered and finished their story.

What on earth were they talking about?

-Quiet. Go and help ten villagers. We need to see if you’re still an evil thief. Iron Arm Ibinta.

‘Iron Cloak, you mean…’

Still, Ibinta trudged along.

Since the existing priests and Professor Garcia were helping the villagers in the square, he had to go further afield to find people to help.

He barely managed to ask around and fill the quota of ten people, and when he returned, the knights suddenly got angry.

-The evil god worshippers have appeared, where have you been!

“Yes!?”

-Hurry up! The evil god worshippers were trying to escape through a dimension, but the successor caught them. Go help with the interrogation.

“I… what…”

Ibinta’s head spun. He felt like he was in a play where everyone knew the lines but him. What was happening? How could they catch evil god worshippers so easily?

…Could this be what the death knights meant when they said, ‘They’ll show up even if we stay still’?

‘What trick did they use?’

When he arrived, Lee Han and his friends were sitting on a nearby rock with tired and weary expressions.

The professors and priests were talking about what had just happened in serious voices.

“Could this disaster be…”

“I don’t think so… I think they used it…”

“But how did that student return from the fire giant dimension…”

“…A coincidence, perhaps…”

-Find out what those mercenaries are hiding.

The death knights ordered Ibinta.

Usually, these seasoned mercenaries wouldn’t confess easily even if they were caught.

The difference in punishment between ‘I knew they were evil god worshippers and moved with them’ and ‘They just paid a lot of money, so I moved with them’ was like heaven and earth.

Besides, they had to consider the evil god worshippers’ retaliation.

It would take a long time and cost a lot to rummage through their brains with illusion magic one by one, so the best way was still to get a confession.

If someone like Ibinta explained the situation and guaranteed their safety…

“Oh. Aren’t you the shoemaker?!”

Ibinta exclaimed in surprise.

He had found the face of a colleague he had met in the old party among the mercenaries.

“You’re… the cloak maker…!”

“Yes! That’s great. I… I was caught too, but I’m guaranteed safety and working like this! Look!”

Ibinta desperately tried to persuade his old colleague.

He himself was from , and he had been a thief, but now he had been forgiven thanks to the pursuit…

…If you make a contribution, you won’t have to go to the Imperial Court, prison, or the Einrogard underground!

Whether it was the persuasion (or Ibinta’s seemingly normal appearance) that moved him, his old colleague finally opened his mouth after much deliberation.

“…Okay. What do you want to know?”

“Who was that evil god worshipper who died earlier? Tell me everything you know.”

“You mean Juzen? You probably already heard him get angry earlier, saying he was a disciple of the Begrek family, but he was from a western vampire noble family and had a lot of grudges. He actually cursed every time he opened his mouth. Even though their cult isn’t in a position to retaliate, the reason he shouted like that earlier was because of his grudges…”

“Ooh…!”

Ibinta was overjoyed.

Isn’t this quite impressive?

-……

“…… But the atmosphere was strange.

Not only Lee Han but even the death knights were looking at him with shocked eyes.