Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 118

Lee Han was thinking some very rude thoughts, but Professor Ingledell felt very pleased with himself.

Professor Ingledell thought, “I have chosen the perfect knights!” The Aspen Knight Order was famous across the Empire. They were different from other knights who stayed in one place. The Aspen Knights traveled everywhere, looking for danger. They were known for this. These knights could teach the students so much!

It was common knowledge that knights traveled grandly with servants and slaves, but the Aspen Knight Order was different.

The knights of the Aspen Knight Order, with only a horse and a suit of armor, wandered alone through the wide plains and rocky mountains of the Empire.

To do that, one couldn’t simply be skilled in swordsmanship. They needed a variety of abilities, including adaptability and improvisation in all sorts of situations.

While Professor Ingledell was feeling pleased, Bikelintz, a knight of the Aspen Knight Order, stroked his beard and frowned.

Bikelintz still felt worried. He thought, “I came because Ingledell asked, but it seems I’ve come to the wrong place.”

Bikelintz didn’t enjoy dealing with students or young trainee knights. He had no idea how to handle them.

The swordsmanship Bikelintz had learned and mastered was solely for practical combat, not for teaching or giving lessons.

He couldn’t refuse Ingledell’s request because he owed him a favor, a debt from a long-ago battle, so he brought the knights along, but…

He thought, “They could have asked other knights to teach them, not us.”

They weren’t even knights who had risked their lives for the path of swordsmanship. They were knights who wanted to walk the path of magic together.

“Knights who have entered a magic school, of all things.”

It wasn’t that Bikelintz disliked or disregarded wizards. Every knight had been indebted to a wizard at least once, so there was no way he could disregard them.

However, students of that age would barely be able to face Bikelintz even if they devoted their lives to swordsmanship, so he was displeased that students learning magic as well were trying to face him.

“So. What do you want us to do, Professor Ingledell?”

“As I said before you came, just treat them comfortably. Just don’t hurt them too badly.”

“Understood.”

Bikelintz sighed and walked with the knights.

The knights moved with practiced ease, their armor clanking softly as they spread out across the dusty training ground. They stood like silent statues, each holding a simple wooden sword, the afternoon sun glinting off their polished helmets. It seemed they were waiting for the students to come.

Lee Han opened his mouth to persuade Professor Ingledell somehow. If the White Tiger Tower guys didn’t step up, Lee Han would have to.

“Professor. Fighting those knights one-on-one is a bit…”

Professor Ingledell beamed, his chest puffed out slightly. “The three of you should be able to show a good performance.”

Lee Han almost felt relieved at that smile, but he quickly snapped out of it.

But then Professor Ingledell said something that made Lee Han’s smile disappear. “Of course, you’ll be facing one as a trio. Gather in the groups you drew last time.”

Lee Han thought, “No, this is definitely not good.”

Lee Han cursed Volleringdell in his mind and moved his feet.

Giselle was approaching with a very, very displeased expression, just like Lee Han.

Deorgyu cleared his throat and said.

“The fact that the three of us have gathered together again like this is, in a way, fortunate…”

“Spare me the insincere words, Choi.”

“Fortunate? It would be about as fortunate as meeting the Skull Headmaster.”

Deorgyu became sullen after being scolded by Giselle and Lee Han at the same time. Lee Han felt sorry and apologized.

“I’m sorry. Deorgyu. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s alright, Lee Han.”

Lee Han looked at Giselle.

Lee Han decided to concede just a little this time.

“I will concede in this test. Moradi. I will follow your instructions.”

It was an astonishing situation where Lee Han bowed his head first, but Giselle wasn’t pleased in the slightest.

Rather, she was openly suspicious.

‘What are you really planning?’

There were people who could be subdued and made to pledge allegiance, and there were people who could never be subdued. And Wodanaz was the latter.

Giselle knew that too, so she no longer had any expectations of making Wodanaz kneel.

But suddenly, he was being so docile. No matter how she thought about it, it was suspicious.

“…What are you really planning?”

“What do you mean, ‘What are you really planning’… Moradi. We can’t get points in this test unless we concede to each other. That’s why I’m conceding.”

Lee Han was always sincere when talking about tests. Giselle was slightly shaken by that sincerity.

Really?

“But Wodanaz, you say you’ll follow my instructions, but you’re just going to ignore them right away… you son of a…”

“That’s because your instructions are crap… no. Sometimes your plans just don’t make sense.”

Deorgyu listened to their conversation, wondering when he should intervene.

It seemed better if the two of them just didn’t talk…

“…Anyway, fine. You say you’ll follow my instructions. I won’t believe it, but I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Please do. So, Professor Ingledell. Who are we up against?”

Lee Han asked Professor Ingledell, looking around.

Where was the lottery?

Professor Ingledell kindly answered.

“It’s Bikelintz over there.”

“…Wasn’t it supposed to be a random draw?”

In Lee Han’s eyes, the knight called Bikelintz seemed like the leader. That meant he was likely the most skilled.

“Because you three are the best, I’ve put you against the strongest knight.”

“Ah… I see…”

Lee Han struggled to manage his expression. Professor Ingledell, unaware of Lee Han’s true feelings, encouraged him.

“The three of you should be able to show a good performance.”

“Yes. Voll… Professor Ingledell.”

Bikelintz spoke in a serious voice as the three young students approached.

“Alright, students. Attack us however you want.”

Deorgyu asked with surprised eyes.

“Is that… alright?”

“Use everything you have. If you have magic, use magic. Don’t hold back.”

Lee Han picked up the wooden sword, thinking, ‘You could show some mercy, though.’

After only a few words, he could tell what kind of person his opponent was.

Bichelintz was a strict knight, much like Lee Han’s teacher, Allarong.

But Allarong had been easy on Lee Han, while Bichelintz would not be.

Someone who tells students to ‘attack using all possible means’ is likely to defend themselves using all possible means.

Giselle seemed to sense this unease, and a subtle anxiety flickered across her face.

“Choi family?” Bichelintz asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Dergyu replied.

Bichelintz recognized Dergyu’s family just from his stance.

“Dual swords… Moradi family, I presume.”

Giselle nodded.

“And…” Bichelintz looked at Lee Han, surprised.

Judging by his stance, it was clearly the Byeogam Sword.

Was there a family that used the Byeogam Sword?

He thought it was only used by the Imperial Knight Allarong, which made him quite confused.

“Which family do you belong to?”

“The Wodanaz family.”

“Wodanaz… hmm… er?” Bichelintz frowned, looking very puzzled. Dergyu and Giselle couldn’t help but sympathize.

‘I understand that feeling.’

“Okay, families don’t really matter for sword skills, I guess,” Bichelintz said, changing the subject, embarrassed that he had shown confusion in front of the students.

But his bewilderment remained.

Why on earth is a student from the Wodanaz family here?

Besides, judging by his stance, it doesn’t seem like he’s only been practicing swordsmanship for a day or two…

“Lee Han. I can’t see any openings…” Dergyu swallowed hard and muttered.

The pressure Bichelintz was emitting was intense.

Just standing still and lowering his wooden sword was enough to create such pressure.

It was impossible to even guess how strong he was.

“Since you said to use all available methods, let’s do that,” Lee Han said, taking out his wand.

In truth, Lee Han didn’t think he could win against Bichelintz either.

Against a battle-hardened knight who had swung a sword for decades and lived on the battlefield, any method would have limited effect.

But you couldn’t get a score by standing still.

He had to do his best to at least hear Professor Inguldel say, ‘You lost, but you fought well.’

Lee Han cast Gonadaltez’s Nimble Footwork, saying something like a spell, “Velox Moveo!”

This time, he cast it not only on himself but on the other two as well.

Gonadaltez’s Nimble Footwork was a spell similar to Sensory Enhancement, but it was more efficient and practical, and…

‘There are side effects, but not my problem.’

Lee Han didn’t care about the muscle pain his friends would experience after the spell. He had to win first, didn’t he?

“Thank you, Lee Han,” Dergyu nodded, feeling the magic enveloping his body. He didn’t need to ask; he could feel that Lee Han was enhancing them with magic.

“Space, be recognized.”

“Hands, tear apart the enemy. Heat, distort the air…”

Sharp, blue magical power crackled around Lee Han’s hands. Faint, shimmering illusions like heat waves rose from the ground.

If he didn’t know which magic would be effective, the answer was simple.

Just use them all.

By this point, not only Dergyu and Giselle but also Bichelintz began to panic.

He thought they would only use one or two spells at most, but they were using far more than he had anticipated.

‘Should I stop him?’

Bichelintz looked at Professor Inguldel.

If he continued to use that much magic, the young wizard could suffer fatal injuries from mana depletion.

Shouldn’t the professor stop him?

However, Professor Inguldel sat still with an indifferent expression. Bichelintz was even more bewildered.

‘This isn’t like him.’

“Flash!” Lee Han cast a 1st Circle lightning spell, aiming for Bichelintz.

A bolt of lightning shot towards Bichelintz.

Bichelintz dodged it easily without even looking.

“Attack!” Giselle shouted at Dergyu and rushed forward.

Even without signaling each other, they knew that now was the chance, with the magic being cast.

‘What kind of magic is this…?’

Her legs moved much more lightly than usual. Even Giselle, who disliked Wodanaz, had to admit the magic was effective.

However, Bichelintz didn’t seem impressed by the two students’ slightly increased speed. With a blank expression, he stomped his foot and moved like lightning, blurring into motion.

“Kugh!” A painful sound escaped from Dergyu’s mouth.

Dergyu prided himself on being the fastest sword among the White Tiger Tower students, but Bichelintz was on a different level.

The moment he thrust towards Bichelintz, the knight’s figure disappeared, and the force of Bichelintz’s strike sent Dergyu flying backwards. He crashed to the ground, rolling to break his fall.

Whoosh!

Bichelintz stopped just as he was about to completely subdue Dergyu. A water orb was flying towards him.

The knight of the White Poplar Knights tilted his head to dodge it. He expected it to be like the many water spells he had seen before, ending once dodged.

However, the water orb spun right next to his face and aimed at Bichelintz again.

Surprised, Bichelintz knocked away the water orb with the back of his hand. The water orb contained a considerable amount of magical power, as a heavy sensation rose on the back of his hand, which was reinforced with magic.

“Excellent,” Bichelintz praised him sincerely.

Even far superior magicians than these freshmen often failed to show such ingenuity.

To improve a simple low-level spell like this and catch him off guard…

However, Lee Han’s mood was slightly complicated.

‘Everyone except the professor is praising me.’

Both happy and somewhat sad…

This was no time to be having useless thoughts.

Lee Han gripped his wand and prepared the next spell.