Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 1197

Enster sat at his worn wooden desk, the letter clutched in his hand. ‘Antagondals?’ he whispered. He had been very careful recently, avoiding any trouble. But this… this was a letter from the famous magical criminal Antagondals. It was too good to ignore.

Enster prided himself on being a skilled wizard, but compared to Antagondals, he felt like a tiny firefly blinking weakly in the vast, bright night sky of the full moon. “One day, I will be the full moon,” Enster thought, a spark of ambition lighting his eyes.

Antagondals had been a wizard for much longer than him. ‘Why would he send me a letter?’ Enster wondered. ‘Does he want to work with me? A raid? Plunder? Exploring ruins?’ Any of those ideas were tempting.

Even magical criminals had allies. Whether raiding a temple or mansion to plunder, or exploring ancient ruins, it was more advantageous to move together than alone.

Of course, a magical criminal like Antagondals might use Enster as a shield… but there was no gamble in the world without a stake. Such risks had to be taken.

The important thing was something else.

‘Could Antagondals possibly be connected to the cult?’

Magical criminals often joined hands with worshippers of evil gods out of necessity.

If Antagondals had joined forces with the remnants of the Sanguiros cult and sent the letter, it would be like walking into a trap.

‘No. That can’t be. Antagondals is a big-time magical criminal. He has no reason to join hands with the remnants of a failed cult. He’d be more likely to plunder them.’

Enster finally made up his mind.

If this really was a letter from Antagondals, it would be worth meeting him!

Lee Han frowned. “Professor, wouldn’t it be easier to use an evil god worshipper for this?”

Professor Voladi didn’t look up from his work. “Professor Begrek doesn’t want us to use them, Lee Han. Humph.” He made a small, annoyed sound.

The hamster, on the other hand, exclaimed indignantly.

-Just you wait! He’ll fall for it soon enough.

Lee Han thought to himself.

‘He doesn’t even call me by my name anymore.’

Lee Han used to call the hamster by his magical criminal name. But then, Lee Han started calling him ‘Hamster’.

Even more surprising was that the person in question didn’t seem to mind, as if he had gotten used to it.

Anyone would think he was a magical hamster who had been able to talk since birth.

“Hamster-nim. It’s not that I doubt your abilities, but… as you heard, the other party is on high alert. Do you really think he’ll come running just because he hears Hamster-nim’s name?”

-Is this my plan?

The hamster squeaked in protest.

This plan had been devised by Professor Voladi in the first place.

Professor Voladi, who was standing next to him, spoke up. “That man has a greedy nature. The possibility is high.”

“Indeed.”

-……

The hamster was so dumbfounded that he was momentarily speechless.

The same guy who kept saying, ‘Hey, the other guy isn’t stupid’ and ‘Do you really think he’ll fall for just a name’ when he was talking?!

-That’s exactly what I said! I should bury you in this pit right now!

As the hamster was about to curse, he threw himself to the ground in terror at the murderous aura coming from above.

Plop!

Professor Voladi suddenly stabbed down with a dagger. The hamster screamed, a tiny, high-pitched sound, and flattened himself against the ground. His heart hammered in his chest.

The knight next to him advised.

-Professor. If that one dies, he can escape, so you shouldn’t kill him carelessly.

Professor Voladi suddenly stabbed him with a dagger. ‘I know,’ he said calmly, a small smile playing on his lips.

-……

The hamster felt a chill for a moment.

The hamster wasn’t sure what Professor Voladi meant by ‘I know’. Was he going to stab him just enough to not kill him? Or was there magic on the dagger to stop him from escaping even if he died?

Perhaps it was both.

The hamster realized anew that Wodanaz was quite soft among wizards.

He usually tormented him with grapes or water droplets, but real wizards usually came at you with blades.

“Professor. He’s a pretty nice hamster, even if he’s rough around the edges, so please don’t do that too much.”

“Alright.”

-……

The hamster felt even more humiliated.

Just stab me with the blade!

-…Magical criminals are always thinking about magic. There’s bound to be a limit to how careful they can be.

“Ah. Like Hamster-nim, who infiltrated Einrogard… Ah. I’m sorry.”

The hamster’s brow twitched.

-The important thing is to make the offer casually without being impatient. It’s not difficult, so just watch. I’ll show you how to play with him without using a single spell.

“Would you like to go back to the basement in the meantime?” Lee Han asked, considerate of the hamster.

Professor Voladi had a kind personality, so he might secretly attack a wizard who spouted nasty words like the hamster.

Wouldn’t it be better to keep him in the basement than to wake up and see the hamster turned into some bizarre skewer?

-No! Let me wait here!

“???”

Lee Han was puzzled by the hamster’s strong rejection in the cage.

Was there something wrong with the basement space that he could enter through the dimensional bag?

There was nothing but junk there. If he had to pick something, there was a portrait of a young prince, but the young prince wasn’t the type to harass anyone.

“Did you perhaps say something wicked?”

The hamster was most likely at fault.

If he went there and spouted nonsense about sacrificing someone, it was only natural that the young prince would get angry.

-Do you take me for a moron? Would I reveal my true feelings in front of such a great wizard’s fragment?

The hamster shuddered.

Was he some kind of moron? Would he carelessly spout words in front of Gonadaltes’ fragment?

The hamster really didn’t say anything while waiting in that basement. Neither did the young prince.

The basement was filled with silence.

But the hamster could feel it.

The young prince was politely silent, but inside, he was thinking about how to deal with the hamster like a fish on a cutting board.

It was close to an instinct honed as a villain.

-Anyway, I can carry you around in my sleeve, so please don’t put me in the basement.

The hamster was angry, but he only cursed in his head. He really didn’t want to curse out loud. He was honestly afraid that if he cursed carelessly, he might end up back in the basement.

Enster was in his workshop, a small, cluttered room filled with the metallic scent of iron and the faint smell of magic. Tools hung on the walls, and half-finished golems stood like silent guards in the corners. He carefully drew a magic symbol on the workshop sign. This symbol, often used by magical criminals, would tell the person who sent the letter that it was received and accepted.

Soon, another letter appeared, right next to the first one.

Dimensional Ruins Exploration.

Minimum of 15 golems needed.

5% pay.

If you are interested, leave the workshop door open at midnight.

The letter was rude and just listed demands, but that actually made Enster feel more confident. If it had been friendly or gentle, he would have been suspicious.

A dimensional ruin meant the ruin was in another dimension, not on this continent. It was harder and needed more preparation than a normal ruin. It made sense that someone like Antagondalus would look for partners.

Demanding at least 15 golems meant he didn’t want weak people causing problems… And the 5% pay was clearly a test. Enster would never agree to that.

‘He wants to meet and talk.’

From the start, telling him to leave the workshop door open meant Antagondalus would come in person. When magical criminals met, the stronger one usually went to the weaker one’s place. Why would the weaker one trust going to the stronger one’s territory?

‘Good, if I can meet Antagondalus…’

Enster left the workshop door open at midnight. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum. His hands were slightly sweaty, even in the cool night air.

Creak –

The darkness stirred, and a tall figure stepped inside. Antagondalus was cloaked in shadows, his silver mask gleaming faintly in the dim workshop light. He moved with a quiet confidence that sent a shiver down Enster’s spine. Enster held his breath, waiting in the dim light.

“Who are you? … Oh, please, come in. It’s late to be visiting.”

“Let’s not waste time with useless talk. I am Antagondalus. Are you ready?”

Enster closed the workshop door and checked again that no one was listening or watching nearby. Then, after casting soundproofing magic again, a faint hum filled the air for a moment, and the sounds from outside seemed to vanish completely. He opened his mouth.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Antagondalus.”

To see that powerful and evil magical criminal was a new experience. But Enster didn’t act weak or try to guess what Antagondalus was thinking. Among magical criminals, showing weakness was dangerous.

Antagondalus didn’t answer right away. He glanced down at the hamster on his shoulder. It was an unusual creature, with intelligent eyes that seemed to watch Enster closely. Then, Antagondalus spoke, his voice hard to understand behind the silver mask.

“The pleasure is mine.”

“That hamster… what kind of familiar is it?”

“None of your business.”

Enster didn’t get angry at Antagondalus’s rude answer. Magical criminals usually didn’t kindly share such information. Enster would have reacted the same if asked about his golems.

“Since you’ve accepted the proposal, let’s get to the main point.”

“Wait, wait. I’ve accepted, but I haven’t fully agreed yet.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“I need to make sure you are really Antagondalus.”

No sooner had he spoken than he felt an immense surge of magical power from the other party. It wasn’t a blast of force, but more like a sudden, heavy pressure in the air, a silent wave of energy that made the hairs on Enster’s arms stand up. Enster was also amazed.

‘Incredible! How can he have so much magic?!’

A magician wasn’t like a weightlifter, and having a lot of magic didn’t always mean you were stronger, but even so, the amount of magic that had just moved was truly shocking. There was a real reason why this magical criminal was famous.

“You are being too bold. Are you telling me to prove that I am who I am?”

“P-Please understand. As you know, I, Enster, am weaker and less important than you. I can’t help but be careful.”

Enster asked a few questions he had prepared. If it wasn’t Antagondalus but fake Antagondalus, they would have trouble answering easily. However, the other person answered right away. Enster felt a little relieved.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Just one more thing.”

Enster got ready to run to the basement if the other person got angry, then spoke.

Fwoosh!

Enster quickly placed a small, iron brazier on the table. A flickering blue flame danced within it, casting strange shadows on the walls.

“This brazier’s fire will go out if it hears a lie. Can you swear that you have come only for this job, without any other bad plans?”

“!”

Lee Han, who had also felt relieved, jumped. He thought he had fooled them completely, but he didn’t expect this! You really had to be careful with magic. There were all kinds of methods.

‘Should I get angry and ignore it? Or should I attack him now?’

In that short moment, as Lee Han thought about many options, the hamster sent a quick message in his mind.

-Just say you do.

‘Huh?’

-Just do it. Curse a little first. He’ll love it.

“??”

Lee Han was a bit confused, but he said what the hamster told him to. And surprisingly, the fire in the brazier didn’t go out at all. Enster’s face immediately lit up.

“Thank you, thank you! Of course, I believed you. A magician like Antagondalus wouldn’t do such a cheap trick, would he? Follow me. I’ll show you the golems.”

“…Ah!”

Lee Han finally understood. And he felt regret. ‘What a foolish thing to do… That brazier was fake. He was testing my reaction.’ It wasn’t hard to make something look like it had complex magic. Lee Han could do it too. Then, if you said this thing had a powerful effect, they would believe it for a moment.

-What are you talking about? That brazier is real. Make sure to take it with you later, it’s valuable.

The reason it didn’t work was simply because of the anti-magic effect from Lee Han’s huge magical power. It was a way of reading feelings in the other person’s soul, but the sheer amount of magic made it impossible to work.

‘…Ah.’ Lee Han felt a little embarrassed. You should have told me before I started figuring things out…