Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 125

Ethan saw the mouse fall and blurted out an excuse without thinking, “I am not a dragon, a lich, or the headmaster.”

His friends nearby stared, wondering what he was talking about. The red fox pawed at him, as if telling him to look ahead.

The mouse jumped up and ran away.

“Wait! We were supposed to duel! With the honor of a noble…” Ethan started, then stopped.

He realized this only worked on his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower.

It wasn’t going to work on the mouse. Ethan quickly changed his words. “Like a mouse, uphold your honor!”

Of course, the mouse didn’t listen and ran into the forest. The red fox stared at Ethan pitifully. Because it was in animal form, its gaze felt even more painful.

“No choice then. Let’s chase it.”

It was clear that the mouse was the master of this forest, or at least, it acted like it.

Ethan didn’t know why the mouse had learned magic and become the master, but he accepted it. In a magic school, anything was possible.

“Stop right there! I challenge you to a duel!”

Chasing the mouse and shouting about a duel made him feel a bit silly, but he had to catch it.

Sharkan rattled as he followed the mouse’s trail.

The mouse, knowing it was being chased, launched a counterattack.

“!”

A vine with berries along the path suddenly changed. It grew feathers and turned into a fierce bald eagle.

Ethan reacted instantly.

“I see the space around me! Water, appear!”

As he cast the spell, Ethan quickly understood the situation. He could clearly see the path of the fleeing mouse.

A large amount of water formed and turned into water orbs that began to circle him.

He started with a simple 1st circle Water Creation spell but quickly shaped the water and kept it moving.

Yoner, the red fox, watched and raised her tail in surprise.

‘!?’

She was surprised that Ethan had improved so much in water magic while she wasn’t watching.

Ethan had been using water magic well for a while, but this was faster, more complex, and more precise than before.

Is he alright?

“Don’t worry. I can catch that thing!” Ethan said, misunderstanding his friends’ surprise. He immediately attacked the bald eagle.

The heavy water orb hit the bald eagle, and it disappeared with a bang, turning back into a bush.

“Sharkan, catch it! Don’t let it escape!”

With a splash, the spring next to them began to bubble. The water formed a large slime and tried to jump on them.

“Shine forth!” Ethan swung his wand and cast Lightning Creation.

Although it was a 1st circle spell, it was suitable because lightning was destructive and fast.

Bzzzt!

The lightning bolt hit the spring slime, but it wasn’t hurt. The spring slime tried to move again.

Ethan focused his magic and tried the next spell.

“Charge forth, the thunder of Perkuntra!” This was a 2nd circle spell, named after a legendary lightning spirit their professor had told them about. But Ethan wasn’t sure it was very powerful. Every time he used it, it seemed weak.

‘If it doesn’t work this time, I’ll stop using it for a while.’

The enemies Ethan faced were too strong for a freshman.

But Ethan had made up his mind. It seemed that Perkuntra was a boastful spirit!

Bzzzzzt!

The lightning bolt struck the spring slime. The spring slime shook violently. Part of it evaporated, making it smaller.

However, the spring slime was still standing.

“Perkuntra!” Ethan cursed the spirit and drew his Morning Star.

Nilia was worried and tried to stop him, mewling.

‘It’s already down!’

The spring slime was already weakened by the magic. It wasn’t moving. It was only standing because the water was still holding its shape.

However, Nilia’s cries didn’t reach Ethan.

Ethan slashed the fallen spring slime with his Morning Star. The water then scattered.

“Looks like I’ve been tricked by a spirit.”

“……”

The mouse ran away, using transformation magic.

However, the intruder, who looked like a freshman but could have been the headmaster or a dragon, skillfully fought them off and chased after it.

That was suspicious.

If he was really a freshman, he couldn’t be chasing so well.

Even if the bald eagle was one thing, creating a slime with water from the Cold Iron Water spring and defeating it without even breathing…

It was clear that it was the skeleton headmaster in disguise.

The mouse trembled with fear.

This magic school was a place where professors didn’t care if monsters, demons, angels, or spirits built nests, but if you annoyed a professor, they would destroy it themselves.

This was one of those cases.

The mouse couldn’t understand.

What had it done to offend the skeleton headmaster?

It had just created a forest in a corner of the hallway and played with the freshmen…

It didn’t seem like a big mistake.

Clatter!

Sharkan jumped out, his bones clashing, and blocked the mouse’s path.

The mouse was horrified and tried to use another spell, but Ethan was faster.

“Move!” Ethan cast a low-level spell to lift the mouse into the air, stopping it from escaping.

The mouse was surprised that he was using a 1st circle spell that only rookies used, and it fought back.

By transforming its body…

Squeak?!

The mouse was startled. It couldn’t move, as if caught by powerful magic.

It couldn’t even cast a spell.

The opponent was controlling the mouse’s surroundings with so much magic that there was no room for other magic.

To use such control with a 1st circle spell that would only lift a quill.

There was only one reason.

The skeleton headmaster’s strange intimidation!

Squeak…

The mouse dropped its head, as if it had given up.

Ethan was startled.

‘Did… did I kill it?’

For a moment, he thought he had cast Low-Level Manipulation too strongly.

But Low-Level Manipulation didn’t have that effect. It was just about lifting and controlling.

Fortunately, the mouse wasn’t dead. It just seemed to have given up.

“Look. I really am…”

Ethan was about to explain that he wasn’t a dragon, a lich, or the skeleton headmaster when he stopped.

…Did he really have to let it go?

Judging from the magic the mouse had used, it was more skilled than Ethan, even if it was flustered.

If it didn’t run away and attacked with transformation magic, he might lose.

Moreover, if the misunderstanding was cleared up, wouldn’t it attack him out of anger for having chased it?

What if it thought Ethan was the skeleton headmaster?

‘Wouldn’t he be able to get out of the forest right away?’

He had done it before. He had avoided the warehouse keeper by pretending to be the skeleton headmaster in the basement.

His friends tilted their heads and looked at him.

‘Is he worried about how to persuade the mouse?’

“That’s right. I am the headmaster.”

Squeak!

The mouse, who was looking at Ethan slyly with one eye open, closed both eyes and lay back down.

It acted like it knew it all along.

“……”

Ethan felt his friends staring, but he ignored them.

“But if you show mercy… and let me and my friends out, I will overlook making you my undead minion.” Ethan lowered his voice and spoke in a sinister tone.

Ethan didn’t even know what an undead minion was, but he said it anyway.

The mouse nodded furiously, creating wind.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak!

The mouse desperately pointed in a direction, as if it wanted to get the skeleton headmaster out of there.

Ethan and his friends walked along the forest path. In the distance, the school hallway appeared.

“Ah. Wait.” Ethan and his friends paused.

The mouse stared at Ethan with shocked eyes.

No… way?

“No. There’s one more person. Just a moment.” He had forgotten Gainando.

Ethan went back and found Gainando.

As soon as the white mouse saw Ethan, it cried and clung to him.

“Gainando.” His friends nodded. Ethan placed the white mouse on his wand.

Gainando was moved to see his friends, but then he was horrified when he saw Nilia.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!

“Huh?” Ethan looked at Nilia and then at Gainando.

“It’s okay. She doesn’t bite.”

Of course, Gainando didn’t hear him. Gainando hid in his coat pocket.

Instead of pulling Gainando out, Ethan took out the butterscotch candies and moved them.

“Then farewell. Forest mouse. If I ever have to pass through here again, let’s meet again.”

Yoner tilted her head.

…Isn’t that a threat?

The mouse trembled.

In the end, the mouse squeaked and took out its treasure, which it had dug into the forest floor. It was a mysterious bone full of magic.

Squeak squeak squeak…

The mouse looked at Ethan pitifully, asking him to accept this and let it go.

Ethan wasn’t interested in the bone. Maybe Professor Mortum would be…

Clatter!

At that moment, Sharkan rushed forward. Bones intertwined, filling the empty parts of Sharkan.

“…!”

As the summon changed into a complete form, the friends exclaimed at the mystery of summoning magic.

Ethan was thinking something else.

‘…How dangerous did Professor Lightning Foot say Sharkan was?’

According to Professor Lightning Foot, Sharkan was a violent fellow.

He was docile now because he was incomplete, but once he was complete, his original personality might come out!

‘Should I bet on the slim chance that Professor Mortum considered the freshmen, or should I bet on the obvious chance that he forgot the safety rules?’

Of course, it was the latter.

Ethan grabbed his wand and looked at Sharkan.

“…Sharkan?”

At his master’s call, Sharkan didn’t run over and kneel.

He also didn’t rush at Ethan, aiming for his neck with a fierce roar.

Sharkan just… Ignored him.

When he called again, he lay down and buried his head in the ground.

“???”

His friends were confused.

Nilia noticed first.

That’s… like a rebellious phase…?

Even loyal dogs and wolves had times when they didn’t listen as they grew up.

It was because their souls matured and they developed a rebellious spirit.

‘…But even an undead bone summon has a rebellious phase?’ Nilia blinked, finding it hard to believe.